Celebrate Archives - Page 14 of 15

Shine’s Chinese New Year Lanterns

January 22, 2014/in Celebrate, Make/by Shine

One of the best things about living In New York City is the opportunity to experience diverse celebrations from around the world. It seems almost every culture is represented here and has a parade, party, festival, street fair, or other opportunity for New Yorkers to not just witness but join in. Chinese New Year is one of my favorite cultural celebrations to introduce to young students. From exploration of the food, the colors, the lions and dragons, there is so much appeal for children of all backgrounds.

This week I’m sharing one of my favorite Chinese New Year projects. It’s super simple and can be done with children as young as two years old yet always produces such a beautiful result. Whether it’s a craft or a reading a book, introduce your children to the holiday at home. I then encourage you to take them out to witness the celebration firsthand. Go to the parade in Chinatown or at least out for a walk, to eat some dumplings, and a stroll around Pearl River Mart. Allow them to enjoy the rich culture of the Chinese… it’s unavoidable here in NYC and provides a perfect opportunity for a lesson in cultural diversity.

Gung hay fat choy!

Continue to shine your light –
Aaron Goldschmidt, founder & director

Materials Needed:

Red construction paper
toothbrushes for painting
black paint
black and/or gold glitter
black yarn
Chinese tassels
Masking tape
Hole puncher

Finding a Solution for a Healthy Resolution

January 6, 2014/in Celebrate, Guide, Taste/by Shine

Happy New Year! We all want to start the year off on the right foot and many of us do so by changing some of our holiday eating habits. But what about children? How do we tackle the not-so-easy job of getting our children to eat healthier? Here Katie Letts, chef and shine nutrition specialist, provides some tips to 5 major issues parents face. May 2014 be happy, healthy and delicious for your whole family.

Continue to shine your light –
Aaron Goldschmidt, founder & director

The holiday goodies have been consumed, the champagne has been toasted, and the start of a new year means one thing above all else: New Year’s resolutions! Making it a priority to improve the eating habits and overall health of your little one is an honorable goal, albeit a challenging one. Let’s face it; most small mouths come with an assortment of not-so-small obstacles. Every-day issues, from picky eaters to the lack of time to cook can make preparing nutritious family meals and snacks a battle!

Recently, I asked several moms and dads to share the greatest challenges they’ve faced with providing a well-balanced diet for their children. Some of them provided me with their solutions for said challenges, as well. Not so surprisingly, many of the food issues were quite common among most of the families! The parents who generously contributed their thoughts range from professional chefs to folks who would much rather “take-out” than tournée… After all, children will eat like children (even if their parent heads a TV network kitchen). If you would like to resolve to keep your family happy and healthy, feel free to use these tips, as needed… Let’s put the solution back into “resolution!” Read more

Peppermint Bark Recipe

December 18, 2013/in Celebrate, Taste/by Shine

I love the holidays. Aside from the parties, the baked goods, and all the sparkle, they also provide plenty of opportunities for togetherness. And even though Thanksgiving was late and Hanukkah early, I’m still in the midst of decorating, wrapping, baking, ornamenting, lighting, singing, and taking in the infectious holiday buzz here in NYC. One of my favorite ways to bond with students, friends and family during the season is to bake and cook together. Here, Chef and Shine Nutrition Specialist Katie Letts, shares her very easy (and very delicious) recipe for peppermint bark. Whatever you bake or do for the holidays, make sure to do it with some people you love. The memories will last a lot longer than the treats! Have a sparkling holiday and New Year!

May your holidays shine bright –
Aaron Goldschmidt, founder & director

Deck the halls with sweets and candy! Christmas cookies are often considered the norm to make during the holiday season, especially with your little ones. This peppermint bark recipe, however, is a simple alternative to the typical cookie tradition. Make sure to leave some for Santa on Christmas Eve, too!

Ingredients:

24 oz white chocolate chips
1 tsp peppermint extract
2 cups crushed candy canes

Shine’s Holiday Book Picks

December 9, 2013/in Celebrate, Learn, Read/by Shine

At Shine, we think the best gifts are always books. As you’re doing last minute holiday shopping, consider some of these picks from our friends in early childhood publishing. Happy Holidays!

May your holidays shine bright –
Aaron Goldschmidt, founder & director

Francesco Sedita
President & Publisher at Penguin Young Readers Group

The Scrawny Little Tree by Ed Mehler, illustrated by Susie Pollard

This is the sweetest story, originally written and published in 1973 and re-released in 2011. It’s Charlie Brown meets The Giving Tree and it’s just beautiful and precious.

Llama Llama Holiday Drama by Anna Dewdney

The Lllama books are all wonderful and here our pal Llama has a very special Christmas, even if he is quite impatient.

Anything Jan Brett

To me, Jan Brett is Christmas in a book. She just evokes such a wonderful, magical environment with her words and illustrations. I would really recommend “The Night Before Christmas” edition with a DVD in the back, read by Jim Dale, and with a musical score from the Boston Pops – so special. Read more

Simple Tips for Getting Out of a Holidaze

December 2, 2013/in Celebrate, Guide, Make/by Shine

The holidays can be overwhelming for children and their parents. Between all of the sugary treats, abundance of presents, and focus on the commercial aspect, the true meaning of the season can be lost. At Shine, we make sure to remind our students and their families that a little effort and some simple crafts can go a long way. Here are some of our favorite holiday crafts and tips. They are all sure to emphasize important skills and lessons as well as provide some good old-fashioned family bonding while serving as a reminder about the importance of doing for others.

A homemade card means a lot to the recipient. Paper supply stores sell plain white cardstock cards and envelopes. Have children decorate them with holiday stickers, ink stamps, a paint handprint or any other creative idea you can come up with. Tape them to presents or have children help to address or stamp the envelope and bring them to the post office together.
Old art work makes fabulous one-of-a-kind wrapping paper. Not every piece of art your child brings home can be archived and saved forever so use some of them as wrapping paper for gifts. If you don’t want to part with any of your child’s masterpieces, then have them decorate a large piece of easel paper with crayons, markers, stamps and stickers. Read more

Fresh Cinnamon Cranberry Applesauce

November 27, 2013/in Celebrate, Taste/by Shine

Thanksgiving just might be my favorite holiday of the year. I think it’s the combination of food and togetherness that I love so much. What better way to mix the two than cooking with your kids. Here, Katie Letts, chef and Shine nutrition specialist, shares her original recipe for Fresh Cinnamon and Cranberry Applesauce. It’s simple to make, delicious to eat and will give your son or daughter a feeling of pride when they see it on the Thanksgiving table. Whatever you cook, make sure to do part of it together. Everything tastes better when it’s made with love.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Shine!
Aaron Goldschmidt, founder & director

Fresh Cinnamon Cranberry Applesauce Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and although many folks consider a turkey the holiday’s piece de resistance, I adore the variety of side dishes that truly make the meal. It can be hard to prepare Thanksgiving sides that appeal to children as well as adults, but my cinnamon cranberry applesauce is sure to please even the pickiest of young pallets at your family gathering!

Ingredients:
(Makes 8 servings)

12 medium apples, peeled, cored and quartered (I prefer Macintosh!)
1 ½ cups water
¼ – ½ cup fresh cranberries
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp grade A maple syrup

Eight Fun Chanukah Activities for Kids – One For Each Night!

November 27, 2013/in Celebrate, Make/by Shine

Now that Chanukah is upon us, families might be struggling to come up with some fresh ideas to keep each night exciting. Here, Laura Puzio, an early childhood Jewish educator, gives us some activities for each night! Be sure to check out our Vitamin J class beginning this Fall taught by Laura. For more information contact info@shinenyc.net.

May your Chanukah candles shine bright!
Aaron Goldschmidt, founder & director

Chanukah is such a special time of year for families to come together and celebrate! It is not just about celebrating the miracle of the oil lasting for eight nights, but also about a great victory of the Jewish people, persevering and surviving against all odds. We light the Chanukiah, or Menorah (8 branched candelabra), each night of Chanukah to help us remember the incredible faith and strength of the Jewish people. There are so many fun things to do during Chanukah in New York and many learning opportunities for your children as well!

Go to a Judaica store and explore all different types of “Chanukiot”, or Menorahs. The “Shamash”, or helper candle, is sometimes in the middle, and sometimes on the end of the Menorah. See how many different types you can count with your child! (In Manhattan: West Side Judaica, 2412 Broadway, or J. Levine Co., 5 W30th St, In Brooklyn: Eichlers, 1401 Coney Island Ave- N.B. These stores are closed on Saturdays).
Learn all about oil! The miracle of Chanukah was that the oil in the holy temple lasted for eight nights; Explore oil with your child! Do a “Science Experiment”: mix oil with water (put a little food coloring into the water to see it better), and ask your child what happens. Let them play with, touch, smell, and even taste olive oil! Read more

Holiday Music

November 6, 2013/in Celebrate, Play/by Shine

The holidays are upon us. And that means so is holiday music. I have to admit I used to dread the month in between Thanksgiving and the new year and all the seasonal songs I heard over and over in stores, on the radio and even sung in many of our classes. But a few years ago something happened. A switch was flipped and suddenly I became obsessed with the very music that used to make me cringe. There is something in the spirit of holiday music that really inspires me as I end the year. I don’t love it all and am discerning of course, but now I make it a mission to find new holiday songs every year. My collection is vast and ranges from classic soul to modern pop to vintage country and everything in between. I can listen to Ella Fitzgerald’s Swinging Christmas on repeat and think Mariah Carey makes a great Christmas album. It has noting to do with my faith or my any of the commercial aspects of the season. It’s just the music in my heart and when you find that, play it loud… no matter how many times you’re told to turn it off!

In our music classes and holiday workshops shine educators love to riff with the students and make up their own holiday songs. Here, Shine Music Specialist Taylor Shapiro shares some other creative ideas on how to infuse wintery inside time with music and togetherness.

Keep cranking that holiday music (or whatever music inspires you) and keep shining your light –
Aaron Goldschmidt, founder & director

Oh, the weather outside is [getting] frightful, but the indoor possibilities are so delightful! So, it’s officially chilly outside and those days of comfortably throwing a Frisbee around at the park in the sun, going for a bike ride and outdoor intramural sports are over. This doesn’t mean it’s time to plant your family on the couch in front of the TV for the latest Doc McStuffins episode. Don’t get me wrong, I love some creative and educational television for children, especially TV musicals, but try some of these first: Read more

Candy Corn Cups

October 30, 2013/in Celebrate, Fun, Taste/by Shine

Halloween is tomorrow but many of you may not know that today is National Candy Corn Day. Opinions are split about the merit of these seasonal treats but we at Shine have a soft spot them. It may be the childhood memories they evoke or our need for a quick sugar boost as the days get shorter and colder, but whatever the reason, you can always find some lying around our offices in late October. Here is Shine’s recipe for Candy Corn Cups. Sweet, decadent, and over-the top, they stray from our normal health-minded recipes – but Halloween and National Candy Corn Day only come once a year. Live it up!

Continue to shine your Halloween light –
Aaron Goldschmidt, founder & director

As the sun sets earlier in the October sky, there’s a slight chill in the air that can mean only one thing… It’s almost Halloween! There’s no better way to celebrate the ghoulish holiday than with candy corn, one of the most classic of Halloween candies. This candy corn-themed recipe is not for the faint of heart, as it is quite the tricky treat to make, but I guarantee these candy corn cups will be a scream at any family Halloween party!

Ingredients:

8 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1 qt white buttercream icing
Orange and yellow food coloring
24 candy corn pieces

Special Supplies: Read more

Hello Halloween, Goodbye Candy

October 23, 2013/in Celebrate, Guide/by Shine

We’re one week away from Halloween and most children’s dreams, to get obscene amounts of candy, can be a parent’s nightmare. We at Shine love the holiday and the creativity it brings out in children – one of my 3 year-old students is set on being an orange dinosaur, another, not even 3, a musketeer. We encourage families to dress-up together, go trick-or-treating, and allow children to eat a lot of candy. But how do we deal with the sugar-mania that follows such a frenzy? What do we do with the leftover candy? Halloween can actually be a great time to teach children about good oral health habits. In this week’s article, Dr. Shirley Molina, a pediatric dentist at Dental Associates for Kids Only, gives some advice on how how to handle the post-Halloween candy crash and what to do with the pounds of leftover candy. We’re big fans of buy-back programs. Whatever you do, make sure to have fun and let your children really get in the spirit, candy and all!

Continue to shine your Halloween light –
Aaron Goldschmidt, founder & director

With Halloween right around the corner, parents may start to wonder Hello Halloween, Goodbye Candy what the dentist thinks of the holiday. As a pediatric dentist, I love children and their happiness is paramount. I believe children should dress up as their favorite characters and walk their neighborhood with friends and family. Children should happily fill their bags with candy as they declare “Trick or Treat!”

Once back at home, their parents should check all their candy to make sure it’s safe to eat. After getting the green light, I recommend the kids eat as much candy as they like, of all varieties, up until their bellies ache if they wish. After all, Halloween is the one day when kids get to be kids – dressed up, running around and eating candy to their hearts’ desire. Read more