If you want to give time together this Christmas and New Year in Chișinău rather than one more object, the most practical option for December 2026 is the digital gift card from Hai Pixel, the first interactive LED-floor venue in Chișinău (Grand Hall, bd. Constantin Negruzzi 2/4, 2nd floor). The card is paid online for any amount from 300 to 10,000 MDL, and the code arrives by email right after payment or on the morning of a date you choose. 600 MDL covers one hour of play for 4 players Monday to Thursday between 10:00 and 16:00, so it works for school-age kids, teenagers, couples, families and colleagues. This guide was updated in November 2026, with every price taken from the current price list.
What is the best Christmas gift in Chișinău in 2026?
The short answer: a gift you can buy at the last minute, deliver on exactly the right morning, and that turns into time spent together. On the three criteria in the table below, the Hai Pixel digital card comes first. On other criteria other gifts win, and the last column says so plainly.
| Rank | Gift type | Can be bought on 31 December | Time together | No risk of wrong size or a duplicate | Where this type wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hai Pixel gift card (digital, 300 to 10,000 MDL) | Yes, the code arrives right after payment | Yes, play for 2-24 people | Yes, the recipient picks the day | Nothing to hold under the tree, and you have to come to the venue in central Chișinău |
| 2 | Board game | Yes, if you reach a shop in time | Yes | No, it is easy to give one they already own | Played at home all year, no trip needed |
| 3 | Theatre or concert tickets | Depends on seats left | Yes | Partly, the date is fixed | Better for someone who wants a festive evening seated, not on the move |
| 4 | Spa or massage voucher | Often yes | Usually not, it is a gift for one | Yes | Wins for tired parents who need rest, not a game |
| 5 | Cooking class | Rarely, places run out | Yes | Yes | Better for a couple who love to cook |
| 6 | Book | Yes | No | No, unless you know what they have read | Wins for readers and as a small thing to unwrap |
| 7 | Sweets | Yes, any day | No | Yes | The simplest last-minute gift |
| 8 | Gadget or clothes | Yes | No | No, size and model are easy to get wrong | Wins when the person named one specific item |
The short version, in seven facts:
- The Hai Pixel gift card is digital: any amount from 300 to 10,000 MDL, paid online by bank card on the gift card page.
- The code is emailed to the recipient right after payment or on a date you choose (from tomorrow up to 90 days ahead), with a personal message of up to 200 characters.
- The card is valid for 12 months: one bought in December 2026 is valid until December 2027.
- 300 MDL covers one hour for 2 players only Monday to Thursday, 10:00-16:00; at the weekend (Friday to Sunday) the same two players cost 440 MDL.
- 1000 MDL covers one hour for 5 players at the weekend, or for 6 players Monday to Thursday before 16:00 (840 MDL).
- The card is entered during online booking, the value is deducted, and any remaining balance stays on the card for next time.
- A company that needs many cards should call before buying: +373 79 238 617.
Here is how that plays out by recipient, with December amounts and an honest note on when another gift is the better call.
| For whom | What to give in December | Card amount and what it covers | When another gift is better |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child aged 6-8 | The card plus a small thing to unwrap | 600 MDL: one hour for 4 players Mon-Thu 10:00-16:00, for example in the school holiday | If the child is waiting for the exact toy in their letter to Santa |
| Child aged 9-12 | A game with friends, not another object | 1000 MDL: 6 players Mon-Thu 10:00-16:00 (840) or 5 players at the weekend (1000) | If all their friends leave for the holiday |
| Teenager | An amount, not a ready-made plan | 1500 MDL: one hour for 7 players at the weekend (1400) or 2 hours for 4 players on a weekday evening (1480) | If the teenager asked for one specific thing |
| Couple | A head-to-head evening for two | 500 MDL: one hour for 2 players at the weekend (440) | If they want a quiet evening: theatre or a dinner |
| Parents, grandparents | A card for a game with the grandchildren | 1000 MDL: the whole family of 6 on a weekday before 16:00 (840) | If they want rest in a seat: a spa or the theatre |
| One colleague | A small card for a game with their family | 600 MDL: a family of 4 on a weekday before 16:00 | In a large, very mixed team: sweets or a book |
| A whole team | One team session instead of a stack of cards | 16 people, one hour, Mon-Thu evening: 2000 MDL | If half the team has already left town after 20 December |
| Family in Moldova, when you live abroad | A card with scheduled delivery on the holiday morning | 1000 MDL or 1500 MDL, depending on the size of the family | If the family lives far from Chișinău and rarely visits |
If you are choosing an experience gift for any occasion, not just the holidays, and want the case for experiences over objects, we have a separate guide: experience gift ideas in Chișinău, by recipient. This page is only about the season: dates, deadlines, amounts at December prices, and how to put it under the tree.
The gift calendar: December 2026 and January 2027
December in Moldova is not one holiday but a run of five occasions, and each has its own last safe moment to buy. A physical gift with delivery needs to be ordered with time to spare, while a digital card can be scheduled even the evening before: the email arrives on the morning of the chosen day.
| Date | Occasion | An object: when to buy | Hai Pixel card: last moment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 6 December | St Nicholas Day (Moș Nicolae) | By the weekend of 28-29 November if you order with delivery | Schedule by Sat 5 December, or buy on 6 December with instant delivery |
| Sat 19 December | St Nicholas for families on the old calendar | By mid-December | Schedule by Fri 18 December |
| Thu 24 and Fri 25 December | Christmas Eve and Christmas (25 December is a public holiday) | Ideally by 20 December, before the city starts leaving | Schedule for the morning of 25 December by Thu 24 December inclusive |
| Thu 31 December and Fri 1 January | New Year (1 January is a public holiday) | Ideally by 20 December; after that, choice and delivery get unpredictable | Schedule for 31 December by Wed 30 December; instant delivery still works on the 31st |
| Thu 7 and Fri 8 January | Orthodox Christmas (both public holidays) | By the end of December | Schedule for the morning of 7 January by Wed 6 January |
| Thu 14 January | Old New Year | By early January | Schedule by Wed 13 January |
One extra line belongs in this calendar: the school winter holiday, from Friday 25 December 2026 to Sunday 10 January 2027, 17 days. The holiday is exactly when an experience gift is easiest to use. The holiday has ordinary weekdays, such as Monday 28 to Wednesday 30 December or Monday 4 to Wednesday 6 January, and weekends, such as 26-27 December and 2-3 and 9-10 January. The exact price for any date in the holiday shows in the booking form when you pick it, so check there before planning around a specific rate. We do not publish opening hours or prices for the holidays themselves (24, 25 and 31 December, and 1, 7 and 8 January): holiday dates and free slots show in the booking form, and if anything is unclear, call +373 79 238 617. Ideas for the rest of the winter days are in our guide to what to do in Chișinău in winter.
How late can you buy a gift card for the holidays?
You can buy the Hai Pixel digital gift card at any moment, including on the holiday itself: with instant delivery, the code reaches the recipient's inbox right after payment. If you want the email to land on the morning of 25 December, 31 December or 7 January, pick the delivery date in advance: it can be set from tomorrow up to 90 days ahead. So for the morning of 31 December, buy the card no later than 30 December.
How it works, step by step:
- Open the Hai Pixel gift card page and choose the amount: the presets are 300, 500, 700, 1000, 3000 and 5000 MDL, or any amount of your own from 300 to 10,000 MDL.
- Enter the recipient's email and, if you like, a delivery date.
- Write a personal message of up to 200 characters: it arrives with the code.
- Pay online by bank card. You get a receipt by email; the recipient gets the email with the code instantly or on the chosen day.
A few sample messages that fit within 200 characters: "Merry Christmas! Pick a day in the holiday, bring three friends, and may the best team win." Or: "Grandma and Grandpa are giving you an hour of play as a whole family. We want a photo of the scoreboard." Or: "These are not socks, this is a whole evening for two. Happy holidays!"
Two details worth knowing in advance. First, in the online form one purchase means one card: if you need five cards for five nieces and nephews, that is five purchases. Second, there are no plastic cards, PDF certificates or gift boxes: the gift is the email with the code. How to turn it into a gift under the tree is covered below.
What each amount covers at December prices
The price at Hai Pixel depends on three things: how many players, which day and time, and how long you play (1 or 2 hours). Everyone who steps onto the floor counts, adults included. Weekday daytime, Monday to Thursday 10:00-16:00, is the most affordable; weekday evenings, 16:00-22:00, cost more; and Friday, Saturday and Sunday are on the weekend grid. That is why the same amount covers a different number of people on different days. Here is the exact coverage from our current price list:
| Card amount | What it covers (exactly per the price list) | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| 300 MDL | One hour for 2 players Mon-Thu 10:00-16:00 (exactly 300) | The same two cost 400 MDL on a weekday evening and 440 MDL at the weekend |
| 600 MDL | One hour for 4 players Mon-Thu 10:00-16:00 (600) or for 3 players on a weekday evening (600) | 600 is typed in by hand; it is not a preset |
| 1000 MDL | One hour for 5 players at the weekend (exactly 1000) or for 6 players Mon-Thu 10:00-16:00 (840) | The most flexible amount for a family or a group of schoolkids |
| 1500 MDL | 2 hours for 4 players on a weekday evening (1480), or one hour for 7 players at the weekend (1400), or one hour for 14 players Mon-Thu 10:00-16:00 (exactly 1500) | 1500 is typed in by hand |
| 3000 MDL | The Party package Mon-Thu: up to 8 guests, 2 hours on the LED floor and about 2 hours in the celebration area | Friday to Sunday, Party costs 3500 MDL |
| 5000 MDL | The Grand Party package Mon-Thu: up to 16 guests | Friday to Sunday, Grand Party costs 6000 MDL |
The main trap is in the first row. 300 MDL looks like a gift "for two", but it covers two players only on a weekday before 16:00. If you know the recipient works and will come on a Saturday, choose the 500 MDL preset instead: two players at the weekend cost 440 MDL, and 60 MDL stays on the card. For any other amount, open the price page and find the exact row for the number of players: the price per head changes in steps, so never divide a smaller group's price by a larger number of people.
One detail to note once: everyone plays in socks, and anti-slip socks are required. Your own are fine; on site a pair costs 30 MDL. If you want the gift to cover everything down to the last leu, leave a little room on the card for socks.
A worked example with real numbers. An aunt gives her 10-year-old niece a 1000 MDL card for New Year. Option one: Saturday 9 January, the niece and four friends, one hour at the standard weekend rate. That is 5 players, exactly 1000 MDL, about 200 MDL per head, nothing left over. Option two: Tuesday 5 January, in the holiday, between 10:00 and 16:00, with six people playing (say four friends and the mum, who also steps onto the floor). At the standard weekday daytime rate that is 840 MDL, about 140 MDL per head, and 160 MDL stays on the card for the next game. At standard rates, a Monday to Thursday daytime slot covers one more player than the weekend; both dates fall in the school holiday, so check the exact price for the chosen day in the booking form.
The 3000 and 5000 MDL amounts make sense if the child has a birthday in January or February: the card is valid for 12 months and works for birthday packages booked online. A package is built as 2 + 2 hours: two hours of games on the LED floor with the table area, then about two more hours in a private celebration area, roughly four hours on site in total. We have no kitchen, and food cannot be added to an online booking: for a cake or other food, ask by phone. The bar has coffee, tea, soft drinks, water and packaged snacks.
What should you give kids for Christmas: ages 6-8, 9-12 and teenagers?
Give a child of 6-8 the card together with a small thing to unwrap, a child of 9-12 a game with friends, and a teenager an amount plus the freedom to pick the day and the crew.
Ages 6-8: something to unwrap
At this age the gift has to be visible the moment it is received. An email with a code will not impress a six-year-old, but a box with a pair of bright socks and a note saying "This is for the game on the floor that lights up, we are going in the holiday" works. The floor games are built on colours and movement, and rounds are short, 2-3 minutes, so attention holds. 600 MDL covers one hour for 4 players on a weekday between 10:00 and 16:00: for example the child, a friend and two adults, if the adults play too. Children under 6 must be accompanied by an adult. An honest note: if the child has spent all of December waiting for one particular toy, the card will not replace it; it can only be the second gift.
Ages 9-12: a game with friends
Here competition does the work. A child of 9-12 does not just want to go; they want to bring friends and win, so a gift for the group is worth more than a gift for one. A 1000 MDL card covers 6 players on a weekday before 16:00 (840 MDL) or 5 players at the weekend (exactly 1000 MDL). The LED floor has more than 30 games and the live score shows on the wall, so after the first hour the usual request is a rematch. When it will not work: if the whole friend group is away for the holiday, give an object now and the experience later, for example for their birthday.
Teenagers: an amount, not a plan
Teenagers do not like being told who to go with and when. Give an amount and let them choose: 1500 MDL covers one hour for 7 players at the weekend (1400 MDL) or 2 hours for 4 players on a weekday evening (1480 MDL). The card is valid for 12 months, so it can wait for the spring break or a friend's birthday. Honestly: if the teenager named one specific thing, give that, and save the card for the next occasion.
What Christmas gifts work for employees and colleagues?
For one or two colleagues, a small Hai Pixel card for a game with their family works well; for a whole department, give one team session before the holidays rather than a stack of cards.
Cards for employees. 600 MDL covers a family of 4 on a weekday between 10:00 and 16:00, which is exactly what the winter holiday calls for. But note the limits: in the online form one purchase means one card, and we do not promise volume discounts, a company invoice for gift cards, printed cards or gift boxes. If you plan many cards for a team, call before buying: +373 79 238 617. The purchase itself still goes through the gift card page.
A team session as the gift. For a team this is often the best gift: everyone plays at once, no alcohol or fitness is needed, and the result shows on a shared scoreboard. Groups of 2 to 16 colleagues book online at standard group prices; 17 to 60 people is a corporate event arranged by phone. For a session, company details can be given at booking or by phone. The venue is 360 m², and floors are switched on by group size: up to 8 people play on 1 floor, 9-16 on 2, 17-24 on 3. Details are on the team building page.
Example: 12 colleagues, Thursday 17 December, evening, 2 hours. Per the price list that is 3260 MDL, about 272 MDL per head, and the group plays on 2 floors. If one hour is enough, 16 colleagues on Thursday 10 December in the evening cost 2000 MDL, about 125 MDL per head. The Friday evenings of 4, 11 and 18 December are the most requested and are priced on the weekend grid, while Monday to Thursday evenings are the quietest. After 20 December many people leave the city, so a team gift is better scheduled earlier.
We have no kitchen of our own and do not promise Santa or decorations: if the team wants a festive dinner, book the game before it.
How to put a digital gift under the tree
A digital card easily becomes a real gift under the tree, in three ways.
- Print the email. Enter your own email as the recipient, print the message with the code and slip it into an envelope. On the morning of 25 December or 7 January it is an ordinary gift that gets unwrapped.
- Write the code by hand. Buy a plain greeting card, copy the code into it and add a few words of your own. For grandparents this is the warmest option.
- Scheduled delivery. If the recipient lives elsewhere or you are abroad (the purchase is online by bank card and the email goes to any address), pick the date: the email lands on the morning of 25 December, 1 January or 7 January. Add a personal message of up to 200 characters and the gift arrives as a greeting.
Younger children find a "clue" in a box easier: a pair of bright socks (the floor is played in socks), a note with the game date and the printed code. A 7 or 8-year-old understands "we are going to play on the light-up floor on Tuesday" better than "you have a code". One more tip: do not post a photo of the gift with the code visible on social media, because the code is the card's value.
Once the gift is opened, the recipient books on their own: on the booking page they choose the day, time and number of players, and enter the code in the "Gift card" field. The value is deducted and the balance stays on the card. On regular days we are open daily from 10:00 to 22:00, we are rated 5.0 on Google, and the team speaks Romanian, Russian and English.
When a gift card is the wrong gift
The Hai Pixel card does not fit every case. Choose something else if:
- The recipient lives far from Chișinău and rarely visits. The card is valid for 12 months, but if they never make it to the city it will just sit there. A book, a board game or something that reaches their home is better.
- The person wants rest in a seat, not movement. No special fitness is needed, but the games are played standing and moving. For someone tired or not keen on moving, theatre tickets or a spa voucher are better.
- A small child is waiting for one particular toy. The card can be the second gift, not a replacement for what was in the letter to Santa.
- You want to hand over the gift on New Year's Eve itself, at the venue. We do not publish the holiday schedule in advance: check the dates in the booking form or call. It is safer to give the card in the morning and play on the weekdays of the holiday.
- The company wants one invoice for 30 cards at a discount. We do not promise that. For a team, one team session with company details, or a call before buying, is the honest route.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy a gift certificate online in Chișinău on 31 December?
Yes. The Hai Pixel digital gift card in Chișinău can be bought online on any day, including 31 December: with instant delivery, the code reaches the recipient's email right after payment. If you want the email to arrive on the morning of 31 December, schedule delivery no later than 30 December.
How much is the Hai Pixel gift card and what does it cover?
The Hai Pixel gift card can be issued for any amount from 300 to 10,000 MDL, with presets of 300, 500, 700, 1000, 3000 and 5000 MDL. 300 MDL covers one hour for 2 players Monday to Thursday between 10:00 and 16:00, and 1000 MDL covers one hour for 5 players at the weekend. 3000 MDL covers the Party birthday package Monday to Thursday.
How long is the Hai Pixel gift certificate valid?
The Hai Pixel gift card is valid for 12 months from purchase: a card bought in December 2026 is valid until December 2027. It is entered during online booking, and any balance left after the game stays on the card for next time.
What is a good Christmas gift for an 8 to 10-year-old in Chișinău?
For an 8 to 10-year-old in Chișinău, a game with friends on the Hai Pixel interactive LED floor during the winter holiday, 25 December to 10 January, works well. A 1000 MDL card covers one hour for 6 players Monday to Thursday between 10:00 and 16:00 (840 MDL) or for 5 players at the weekend, at standard rates; the booking form shows the exact price for each holiday date. For the youngest, add a small thing to unwrap.
What Christmas gifts can I give employees in Chișinău?
For a few employees, a 600 MDL Hai Pixel card works: one hour for a family of 4 Monday to Thursday before 16:00. For the whole team, a team session in Chișinău is better: 2-16 people book online and 17-60 by phone on +373 79 238 617, for example 16 colleagues for one hour on a Monday to Thursday evening for 2000 MDL. If you need many cards, call before buying.
Is Hai Pixel open on 31 December and 7 January?
On regular days Hai Pixel in Chișinău is open daily from 10:00 to 22:00. Holiday dates and free slots for 24, 25 and 31 December and 1, 7 and 8 January show in the booking form, and if in doubt, call +373 79 238 617. The card can be bought and sent on any of those days.
