What To Do For Halloween in New York’s East End

What To Do For Halloween in New York’s East End

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Halloween fun all month long has given us a treat when we needed it most. Still wondering what you should do with the kids on the big day itself? Finally we have a Saturday Halloween, so it won’t be as rushed as years past, AND it’s a full moon, so you can leave your flashlights at home. While you may be tempted to skip festivities this year, mental health experts say it’s important to balance physical risks with mental health risks. There are plenty of ways to reduce the risk of catching coronavirus, while partaking in annual October traditions – some classic, others new for 2020.

Learn About the Science of Getting Spooked

The Center for Science Teaching and Learning is hosting exhibits, character actors, take-home crafts, and a woodland walk at SpookyFest. Ticket times will be spaced so that only one family will be traveling through the woods or crafting at a time. The event is open to ages 3+ and costs $10 for family-friendly fun, with Halloween time slots from 6:30 to 9:30. 

Fly on Down to Dracula’s Farm

The Northshore Horse Rescue at 2330 Sound Avenue in Baiting Hollow is showing off its Halloween-themed horse paddocks with a 30-minute drive-thru tour from 10 am to 2 pm on Halloween. Each vehicle receive a Halloween candy basket, so bring your face masks. Tickets are $32 per car (or $27 for advanced registration), with all proceeds supporting the horse animal sanctuary’s rescue mission. 

Sing with Spookley, the Square Pumpkin

The Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts will present Spookley The Square Pumpkin: The Musical for children ages 3-10. The Halloween performance is at 11 am – outdoors behind Roseneath Cottage (239 Middle Country Road in Smithtown), with social distancing measures in place. Guests must purchase advance tickets online for $18 a person.  

Complete a Virtual Arts & Craft

The Museum of Arts and Design is open on Saturdays from 11am – 7pm, but tickets are limited to 25 percent capacity – so the museum has decided to host a ZOOM Halloween event for all ages instead. 

For a $5 donation, artist Lexy Ho-Tai will walk your child through creating a festive mask using repurposed and recycled household materials at 10 am. 

At 11 am, you can share stories with the Strangers Project. Brandon Doman will be at Washington Square Park adding the tales to the collection.

At noon, you’ll learn how to create edible stained-glass candy and participate in a family-friendly costume contest on Instagram. Learn more about the event and register here.

Plan a Safer Trick-or-Treating Route

Governor Cuomo has refrained from outright banning trick-or-treat activities, but the CDC classifies the house-to-house visits as a “high-risk” activity. 

Spiking infection rates have been reported in neighborhoods like Kew Gardens (2.24%), Edgemere-Far Rockaway (3.69%), Williamsburg (2%), and Midwood/Borough Park/Bensonhurst (4.71%) – so you may want to avoid these communities. 

Instead, you may want to try one of these Best NYC Neighborhoods for Trick-or-Treating. 

Keep the Parade Spirit Alive

The annual Halloween parade in Greenwich Village has been cancelled, but the organizers have promised “a trick that’s actually a treat” – like a pop-up live event — so stay tuned to discover their last-minute surprise announcement. 

You can watch a retrospective look at past parades on NY1 at 7pm Halloween night.

If you prefer to be out and about — at the same time, you can see one beloved tradition live on, as Master Puppeteer Basil Twist releases a giant spider out of Greenwich Village’s Jefferson Market Library tower.

Host Your Own Ghosts

The CDC has listed several “low-risk” activities to enjoy with your family this Halloween:

  • Carving, painting, or decorating pumpkins
  • Decorating your living space
  • Organizing a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt 
  • Watching spooky movies
  • Holding a virtual costume contest with friends on Zoom.

You can also cook up one of these kid-friendly Celtic Halloween recipes together. 

Entertain Boys and Ghouls at a Private Pod Party

If you have a small group of close friends or relatives you’ve been seeing already, you may feel comfortable having a modest gathering. Remove the stress by calling in party planners to assist. Shine organizers can drop by your location for a pandemic-friendly Halloween crafts, storytelling, songs, games, and culinary delights. Our fully customizable party solutions are a great way to make your child’s party stand out – or to entertain the kids, freeing moms an dads to enjoy adult conversation. Contact us to inquire about availability. 

Everything You Need To Know About Kid Parties in a Socially Distant NYC

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There’s good news if your child has a summer birthday: New York City moving toward reopening after the statewide PAUSE. As of June 8th, our region entered phase one, meaning that 10 or fewer people may gather. By phase three, we’ll be allowed to gather in groups up to 25.

Is a Kid Birthday Party Risky During a Coronavirus Pandemic?

At this point, any contact outside your home pod elevates your risk of COVID-19 transmission, but the 1 percent virus positive test rate is minuscule enough that having a small backyard gathering may not raise the hairs on the back of your neck, especially if you’re friends with several other families that generally minimal contact with others and practice social distancing.

True social distancing can be a challenge with young children. Ideally, each guest would remain six feet apart and wear masks in close passing or when dishing food. Older kids may be able to follow these guidelines, but you may want to consider hosting a Zoom party or a more structured format for younger kids.

Socially Distant Kids’ Birthday Party Ideas

There are many ways to celebrate a child’s birthday, even with social distancing in place:

  • Birthday Parades – Decorate a special chair into an honorary “throne” for the day and set it up curbside, while friends and family drive by with balloons, signs, and music playing. Oriental Trading has a number of themed decorations you can pass out to guests before the big day. You could also ask your guests to dress up in old Halloween costumes to make the parade more entertaining. Gifts can be dropped off to a point person at the end of the caravan if you wish.
  • Movie Parties – Drive-ins are likely to be all the rage this summer. Staten Island BBQ will be showing classic kid-friendly films like Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Greenpoint’s new Skyline Drive-In overlooks the East River and Manhattan skyline and welcomes guests who may not have a car to park as well. If you have a grand to spend and would like a more intimate backyard movie party, you could hire Arcade Specialties – or you could source your own materials for less.
  • Picnic Parties – A number of NYC restaurants offer picnic takeout and there are plenty of parks to choose for your setting. Blue Moon Mexican Café offers birthday takeout for six, which includes fixins’ for tacos or fajitas, a dessert platter, beverages, sombreros, and birthday candles. Armed with little more than a cooler, a basket, and a blanket, you’ll have a unique and memorable way to celebrate a birthday with one or two other families. Social distancing will be easier to follow, using the blankets themselves as “safe zones.”
  • Zoom Parties and Virtual Performers – Everyone can join a party from their own comfortable space at home, while a virtual performer sets the agenda so it’s meaningful for the participants and not just anarchy. BubbleDad can wow kids with bubble characters, smoke bubbles, square bubbles, and shared secrets on how to blow the perfect bubble. Yogi Beans will virtually host up to 25 kids with themes like unicorn, safari, or undersea that take kids through yoga activities, a Choose-Your-Own adventure, and a birthday singing – all recorded for your viewing pleasure later. Hire My Fairytale Party to have your child’s favorite princess, hero, or character sing, read, and play games with your group. Sammie & Tudie’s Imagination Playhouse offers an interactive 30-minute Zoom “comedy magic circus” geared toward ages 3 to 8. Kids ages 7+ can make a clay creation – like a bird, shark, dish, cupcake, or dinosaur — led by Clay Art Center or you can have your group make something yummier (like pizza, soft pretzels, muffins, or cookies) along with Taste Buds Kitchen.

Shine Party Boxes Make Your Social Distancing Event Special

This summer, we are pleased to offer the best in high-quality child birthday entertainment, whether you’re celebrating in the backyard with a small group or connecting virtually with friends from afar.

Custom Curated Birthday Party Boxes have been in high demand during quarantine. It’s the next best thing to a fully hosted event. We’ll create custom curated party boxes based on whatever theme you’d like and send them out to all the kids attending your virtual party.

Our first-ever party box, delivered to the birthday child and each invited guest, featured a jolly good pirate theme, complete with costumes, props, treasure maps, gold doubloons, treasure, stickers, tattoos, and all the art supplies needed to make our signature treasure chest craft.

On the day of your event, we’ll dress the part, singing, dancing, and performing live music to complement your theme. Our programming is highly customizable with games, surprise character visits, and baking or crafting activities. We’ll work with you to ensure your child feels attended to on this momentous occasion.

Other Shine birthday options include:

  • Online classes – Enjoy our signature mix of art, music, cooking, crafts, exercise, and more from the comfort of your own home – in a private family session or with friends!
  • Craft bags – Shine Director Aaron Goldschmidt leads engaging Zoom classes paired with craft bags delivered to the homes of all party attendees. Complete up to four signature Shine crafts. We’ve done lanterns, wreaths, decorated journals, puppets, masks, flower pots, vases, bird feeders, tie-dye, bridge paintings, sand art, and more. Check out our quarantine craft bag highlight to see some of what we offer.
  • Private day camps – Host up to eight kids (ages 4-11) with activities ranging from arts and crafts, outdoor science, and nature exploration, to sports and games, percussion workshops, and educational programming. Space is very limited, so email info@shinenyc.net to reserve your spot asap!

We want to help you through this difficult time! Call 212-414-5427 or email info@shinenyc.net to learn more about offerings, options, and pricing.

Storytelling Activities for World Storytelling Day

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World Storytelling Day is celebrated on the spring equinox and during the following week. This year’s festivities kick off Friday, March 20th and the 2020 theme is “Voyages.”

Storytelling has played an integral role in passing on cultural knowledge, beliefs, and traditions from one generation to the next. Without cave paintings, Bard stories, or recorded myths, so much human history would be lost forever.

Consider the many ways storytelling enriched the lives of people around the world:

  • Thanks to early storytellers like Aesop and Homer, the ancient Greeks were familiar with stories dating back to 12th century BCE.
  • Ancient Egyptians told detailed narratives about life, death, and their belief in an afterlife in picture form, as preserved hieroglyphics show.
  • In medieval Europe, troubadours relayed histories and information about neighboring communities, as well as presenting topics for political debate.
  • The Norse Viking sagas were the culmination of nearly 300 years of oral storytelling tradition by the time they were finally published and shared with the world.
  • Storytelling saved the life of Scheherazade, the heroine of 1,001 Arabian Nights.
  • In West African regions, griot storytellers served as historians and politicians – a tradition still thriving in Mali, Senegal, and Gambia.
  • In Australia, Aboriginal storytellers were performance artists who entertained during the long, dark winter months.
  • The Native Americans used stories as a way of imparting values, character traits, and tribal identity upon their young.

What started as Sweden’s “Alla Berättares Dag” (All Narrators Day) in 1991 has now spread around the globe from South Africa and Singapore, to Canada and Croatia. As Indian storyteller Vyasa said in the poem Mahabharata: “If you listen [to a story] carefully, at the end, you’ll be someone else.”

If you’re looking for a way to celebrate World Storytelling Day in 2020, consider one of these activities…

1. Learn the art of storytelling.

The Art of Storytelling by Pixar was produced with Khan Academy to take students on a full curriculum of using human interest and emotion to tell a story. Filmmakers from Pixar share insights into how to develop storytelling skills that can be particularly useful in the elementary school years. The videos are just three or four minutes long per section and are followed by writing prompts and activities that facilitate learning. The idea that “we are all storytellers” is a meaningful point to share with our children.

2. Play a game.

The award-winning “Tall Tales” game inspires your family’s storytelling by providing thought-provoking settings and characters. The rest is left to your imagination! Younger children will immediately launch into free play, while older kids might find inspiration in the five rule variations. Small figurines come with the game, so it is recommended for children past the age of putting random objects into their mouths.

3. Write your own creative “voyage” story as a group.

Folding stories were classic 80s sleepover games. The story begins with a title or opening line prompt. Each person writes two lines of text. Ideally, the last sentence will end abruptly to leave a thought-provoking start for the next player. The paper is folded so each of the players can only see what the person immediately before them has written. Once the paper gets around the group a few times, the first writer will read the whole story from start to finish.

Here are 15 story prompt ideas to get you started…

  • I don’t know how I am going to get home. Worse yet, I am alone and have to…
  • The water is always calm when I go out at 4 a.m…
  • Many things get the hair on the back of my neck up, but nothing more so than…
  • From behind a lacy curtain she watched as four riders galloped toward the house…
  • There are a few rules to live by if you want to survive an overseas voyage on this ship…
  • When I opened my eyes, I found myself sitting…
  • The rain fell hard, for the third week in a row…
  • The moment I stepped out of the plane, I knew I had come to the wrong place…
  • I don’t know the first thing about flying a hot air balloon, and yet, here I am…
  • My hair blew back in exhilarating fashion with each beat of the Pegasus’ wings…
  • The only thing that could get me back to that island is gold… well, and love for adventure…
  • The entire city was in ruins…
  • “Pssst, wake up,” someone said into my ear in the dead of night. “I have a mission for you…”
  • There’s an island where all lost items turn up. I woke up, cold and wet, on the beach…
  • Humans return from Mars for the first time. But something is not quite right about them…

4. Read with your children.

There are countless literary “voyages” you can take with your children. Perhaps you have favorite stories you read in your childhood you’d like to share with your children. The New York Public Library’s list of most-checked-out books of all time is likely to remind you of a few! Otherwise, try these:

Why: Dive into 10 classic folk tales from India, China, Japan, the US, England, Scandinavia, Russia, Greece, the Middle East, and South Africa, which feature interesting characters like a talking tree, an ill-tempered genie, and a greedy witch. Kids will love the bold, colorful illustrations that accompany each story.

Ideal Ages: 3-8

Why: Geronimo Stilton is the publisher of The Rodent’s Gazette newspaper. In this colorful, 320-page adventure, he returns to the Kingdom of Fantasy to find the land plagued by endless winter. He travels by magical talking ship, hoping to restore peace and springtime to the land by contending with a threatening volcano and rescuing the Queen of the Fairies.

Ideal Ages: 5-8

Why: These picture books combine charming illustrations with simple explanations of the sights, character, and traditions of each region covered. 

Ideal Ages: 5-8

Why: In this chapter book, the voyage of Doctor Dolittle is told by 9-year-old Tommy Stubbins, a crewman and naturalist accompanying the animal healer to Spidermonkey Island. After surviving a perilous shipwreck, Doctor Dolittle, Polynesia the parrot, and Chee-Chee the monkey meet a wondrous sea snail who holds the key to a great mystery. Parents and children alike will enjoy this adventure from start to finish. Afterward, you can watch the movie!

Ideal Ages: 8-12

Why: The reader is not just a passive entity in these unique books. The reader acts as decision maker and storyteller as well, choosing which actions the characters should take to determine the end of the story. With the original R.A. Montgomery series, you and your child can journey through the jungle, Mayan ruins, under the sea, the highest mountain peaks, and even out of this world, into space. With the Oregon Trail books, you can voyage across America in a covered wagon circa 1850, while trying to avoid perilous conditions from wild animals and natural disasters, to strangers, and sicknesses – with 22 different endings to choose from. 

Ideal Ages: 8-12

Why: This treasury combines myths, fairy tales, and legends from around the globe with a story for every week of the year. The 12 chapters correspond with the 12 months of the year and match stories to important holidays, festivals, events, and seasonal themes.

Ideal Ages: 8-12

5. Speak with an elder.

If your child has grandparents living, plan a day to visit and hear stories from the older person’s life.

You can use these prompts to get grandma or grandpa recalling childhood memories:

  • What’s your earliest childhood memory?
  • Who was your best friend? What did you do together?
  • What places do you remember fondly?
  • Describe your mother’s kitchen. What were family dinners like?
  • Describe the most unusual place you have lived or visited.
  • Were you ever injured or ill during your childhood? What was that experience like?
  • Do you have any quirky relatives in your family tree? Tell us about them.
  • What values did your parents try to instill in you as a child?
  • What sayings or expressions did you hear often while growing up?
  • Describe your most memorable family vacation.
  • Describe your favorite holiday traditions.
  • What was your most beloved toy like?
  • How are you and your parents alike or different?
  • What personal achievements made you proud?
  • What was one lesson you learned the hard way?

All and all, World Storytelling Day is the ideal opportunity to focus on reading, writing, and recollecting. You can find many, many more ideas at StoryArts.org that are ideal for the classroom or at home. If you’d like to carry on the tradition, consider joining one of Shine’s workshops or year-round classes, where we combine storytelling, music, art, cooking, and play from cultures around the world.

Fun Ways To Observe Presidents Day With Kids in NYC

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Monday, February 17th is a federal holiday established in 1885 to celebrate the birth of first U.S. president George Washington. His birthday was February 22nd, but the holiday can range from the 17th through the 21st, depending on where the third Monday of the month falls. This arrangement was part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968. Observance of 16th President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday (which falls on February 12th) was also included as one of the provisions in the new act. Other February birthdays include Ronald Reagan (6th) and William Henry Harrison (9th). Nowadays, we typically celebrate ALL presidents on this civic holiday, but you can observe it however you wish. 

Do not tell a lie – and bake a cherry pie. 

One of the most famous stories of George Washington’s life dates back to his childhood. As the story goes, George was six years old when his father bought him his first hatchet. He loved it so much, he cut down everything in his path. He hacked away at the bark of an English cherry tree in his mother’s garden until it died. When his father confronted him wondering what had happened to the tree, George confessed: “I cannot tell a lie, you know, I cannot tell a lie; I did it, I cut it with my hatchet.” This story was first chronicled in a biography by Mason Weems, but it has been passed down generation after generation as the sort of honesty and respect for one’s parents we hope will stick with our own children.

Given the story, a popular Presidents Day tradition around the country involves the symbolic baking of cherry pie. This basic recipe calls for little more than Crisco, flour, egg, sugar, and a can of pie filling to whip up something spectacular with your child in the kitchen. Oh, and don’t forget the vanilla ice cream! If you’re looking for a more five-star recipe that doesn’t sacrifice some measure of taste for simplicity, you can try Food Network’s “Best Cherry Pie” recipe, which uses tart cherries, lemon juice, and almond extract for extra flavor. Strangely, there is no record of cherry pie in Martha Washington’s cookbook, but we did unearth her recipe for Cherry Bread and Butter Pudding you might try for something more authentic!

Take an historic trip.

Just over four hours south of here — in Alexandria, Virginia – you’ll find a month-long tribute to George Washington himself, not to mention one of the best family-friendly vacation destinations. The nation’s largest and longest-running George Washington Birthday Parade dates back to 1976 and snakes one-mile through the streets of historic Old Town Alexandria. 

Other events include:

  • The 12th Annual Cherry Challenge 
  • George Washington’s Alexandria Walking Tours
  • Chocolate with General Washington for Kids
  • George Washington’s 18th Century Evening Banquet and Ball
  • A Family-Friendly Scavenger Hunt for Washington
  • Free Concert at Market Square

Visit Washingtonbirthday.com for more details. 

In addition to these special events, Alexandria has more than 140 locations with ties to America’s first president. George Washington’s home, Mount Vernon, is a must for families with a live blacksmith, interactive exhibits, farm animals, gardens, and pet-friendly walking trails. Be sure to grab a bite at Gadsby’s Tavern, which served as a central hub for founding father social life with distinguished patrons such as George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. 

Of course, history is not the only reason to cart the whole family down to Virginia. While you’re visiting, be sure to blow off steam at Scramble, a café and colorful indoor play space geared toward kids 0-8. Bundle up to stroll the independent boutiques down King Street, or ice skate in the winter village at Cameron Run. Alexandria is home to a world-class archaeology museum, the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame, art galleries, and an African-American History Museum – enough family-friendly attractions to keep you busy the whole break week long. And remember, you’re just a hop, skip, and a DC Metro jump from the Smithsonian Museums and other delights of our nation’s capital. 

If you’re looking for something warmer, you might consider heading to GeorgeFest in Eustis, Florida – a lakeside community north of Orlando. This celebration of Washington’s birthday dates back to 1902 and features parades, carnivals, chili cookoffs, races, character breakfasts, and concerts.

Ponder the presidency with an activity book, story, or video. 

Presidential trivia doesn’t have to be boring. Consider these fun ways to explore history together: 

If you’re crafty, consider making these adorable mini president figures out of wood, pipe-cleaners, acrylic paint, and cloth. Or create a George Washington wig and Abe Lincoln hat out of construction paper for a Presidents Day photoshoot with your little one.  

  • For elementary-aged kids: Who doesn’t love the catchy songs, adorable animations, and guest star cameos of The Storybots? They’ve got a free downloadable Presidents Day activity book with coin quizzes, mazes, illustration prompts, word search, spot the difference game, and instructions how to make an Abraham Lincoln mask out of a paper plate to keep the kids busy for a while. 

Grades 2-6 can learn more about the presidency with the Constitution Center’s 22-minute newsy rundown of the Executive Branch. Next, embark upon The Smithsonian’s virtual tour of The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden, an exhibit featuring Lady Bird Johnson’s dessert plates, Lincoln’s split rail fence, and a collection of First Lady inaugural gowns, among other items. 

If your child is a budding reader, What Presidents Are Made Of is a unique combination of mixed-media art and small vignettes from the lives of our chief executives for grades 1-5. Kids just getting into chapter books can be inspired by NY Times best-selling “Who HQ” series, where you’ll find kid-friendly accounts detailing the lives of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, in addition to so many others.  

Be sure to check out Kid Presidents: True Tales of Childhood from America’s Presidents — a neat read for adults and nine to 12-year-olds alike.

Presidents vs. Aliens is a cool downloadable app for Apple and Android devices, which teaches presidential facts, quotes, historical events, and nicknames mixed with a chance to fling president heads at aliens in a bowling-style game.

For a more sophisticated problem-solving game, try iCivic’s Executive Command game for PCs, which allows kids the opportunity to try their hand at the presidency for a term. They’ll propose an agenda, build a cabinet, sign bills into laws, and delegate tasks to federal agencies. Even adults find it’s a fun, interactive way to brush up on the powers of the presidency. 

Check out local NYC Presidents Day events taking place all week long.

There’s no shortage of presidential activities in NYC:

When: February 21, 10:30 am

For Kids ages 6 and under: Hear humorous stories about Washington and Lincoln, dig through a trunk of historic clothes, and make a finger puppet in a historic setting. 

When: February 15, 16, and 17th, 12–4 pm

For all ages: Meet and mingle with costumed characters resembling George Washington, James Madison, and others. They’re happy to tell stories of how they made their mark on history before you enter the new Meet the Presidents exhibit at the New York Historical Society.

When: February 17th-21st, 12:00 – 4:00 pm

For all ages: Prospect Park Alliance hosts family-friendly programming at Lefferts Historic House and the Prospect Park Audubon Center all week long:

  • Wild in Winter: See what the birds are doing this winter.
  • Discovery Pack: Pick up a ready-to-go nature kit with activities for families.
  • Migration Games: Play floor games replicating the stages of bird migration.
  • Animal Encounter: Learn about the animals in the Audubon Center’s collection.
  • Great Backyard Bird Count: Submit checklists to help researchers assess bird health.
  • President’s Day Trivia: Enjoy trivia and birthday cake for George and Abe.
  • Coming in from the Cold: Create a small jar of scented salve for a healthy home.

When: February 16th, 1:00 – 3:00 pm

For all ages: Sample historic recipes, take a museum scavenger hunt, and learn 19th century dances with costumed characters. Adults 21+ are invited to toast to George Washington.

When: February 15-16th, guided tours 1-2 pm 

For ages 8+: Visit the Scott Gallery, where you’ll see a new exhibit — A Stoic Countenance: Portraits of George Washington exhibition. Then see a lock of Washington’s hair and a fragment of his tooth in the McEntee Gallery! If you arrive for the special guided tour included with your $1 museum admission, you’ll hear all about President Washington’s connections to NYC, from his early years as a militia colonel, to his greatest military defeat, to his ascension to the presidency.

If you’re looking for more enrichment, consider programming offered by Shine, TriState New York’s leading provider of pop-up classes and parties for kids.

Cultural Kid-Friendly Food: Top 5 Jewish Recipes for Hanukkah

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For many Jewish families, Hanukkah is synonymous with home-cooking. It’s a time where our mothers toil in the kitchen to embrace their love of feeding us, and our fathers pause from work for a moment to enjoy connection with the family around the table. Food is a language of love, so it makes perfect sense to share your love of culture, cooking, and family with your children. What follows are some of our favorite recipes for a Hanukkah feast that are easy enough for kids to share in the making and tasty enough for the plates to hit the sink empty.    

1. Latkes

(Recipe From Chef Eli Sussman of Mile End, Courtesy of AM New York)

Potato pancakes known as latkes are the most well-known Hanukkah food – and a symbolic one at that. The oil these crispy flats are fried in reminds us of the rededication of the Holy Temple, where one day’s worth of oil miraculously lasted for eight days. If you’re not planning on visiting one of New York City’s best latke hotspots this month, try this recipe (from Chef Eli Sussman of the famous Mile End restaurant) with your kids at home. For a basic latke, you’ll need Idaho potatoes, white onions, eggs, Matzo Meal, vegetable oil, and a slotted fish spatula for flipping. Fancier recipes may throw in scallions, butter, and baking powder or corn starch. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel here, but the Chicago Tribune has an interesting take – with eight latke recipes for the eight days of Hanukkah. Different toppings include sour cream, applesauce, or smoked salmon. Freeze leftovers and reheat for 2-3 minutes at 350 in the oven. 

Get a traditional NYC latke recipe.

2. Matzo Ball Soup 

(Recipe From Joan Nathan, courtesy of NY Times Cooking)

Soup is something most kids look forward to as much as a warm scarf and hot cocoa in the winter. This recipe comes from “the Queen of American Jewish Cooking” Joan Nathan, a James Beard Foundation award-winning cookbook author and NYC culinary class instructor. You get the basic idea of eggs, schmaltz, Matzo Meal, ginger, and nutmeg, but you can exercise creativity in choosing chicken or vegetable stock, and either dill, cilantro, or parsley as a garnish. If you’re not serving the soup immediately, you can freeze the Matzo balls on a baking sheet, transfer to a freezer bag, and thaw a few hours before heating in broth to serve. 

Get a soul-warming Matzo Ball soup recipe.

3. Challah

(Recipe From Upper East Side Pastry Chef Adam Levin, courtesy of Haaretz)

Challah is a staple of the holiday table, whether it’s braided for Shabbat, served round for Jewish New Year, or however you prefer it for Hanukkah. This braided egg-washed bread is supple like brioche and full of flavor. You can eat it as a side with chopped liver pate or bake it into French Toast come morning. Check out the many variations here. We like this recipe because it gets into the nitty-gritty of technique and answers crucial questions that arise while baking – like: What kind of yeast should I use? What if I don’t have a standing mixer? Is the dough too wet? Should I add more flour? How long should the braid be? And how much honey should I add to the wash? Recipe author Adam Levin found his love of baking with his grandmother whose recipe he’s immortalized here — with a few helpful tweaks he picked up before graduating from the Culinary Institute of America at the top of his class. 

Get a detailed recipe that shares the secrets of great Challah.

4. Herb-and-Lemon Roasted Chicken

(Recipe From NYC based food writer Gail Simmons, Courtesy of Food & Wine Magazine)

Brisket is the most popular meat main course, as it’s a hearty, welcoming winter dish capable of feeding a crowd. However, many families enjoy roasted, spiced chicken as an alternate choice. This foolproof roasted chicken recipe uses a whole chicken seasoned with garlic, rosemary, thyme, and lemon zest, but you can also opt to roast chicken pieces if you prefer. More than 2,500 five-star reviewers can’t be wrong, can they? A few tricks you may find helpful: brown the chicken in a skillet for a crispy golden crust, and roast the thighs and breasts in separate dishes, so each cooks to perfect readiness. Serve the chicken over top roasted potatoes, fennel, carrots, or another root vegetable of your choice.  

Get a versatile roasted chicken recipe beloved by all.

5. Sufganiyot

(Recipe From Breads Bakery’s Uri Scheft, courtesy of Bon Appetit Magazine)

Uri Scheft of Breads Bakery in Chelsea knows a thing or two about sufganiyot (pronounced soof-gone-YOT). In just one day of Hanukkah, they sell three months’ worth of the warm, ball-sized, golden, jam-filled, sugar-dusted donuts. You can use any kind of neutral oil, be it vegetable or safflower, but don’t skimp on the whole milk. You can whisk chunky jam in a food processor for pro piping. If you don’t have a piping bag, a toothpick and plastic bag with a hole cut in it will suffice. Adding orange zest and juice will ensure your recipe is bursting with fresh fruit flavor. The options for sufganiyot preserves, pastry creams, and sugar coatings are endless once you’ve gotten the basics down. Chocolate cream and cinnamon sugar is a recommended variation. 

Get your sweet, kid-favorite sufganiyot dessert recipe.

About Shine

Founded by Aaron Goldschmidt in 2004, Shine is a creative, modern child enrichment program that accepts children of all faiths and cultures. If your child loves helping in the kitchen, you’ll find more Jewish recipes for the New Year here, or you can try one of Shine’s cooking classes.  We also offer “Vitamin J,” a Jewish art and culture classes geared toward ages 5-10. We hope to see you in 2020! 

How Different Cultures Celebrate December Holidays

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When the ground freezes and the earth is covered in a blanket of snow, we tend to think of hibernation, rest, and quietude. Busy cultural calendars around the world stand in juxtaposition, as the colder months prove a time of feast and festivity. Learning about other traditions around the world is an interesting lesson in history, religion, and culture, but also an important opportunity to promote greater tolerance, acceptance, and celebration of diversity. Here are 10 different December holidays you may introduce to your child to provoke discussion and reflection of the winter season.

St. Nicholas Day (December 6, 2019)

St. Nicholas Day is celebrated in Eastern Christian religions — particularly in Russia and Greece, where Saint Nicholas is the patron saint. The Roman Empire bishop is known for generosity, kindness toward children, calming the seas, and performing miracles. The feast day is celebrated with children’s masses, special hymns, and prayer. In Western and Central European countries like Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and the Netherlands — where children put out a boot for St. Nicholas on December 5th in hopes of receiving small coins, candy, oranges, toys, or glass ornaments in the morning. Historical recordings dating back to medieval times allege that nuns used the night of December 6th to distribute anonymous baskets of food and clothing at the doorsteps of the needy. 

St. Lucia Day (December 13, 2019)

St. Lucia’s Day is celebrated in Sweden, Norway, and Swedish-speaking parts of Finland to honor the third-century virgin martyr. She is recognized as a symbol of light and purity, so the eldest daughter of the family dresses up in a long white gown with a red sash and wreath of burning candles on her head. She awakens the family by singing songs and bringing them coffee and twisted saffron buns called lussekatter (Lucia cats). Finland celebrates the day with a torchbearer parade of light. Norwegians hold processions through schools, hospitals, nursing homes, daycares, and senior centers to warm the heart and celebrate emergence out of the darkest winter nights. 

Winter Solstice (December 21, 2019)

Winter Solstice has been celebrated for thousands of years by cultures all around the world. The shortest day of the year may have been observed as early as the Neolithic Period (the end of the Stone Age) in 10,200 BC. Archaeologists theorize monuments like Newgrange in Ireland, Maeshowe in Scotland, and Stonehenge in England were a place of December ritual. Today, there are large gatherings at these sites. Ancient Romans celebrated Saturnalia, a weeklong holiday of feasting and drinking in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture. The Norsemen of Scandinavia celebrated Yule from the winter solstice through January, where they would feast until a large Yule log burned out. Zuni and Hopi Native American tribes commemorate the beginning of the new year with ceremonial mask dances, fires, and gift-giving. From hot yuzu fruit baths in Japan, to the “Burning of Clocks” in Brighton, England, Winter Solstice is celebrated in different ways around the world.

Hanukkah (December 22-30, 2019)

Jewish people around the world celebrate Hanukkah, a religious holiday honoring the Maccabee’s victory over King Antiochus, who forbade Jews from practicing their religion. During the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, the menorah’s candles were said to have miraculously burned for eight nights, even though there was only enough oil for a single day. Today, nine menorah candles are lit in the home for eight nights. During Hanukkah, blessings are said, special foods like potato pancakes (latkes) and jam-filled donuts (sufganiyot) are eaten, songs are sung, and children spin tops called dreidels to win nuts, raisins, and chocolate coins. Holidays like Passover and Rosh Hashanah are much more significant to the religion, but Hanukkah is special to many families as a cherished winter tradition nonetheless.   

Christmas (December 25, 2019)

Christmas originated as a religious holiday celebrated by Christians around the world to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, the son of God. Religious celebrations involve candle-lit wreaths to represent the four weeks of Advent, songs like “O Come O Come Emmanuel,” readings of Christmas stories in the Bible, the display of Nativity Scenes, and December 24th Midnight mass in darkness to celebrate the birth of light. Over the years, Christmas has been adopted by non-Christian peoples as a secular holiday of gift-giving, decorating, caroling, storytelling, and feasting. Traditions vary around the world.  Evergreen trees decorated with ornaments and lights date back to 16thCentury Germany. In Australia, where Christmas falls during summer, people head out to the beach and decorate a Christmas Bush. Depictions of Father Christmas or Santa Claus, based loosely on Saint Nicholas, go back at least as far as the reign of Henry VIII, where he appeared in plays wearing fur-lined green or red robes to deliver peace, joy, food, wine, and good cheer. Some say Santa arrives on Christmas Eve in a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer to deliver gifts to good girls and boys, but he arrives by boat in Hawaii and on water skis in Australia. Instead of leaving milk and cookies out for Santa Claus, children in England leave mince pies and brandy for Father Christmas. Iceland has thirteen Santas known as Yule Lads who leave small gifts for good children in shoes left on the window sill, and potatoes in the shoes of naughty children. From lantern festivals in the Philippines and Kentucky Fried Chicken dinners in Japan, to 42-foot-tall straw yule goats in Sweden and late night fireworks in Brazil, there is no shortage of ways to observe Christmas around the world.  

Kwanzaa (December 26, 2019 – January 1, 2020)

Kwanzaa is a relatively young holiday created by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966 following the Watts riots in Los Angeles. He wanted to reconnect African Americans to African culture roots, borrowing traditions from Swahili “first fruit” harvest celebrations. Celebrations include song, dance, drumming, storytelling, poetry reading, and feasts. On each of the seven nights, a child lights a candle on the Kinara to represent the seven principle values of African culture: Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith. Though it is celebrated mostly in America, more than 20 million people now celebrate the holiday from Jamaica, London, and South Africa, to Ghana, Toronto, and Paris — as seen in the documentary “The Black Candle.” 

Boxing Day (December 26, 2019)

The observation of Boxing Day originated in the United Kingdom during the Middle Ages as a day where the church collection boxes for the poor were distributed to communities. Servants were given the day off to celebrate Christmas with their families. Boxing Day is now a public holiday in the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, where mail carriers and trade professionals enjoy a day of rest. For retail workers, Boxing Day is the busiest shopping day of the year, due to post-Christmas sales. In Ireland, they celebrate St. Stephen’s Day. In the Bahamas, the Junkanoo street parade and festival is held on Boxing Day. Not only is it a popular day of continued celebration and shopping, but also sport – with horse races, soccer matches, and ice hockey contests in European nations.  

Ōmisoka (December 31, 2019)

Japan’s New Year’s Eve called Ōmisoka is considered one of the most important days of the year. Families visit shrines or temples at midnight for joya-no-kane, the striking of large cast bells for each of the 108 earthly desires that cause human suffering. Families gather to enjoy a feast of soba or udon noodles for one last time in the old year. Homes are cleaned and de-cluttered from top to bottom in osoji (the big cleaning). Many people also look forward to the national broadcast of the Red vs. White Singing Competition, which is akin to our “American Idol” competition.

Hogmanay (December 31, 2019)

During the Protestant Reformation, Christmas was banned in Scotland for some 400 years, so prior to 1958, the biggest winter holiday was Hogmanay, which started on December 31stand spilled over into the New Year. Families gathered for bonfires, large feasts, and the cleaning out of the fireplace. Many people still recognize the ancient tradition of “first-footing,” where it is believed the household is presented with good fortune when the first person to cross the threshold is a dark-haired male. (In those days, a red or blonde-haired stranger was probably an invading Norseman!) Different parts of Scotland have their own quaint Hogmanay traditions as well. For instance, Edinburgh is home to a huge street party and torchlight processions; balls of fire swing through the fishing village of Stonehaven; and fancy-dressed partiers swim in the icy waters of  Firth of Forth at South Queensferry in what is called “the Loony Dook.” 

New Year’s Eve (December 31, 2019)

“Out with the old and in with the new” is the idea behind the celebration of New Year’s Eve. Since New Year’s Day is a public holiday, the night before is spent feasting, partying, and ringing in the New Year at midnight. Most countries celebrate New Year’s Eve with fireworks – with the largest displays in New York’s Times Square; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Sydney, Australia; London, England; Edinburgh, Scotland; and Dubai, UAE. In Spain, 12 grapes are eaten at midnight to represent each month of the New Year. In Denmark, old plates and glasses are broken against the doors of friends and family to banish bad spirits. In Columbia, three “fortune-telling” potatoes are placed under the bed and pulled out at midnight – one peeled (financial problems), one unpeeled (abundance), and one half-peeled (something in between). In Ecuador, families symbolically burn a straw man at midnight in hopes that their faults with disappear with him. In Canada, New Year’s Eve is a popular ice-fishing day. 

No matter what you’re celebrating this holiday season, you can find a place at Shine. We foster natural curiosity about cultures from around the world through crafts, storytelling, music, and culinary delights. Contact us to learn more about our wide range of inclusive workshops, classes, parties, and enrichment activities. 

Fun Ways for Long Island & East End Families to Get Into the Holiday Spirit

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This time of year, our Holiday Workshops are in full swing. As parents worry how to keep the kids occupied over the Thanksgiving break, Shine steps in to fill the void with a carefully curated selection of activities. 

During our unique sessions, kids ages 5-10: create table centerpieces and decorations for the home; learn to cook a side dish or dessert to contribute to the harvest feast; and engage in educational enrichment activities that discuss the importance of charity and gratitude. It’s not too late to sign your child up if you haven’t already; simply email Amanda@ShineNYC.net to reserve your spot.

With Thanksgiving falling so late this year, Christmas will soon be upon us. Here are a few other events happening in Long Island and around the East End this month to get you into the spirit of the holidays.

Glen Cove Native American Feast

When:Saturday, November 23, 2019 – Sunday, November 24, 2019

Where:Garvies Point Museum and Preserve (50 Barry Drive, Glen Cove NY 11542)

Cost:$8 for adults, $5 for children 5-12, Free for under 5

Website: http://www.garviespointmuseum.com/native-american-feast.php

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to teach your children about Native American culture and a great opportunity for you to check out Garvies Point Museum’s treasure trove of Long Island Native American artifacts. Hands-on activities this weekend include ancient method pottery-making, primitive fire-building and cooking demonstrations, tool-making, face-painting with natural pigments, atlatl spear-throwing, stone drilling, and films. Kids especially enjoy the interactive Woodland Village, samples of renowned “popcorn soup,” and helping make a 12-foot long dugout canoe.

Thanksgiving Weekend Children’s Theatre

After the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving dinner and Black Friday shopping, who couldn’t use a breather? The theatre is a nice, relaxing place to spend a few hours and delight in the arts. Choose among the following East End productions over the holiday weekend to delve into the magic of snowmen, elves, and Christmas spirits:

What: “Frosty”

When: Friday 29th (11 am), Saturday 30th(11 am) & Sunday 1st(10:30 am)

Where:Engeman Theatre (250 Main Street, Northport NY 11768)

Cost: $15 

Website: https://engemantheater.com/education-theater/#tabs-ed_rep-tab-2

What: “Harry Connick Jr’s The Happy Elf” 

When:Saturday, November 23rd, 2019 – Sunday, December 29th, 2019

Where:The Argyle Theatre at Babylon (34 West Main Street, Babylon NY 11702)

Cost:$15 

Website: https://argyletheatre.com/event/the-happy-elf-2/all/

What: “Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol” (Puppet Theatre)

When:Friday, November 29th(11:30), Saturday November 30th(11:30 am, 2 pm) 

Where:Long Island Children’s Museum (11 Davis Avenue, Garden City NY 11530)

Cost:$9 non-members, $7 members

Website: https://www.licm.org/calendar/event/theater-a-Christmas-carol/

Polar Express Trolley

When:Friday, November 29th, 2019 – Sunday, December 22, 2019

Where:North Fork Trolley (96 NY-25, Riverhead NY 11901)

Cost:$53 for ages 2+ includes transportation, a gift for the children, refreshments, and a visit with Santa) 

Website: https://www.northforktrolley.com/PolarExpress.php

You needn’t dress up for the Polar Express trolley ride; in fact, just like the children in Chris Van Allsburg’s “The Polar Express” story, you’re encouraged to come in your pajamas for a cozy journey. Enjoy actor Liam Neeson’s reading of the tale, musical performances, cookies, cocoa, and character meet-and-greets, while taking a 90-minute excursion to “The North Pole.” This year, we’re promised “more lights, glitz, and glam.” There, you’ll naturally meet with Santa and the Elves for an unforgettable holiday party. This year, there is expected to be around 5,000 tickets available. Last year, they had 6,500 and sold out – so be sure to pick up tickets in advance. If you miss out this year, keep your eye on the website come mid-August, when seats first go on sale.     

29thAnnual Long Island Festival of Trees

When:Friday, November 29th, 2019 – Sunday, December 1st, 2019 (10 am – 5 pm)

Where:The Cradle of Aviation Museum (Charles Lindbergh Boulevard, Garden City NY 11530)

Cost:$15 adults, $10 children 2-10 (includes admission to festival and museum) 

Website: http://www.cpnassau.org/event/29th-annual-long-island-festival-of-trees/

Take a stroll through towering, designer-decorated evergreens, a gingerbread village, vendor gift marketplace, and a Department 56 village display. All trees and gingerbreads are for sale. Santa will be available for photo opps and gift requests. Dancers and choral singers entertain, while the children participate in cookie decorating. Star Wars characters will be visiting on Saturday. For the first time, the event will include indoor ice skating with free rentals. Museum admission is included, so you’ll be able to check out the 75 air and spacecraft, including a hot air balloon and Apollo Lunar Module, and the 30 hands-on exhibits. As an added bonus, a portion of the proceeds benefits the Cerebral Palsy Association.

2ndAnnual Wantagh Winter Wonderland

When:Saturday, November 30th, 2019 (2-8 pm)

Where:Wantagh Preservation Society (1700 Wantagh Avenue, Wantagh NY11793)

Cost:FREE! 

Website:https://www.facebook.com/groups/WantaghPreservationSociety/

You don’t have to be Irish to appreciate the sounds of the Wantagh American Legion Pipe Band and the beautiful Irish step dancing. The festive atmosphere continues with a holiday tree and menorah lighting ceremony and a visit from Santa Claus himself. Local upscale vendor shopping, holiday decorations, and baked goods will be for sale. It’s a low-key event probably best suited for older children, but a unique spot to begin your holiday shopping.

Cultural Kid-Friendly Food: 5 Celtic Recipes for Halloween

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The roots of Halloween can be traced back to a Celtic holiday known as Samhain (pronounced: sOW-in). This pagan festival originating in County Meath included mask-making, storytelling, song and dance, and a buffet of traditional Irish foods. Perhaps nowhere celebrates Halloween as hard as modern-day Ireland with carnivals lasting for weeks taking place throughout the country in epicenters like Derry and Limerick. 

If you can’t make it to Ireland with the kids this year, fear not! We’ve got you covered with five Celtic recipes the kids can enjoy cooking with you for Halloween. As you can imagine, each recipe comes with a historic story of its own to tell.

Colcannon

The first mention of colcannon dates back to 1735. In Ireland, they say “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Colcannon (translating to “white cabbage”) was a dish that could bring great promise for the single ladies. Young unmarried cooks would go blindfolded into the garden to pick a colcannon cabbage. This tasty vegetarian Halloween dish is made from chopped kale or parsnips, cabbage, and hot, floury mashed potatoes, and an assortment of trinkets. Some legends mix in charms that could tell the future. The first woman to find a ring in her portion would be the first to marry. Others might find a button (to signify another year as a bachelorette), a thimble (signifying you would become a spinster), a rag (warning of poverty), a stick (meaning your spouse would be abusive), or a coin (meaning you would come into wealth by some other means). Other women filled their socks with colcannon and hung them from the handle of the front door, with the notion that the first single man through the door would be a future husband.

View the recipe.

Barmbrack

Take heed when slicing a “speckled loaf” of barmbrack, another classic Celtic “fortune-telling food.” Within your slice of bread, you could find one of the following trinkets wrapped in baking paper: a stick (foretelling travel), a ring (which means you’ll be married in a year), a thimble (if you’re to be a spinster forever), a button (if you’re to be a bachelor forever), a coin (meaning a prosperous year), a religious medal (predicting a life in the Holy Orders), or a piece of cloth (meaning a doubtful financial future). Today’s supermarkets sell the fruit-studded bread with a ring hidden inside. Sometimes you’ll see Barmbrack spiked with Bushmill’s, but this kid-friendly version uses hot tea instead. For best results, you’ll want to soak your fruit overnight. “Sultanas” are dried white grapes (plump golden raisins), which you’ll combine with currants, black raisins, and glace (candied) cherries.  

View the recipe.

Parsnip Soup

Like all other autumnal festivals, Samhain is about celebrating a plentiful harvest, using whatever is on hand, and preparing to hunker down for the winter. Celtic parsnip soup is a great way to use leftover corned beef from a celebration, combining it with bay, parsnips, onions, chicken broth, savoy cabbage leaves, and heavy whipping cream. Earthy parsnips may not be something your family enjoys often, though it is a flavorful, nutritious, and all around underrated root vegetable.

View the recipe.

Soul Cakes

Soul cakes were made popular again from the Great British Bake Off competition. This small, round, square, or oval bun topped with a cross-shaped currant design were used in medieval times to feed the poor, honor the dead, and free departed souls from Purgatory. On November 2nd, beggars would come to wealthy homeowner homes to sing for a sweet cake – a tradition one could say sounds a lot like trick-or-treating. According to Dr. Ravelhofer, consulted by the show, “These  plays and soul-caking are communal practices that serve community-building, but they also harness the psyche individually and collectively to come to terms with coldness, darkness, and having to die” – perhaps a lesson best reserved for more mature children. Folklore aside, the oldest known recipe dates back to one from Lady Elinor Fettiplace in 1604, which simply reads: “Take flower & sugar & nutmeg & cloves & mace & sweet butter & sack & a little ale barm, beat your spice & put in your butter & your sack, cold, then work it well all together & make it in little cakes & so bake them, if you will you may put in some saffron into them or fruit.” As you can imagine, many a soulless cake has been created in trying to figure out the best way to interpret the vagaries found in this recipe. Here, we cut to the chase and give you one from NPR that will just plain old work. 

View the recipe.

Pumpkin Stew

A warm, hearty stew is a great way to honor the gifts of harvest, warm up chilled bones on a late October night, and nurse a cold all too common this time of year. We love this version of beef stew, cooked up and presented right inside a pumpkin shell! If you don’t have a pumpkin on hand, you can bubble it up in a stove pot, a crockpot, or a cauldron – whatever you happen to have in the kitchen. For presentation, you may consider dolloping a “ghost” of potatoes on top for the kids, complete with two pea eyes.   

View the recipe.

No matter what religion you follow, there are a few Samhain traditions you may like to incorporate – such as honoring those who have passed in your family with a decorative altar or reflecting upon the positive or negative habits you cultivated this past year. What new seeds can you plant?

Love culture, history, cooking, and child-centered activities? Call Shine to learn about opportunities for fun and family in the East End of New York City. We offer classes, workshops, enrichment sessions, party entertainment, field trips, and more.

6 Best Fall Foliage Hikes for East End Families

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“Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn,” said Garden Designer and Writer Elizabeth Lawrence. We agree that autumn is a blissful time, where trees burst with dying beauty and blaze like torches, lighting the way to winter – but we disagree that you have to “sit still” to partake in all the glory of the year’s grand finale.

Philosopher Henry David Thoreau tells us, “An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.” Gathering our families up for a fall foliage hike is a treasured tradition for us here in the East End. Create warm family memories, enjoying an active, bright, clear weekend at one of these East End New York City hidden gems.

Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge

(2595 Noyack Road, Sag Harbor)

This wildlife haven sits on a 187-acre peninsula overlooking Noyack and Little Peconic bays. Birdwatchers delight in autumnal migrations of double-crested cormorants, horned grebes, beach sanderlings, common loons, Forster’s and arctic terns, and turkeys. Cold-stunned loggerhead and Kemp’s ridley turtles wash ashore to warm up on their way south for the winter. The endangered osprey boasts a commanding presence at Morton, with at least two nesting pairs active in the area for three decades. Sharp-eyed tots may even spot resident eastern chipmunks, eastern cottontail rabbits, gray squirrels, red fox, or white-tailed deer.

Laurel Lake Park and Preserve

(5501 NY-25, Laurel)

The preservation of Laurel Lake is part of the Peconic Land Trust, dedicated to maintaining the natural beauty of 480 acres of land, including 14 miles of well-groomed trails clearly marked for your family to follow. A winding two-mile loop trail will take you up and down changing topography through towering cedars, oaks, dogwood, and laurels around the lake. Don’t forget to pack a picnic to enjoy at the scenic lakeside picnic tables. A playground adds to the fun for your youngsters. 

Mashomack Preserve

(79 S Ferry Rd, Shelter Island)

Choose from five flat trails amid over 2,000 acres of mature oak woodlands, freshwater marshes, floral fields, and tidal creeks. The accessible trails range from one or 1.5 miles to three, six, and 12 mile loops. The trails and visitor’s center are open every day (except Tuesdays) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but we especially recommend “Souper Sunday,” which feature a guided six-mile green trail hike to Bass Creek Cottage for homemade soup, or “Nature’s Halloween Trail,” which offers friendly costumed characters and light refreshments.

Ogdens Brook Trail

(50 South Fairview Avenue, Montauk)

Ogdens Brook Trail is a section of the 125-mile long Pamanok Path inside Montauk Point State Park that follows Montauk’s famous Oyster Pond. This easy 1.5 miles of unpaved road conveniently starts at the parking area, continuing over a stream footbridge, through the wetlands, and into a maritime forest of undisturbed beech, black tupelo, red maple, and shadbush. Cool sights along the way include a lighthouse and abandoned military bunkers. Later in the season, harbor seals can be seen on the coastal rocks down the yellow-marked “seal haul-out” trail.

Quogue Wildlife Refuge

(3 Old Country Road, Quogue)

The 300-acre Quogue Wildlife Refuge is a favorite for kids, as the Outdoor Wildlife Complex houses injured bald eagles, owls, falcons, red fox, chinchillas, bearded dragon lizards, tortoises, and other New York native species. The Charles Banks Belt Nature Center offers additional wildlife exhibits, a nature library, touch table, children’s room, gift shop, and the best views of Old Ice Pond. Seven miles of walking trails take you through diverse habitats – bogs, fields, Pine Barrens, tidal estuaries, and wetlands. The main trail is not only scenic, but stroller-friendly, too. For $10, you can make a reservation for their annual “Enchanted Forest Trail” walk, taking place at noon on October 26th or 27th, featuring games, activities, and costumed characters.

Sears Bellows County Park

(63 Bellows Pond Road, Hampton Bays)

Sears Bellows takes you through clearly marked trails of 979-acre parkland, suitable for beginners. The easiest trail is the one-mile, stroller-friendly jaunt around Bellows Pond, but there are paths to continue on along Sears Pond. A fun playground overlooking the water is a great place to park for an extended lunch break. Older kids may enjoy fishing for bass, bluegill, pickerel, or perch. 

Pro Tip: We keep an eye on the I Love NY Fall Foliage Report to determine the best timing. (As of early October, we’re at about 15% color change, with an explosion of color expected in the coming weeks.)

Love the fall season? So do we! Join our team of educators in one of our fall classes for seasonal crafting, cooking, traveling, and learning opportunities aplenty. We have something for everyone ages six months to 10 years!

International Kid-Friendly Food: Top 5 Jamaican Recipes for Marcus Garvey Day

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Six years ago, the Government of Jamaica declared August 17th “Marcus Garvey Day” in honor of the nation’s first National Hero. Marcus Garvey (1887-1940), a Jamaican-born nationalist, civil rights activist, and Pan-Africanism movement leader, sought to unify and connect people of African descent worldwide.

“Garvey has influenced the world through so many different people, I don’t think the world and even some Jamaicans recognize the worth and impact of his influence – and, just through his sayings, how many freedom fighters and world leaders have brought their messages of confidence to masses of people,” said Jamaica’s Minister of Youth and Culture, Hon. Lisa Hanna.

His vision was one of prosperity for African people at home and abroad, and his legacy has caused others to view Jamaicans as equals “in every sphere of life… on the great human stage of activity,” she explained, adding: “As Jamaicans, we ought to be proud of our ancestry; we ought to be proud of our heroes…He was clearly ahead of his time.”  

Close to 600 Jamaicans live here — in New York City neighborhoods like Queens Village, Jamaica, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Wakefield, and Tremont. Perhaps that is why we have a Marcus Garvey Park (which is hosting Black Woodstock on Marcus Garvey Day this year).

What a great opportunity we have, now, to teach our children about Jamaica’s contributions on the world stage, including their many culinary delights. We love cooking with our children as a way of teaching life skills, while sharing valuable time and bonding closely with our kin. Here are five Jamaican recipes in honor of Marcus Garvey Day you’ll love making together.

Jamaican Rice & Peas

Recipe by Schnelle “Nellie” Acevedo, a.k.a. “Brooklyn Active Mama”

Nellie quit her cushy job in the high tech financial industry to bring this recipe to you. “My cousins and I (all 5,200 of us) got together and realized that we will NEED to continue this amazing authentic Jamaican cooking for our own children, or the culture will die with us,” she said in her blog. Flavored with creamy coconut milk, thyme, all-spice, and scotch bonnet pepper, this side tastes distinctively Caribbean. If you need help finding the pepper, try Trade Fair on Ditmars Blvd in Astoria, or Stop & Shop in Queens. In a pinch, you could substitute with a habanero, but you might want to portion out the kids’ servings before adding that spice!

Get the recipe here.

Miss Lily’s Jerk Chicken

Recipe by Chef Adam Schop (NYC) and Chef Andre Fowles (Jamaica) of Miss Lily’s in SoHo

According to Sam Slaughter, writer for The Manual, this is “the best Jerk Chicken recipe you’ll ever try.” It requires its fair share of work – brining, marinating, and grilling. Yet, the end result has just the right amount of spice and sweet. You’ll need to locate a few exotic ingredients – whole allspice berries, scotch bonnet chilies, tamarind puree, and liquid smoke – but most kids enjoy a trip to the food bazaar supermarket. If you’re more into the idea of tasting than cooking, you can always head to the cozy retro diner, Miss Lily’s at 132 Houston Street (at Thompson).

Get the recipe here.

Jamaican Beef Patty

Recipe by Imma at Immaculate Bites

The Jamaican Beef Patty has made its way out of family kitchens and into retail establishments like Walmart and Costco, as well as the New York City school system (which serves over three million a year!) With its flaky, delicate, golden crust and beef seasoned with Scotch bonnet, onion, garlic, and black pepper, the Jamaican Beef Patty is on its way to achieving a fanbase the way pizza and tacos have – at least in New York City. While NY Times offers a similar recipe, people who have made Imma’s particular recipe have been called “goddesses” at the school bake sale, were so excited they wanted to buy the author’s cookbook if she had one, and said they’ll never make another recipe again.  

Get the recipe here.

Vegan Jerk Tacos

Recipe by Chef Troy

Chef Troy grew up in the countryside of Glengoffe St. Catherine, Jamaica before serving as chef at BB King’s in Times Square and the Highline Ballroom in Chelsea. You’ll need some of Chef Troy’s special jerk seasoning wet rub for these kid-friendly tacos, but you can make a similar concoction from scratch if you prefer. The vegan protein is portabello mushroom, with tomatoes and peppers helping to fill out your tortilla. The magic is in the combination of flavorful sauces!

Get the recipe here.

Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding

Recipe Courtesy of The Food Network

Sweet potato pudding used to be a real labor of love with all that hand-grating, but thanks to food processors, it’s easy enough for a child to do. Filled with raisins, coconut, and vanilla milk, it’s a sweet the kids are sure to love for a Sunday treat or a holiday staple.

Get the recipe here.

Enjoy this little taste of international culture and cooking? Try one of Shine’s classes for more! Contact us to inquire about our cultural classes, monthly workshops (which may include cooking), and about our partnerships with local youth culinary schools. 

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