Halloween can be a lot of fun for older children – creepy costumes, spooky stories and copious amounts of candy! But for younger children the holiday can be frightening, over-stimulating and difficult to process. Toddlers and pre-school aged children are not always capable of differentiating the real from the imaginary and Halloween can blur those lines even further. We would never think of taking our 2 year-olds to a haunted house. And how do we explain all the blood, gore and evil the holiday celebrates?
At Shine, we use the creative angle Halloween provides and really get children involved on a level to which they can relate. Here are some of my favorite tips to make Halloween fun for young children while reinforcing important skills, family bonding and the joy the season has to offer. Read more
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Can we ever really thank our mothers enough? Flowers, chocolates, jewelry? Probably not. I remember being in elementary school and telling my mom that someday I would buy her her very own Greek Island. I knew she loved Greece and was clearly already aware she deserved something big for all she did. I am still trying to get my mom that Greek Island. Perhaps just a trip to Greece together someday will do. There are much simpler ways for children to give back to their mom on Mother’s Day. At Shine, we love to paint terra-cotta pots and plant flowering herbs as gifts. Even a homemade card will make Mom feel appreciated. But one of our favorite ways to treat anyone is with something delicious to eat. It can be breakfast in bed, a meal prepared the day before with the help of dad, or something decadent right out of the oven. Cooking together promotes family bonding and the effort put in always yields a great end result… not just a happy belly, but a happy mom!
Here, chef and Shine nutritionist Katie Letts, shares a very unique recipe mom’s are sure to appreciate… tasty and healthy!
Continue to shine your light on your mom –
aaron goldschmidt, founder & director
Let’s face it; being a mom can be a thankless job. Your toddler doesn’t recognize you for changing her diaper, and your 10 year-old doesn’t express gratitude for making sure he gets his homework done and enough vegetables in his diet. Still, there is one day a year just for moms. On this day, mothers everywhere are shown complete appreciation for all they do by family, friends and strangers, alike. It is a day for moms to enjoy being pampered, fed breakfast in bed, and simply to bond with their families. This Mother’s Day, help your little ones pamper you with a delectable homemade ice cream. It’s made with frozen bananas, rather than dairy and added sugar, so feel free to indulge as much as you please!
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Earth Day and Arbor Day are coming up next week and provide the perfect opportunity to teach children of all ages about the importance of keeping our Earth happy and healthy. Even young kids can get into the spirit with a few of our simple tips for making your family’s life a little more green…
Read. Books always provide the perfect way to introduce new concepts to children. Some of our favorites for this time of year are The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, The Earth Book by Todd Parr, My Bag & Me by Karen Farmer & Think Green by Jeanine Behr Gertz.
Have children start a recycling program at home. Although you may already recycle, why not create an opportunity for your children to get involved? Even the youngest children love to sort and can help separate the plastic, glass, and paper and put it in the appropriately colored bins. But to make it more fun, perhaps you create a special recycleable art bin where you can put household items like old buttons, packing peanuts, egg cartons, paper towel tubes, etc. That way you’ve created a sustainable art lab for your own house and always have supplies on hand for projects. Older children who are doing homework and a lot of their own art should even have a paper recycling bin in their room.
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At Shine, we use the creative angle Halloween provides and really get children involved on a level to which they can relate. Here are some of my favorite tips to make Halloween fun for young children while reinforcing important skills, family bonding and the joy the season has to offer. Read more
Read.