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Perfect Picnic Hacks for Parents

April 16, 2021/in Celebrate, Front Page Blog, Fun, Guide, Taste/by Shine

“A picnic is more than eating a meal,” said cookbook author DeeDee Stovel. “It is a pleasurable state of mind.” The weather is warming up and quarantine fatigue is setting in hard. We’re all looking for ways to reconnect with our kids and make our weekends count. A picnic in the park is the perfect way to make a weekend afternoon feel more festive. Friday, April 23^rd is National Picnic Day – so what better excuse? All it takes is a little planning and a little patience. Here are our best picnic hacks to ensure a smooth day trip.

Kid-Friendly Picnic Foods

Pre-grilled foods – try seasoned ribs, chicken skewers, eggplant, corn, and zucchini.
Side salads – skip mayo for Asian dressed coleslaw or mustard German potato salad.
Veggies – satisfy with mini carrots, sliced peppers, cherry tomato, and olives.
Snacks – grab hummus and crackers, tortilla chips, PB crackers, Goldfish, or pretzels.
Trail mix – fuel up with yogurt raisins, dried banana, cashews, cranberries, and seeds.
Meats – for carnivores, pack sliced or string cheese, pepperoni, and cocktail weenies.
Popsicles – but don’t forget to bring cupcake liners to serve as drip trays. Genius!
Watermelon/fruit kebabs – pre-chop and skewer to make it neater and more accessible.
Dessert – keep it simple with cherries, strawberries, brownie bites, and butter cookies.
Dirt cups – crush Oreos on the bottom, adding chocolate pudding and gummy worms.

Picnic Sandwich Secrets

Hate a soggy sandwich? So do we! Here are a few tips:

Make your sandwich as late as possible for optimal freshness.
Once the sandwich hits room temperature, eat within two hours.
Use ice packs and an insulated cooler to add a few hours of shelf life.
Pack watery ingredients like cucumber, tomato, and onion slices separate.
Avoid sandwich bags, which increase condensation. Wrap in foil.
Choose a robust bread, like rye, tortilla, pita, a hard roll, or baguette.

Want an easy, hassle-free experience? Central Park offers a baguettini sandwich, apple, bag of chips, cookie, and bottled water – a picnic basket to-go for $12.

Best NYC Picnic Spots

Not sure where to go? The options are vast, but consider:

Central Park’s “East Green” offers shady trees and ample room for fun. The East 72^nd Street Playground is located nearby, with water features in the summer. The Conservatory Water offers model boat sailing, concessions, and restrooms. A short walk south to the Central Park Zoo rounds out the afternoon.

It’s a busy spot, but Empire Fulton Ferry Park offer stunning views of the Manhattan skyline and Brooklyn Bridge. Arrive early to grab a picnic table with an umbrella. Nearby you’ll find Jane’s Carousel, the nautical-themed Main Street Playground, and restrooms.

In Long Island City, Queens, Socrates Sculpture Garden is a waterfront park hosting oversized sculptures to gaze upon, as well as ample shade and enclosed spaces for inquisitive youngsters to explore. Hallets Cove just north of the park offers free kayak rentals.

Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park provides beautiful, well-kept grounds showcasing nature’s beauty with greenhouses and gardens. Hands-on programming for children and mansion tours offer optional entertainment.

Wading River’s Wildwood State Park overlooks Long Island Sound. Have a picnic within the park in the shady picnic table grove or down on the sand. There are showers, camping sites, fishing, hiking, and a playground for the kids.

Themes for Picnics with Kids

Want to change it up from the humdrum old picnic of yesteryear? Try these creative twists:

Teddy bear picnic – Invite your child’s favorite stuffed animals along.
Puzzle picnic – Melissa & Doug offer wooden jigsaw puzzles to enjoy in the fresh air.
Dress-up picnic – Dress in costume for a a princess and/or super hero party.
Water party – bring water balloons, squirt guns, and bathing suits.

Picnic Games & Activities

Active games include cornhole, KanJam, ring toss, bocce, football, frisbee, or soccer.
Spend the afternoon painting rocks and hide them around the park for people to find.
Surely we all remember playing Tic Tac Toe, blowing bubbles, and chalk drawings.
Go through the alphabet with the “I’m going on a picnic” memory game.
UPicnic entertains up to five kids with bubbles, music, puppets, and games for a fee.

Picnic Reads

There’s magic in the air, reading outdoors. Bring a few picnic books along:

Pignic
Teddy Bears’ Picnic
The Bear’s Water Picnic
Ready for Anything
The Giant Jam Sandwich
A Picnic with Monet
We’re Going on a Picnic
The Wind in the Willows (for older kids)

Must-Have Picnic Supplies

Sometimes one or two items make all the difference in the world:

Picnic basket – or up your picnic game with an oversized insulated bag.
Picnic blanket – or a tablecloth if you’ve got a table nearby.
Sunblock – or an umbrella to save you from the UV.
Baby wipes – for inevitably messy hands!
Music speaker – play Amazon’s Portable Sunshine, Grill & Chill, or Kids Birthday Party.
Frozen water bottles – as a space saving way to keep food cold and guests hydrated.
Talcum powder – sprinkle a border around your blanket to keep ants and bugs away.
Mesh food screens or a portable fan – to keep flying insects out of the food.
Waterproof shower curtain – if you’ve had bad luck in the past with soggy swamp grass.
A change of clothes – a backpack with an extra set of clothes can save much complaint.
Trash bag – leave no trace!

Looking for more ways to entertain the kids? Contact SHINE to learn about our classes, workshops, parties, and day camps in New York City and the Hamptons.

Youth Camps Are Safe, New Study Says

March 22, 2021/in Front Page Blog, Fun, Guide, Play/by Shine

Warmer weather has many New Yorkers looking forward to better times, including the ability to gather in small groups outdoors again. Spring Break is coming up for our kids, which means they’ll need child care and entertainment during school-free days. We’re pleased to report great news as to the safety of spring break and summer camps. Shine camps operated last summer without a single positive case reported. Beyond that, on a grander scale, new analysis confirms the almost nonexistent transmission rate when proper hygiene and distancing protocols are put in place.

Youth Camps Provide Opportunity for Safe Social Interaction

Last month, Duke University researchers published a new study in the journal Pediatrics, affirming the safety of summer camps. They analyzed data covering more than 6,500 children and staff members at 54 YMCA programs in North Carolina from March through August 2020.

Though overall regional community transmission rates were peaking at this time, researchers identified just 10 campers and nine workers with confirmed COVID-19 infections during that time. Out of the 19 infections, only two individuals were believed to have caught the virus there. All others were infected outside of camp. Symptomatic spread rate (with the presence of cough or fever) was 0.6% and asymptomatic spread risk was 0.07%, according to the study.

They added that the social and emotional benefits of the “in-person programming” camps provide further “outweigh any risk of transmission.” This past year has been difficult, but families can feel comfortable promoting the wellbeing of their children through camp settings this spring and summer.

COVID-19 Safety Measures Make a Difference, Experts Say

According to researchers, the low transmission rate can be attributable to measures like:

Offering outdoor activities, as well as indoor.
Minimizing groups to 10 kids per adult.
Pre-camp quarantining for overnight campers.
Conducting daily temperature checks and health questionnaires.
Enforcing hygiene measures like mask-wearing and hand-washing.
Encouraging social distancing of six feet or more whenever possible.
Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, play spaces, and materials daily.

All Shine camps and workshops follow NY State best practices and the latest CDC guidance. Visit this link for details on how we’ve been operating safely this past year.

Shine Spring and Summer Camp Registration in the Hamptons and NYC Are Now Open

We’ve been cooped up too long! Shine can keep your kids active, educated, entertained, and safe this spring with classes, workshops, and day-long programming at camps in the Hamptons and NYC. Shine programming is run by experienced educators and geared toward ages 4-12, incorporating art, music, science, culture, foreign language, cooking, free-play, sports, theatre arts, games, as well as your child’s own unique interests.

Our Spring mini-semester runs from Monday, April 5^th through Friday, June 11^th

Summer programming is also available Monday, July 5^th to Friday, September 3^rd. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, group sizes will be limited. Contact us for details.

Virtual Exhibits for Black History Month

February 26, 2021/in Celebrate, Front Page Blog, Fun, Guide, Learn/by Shine

Black History Month encourages us to consider the many achievements of African-Americans throughout history. The commemoration dates back to a week-long event pioneered by scholar Carter G. Woodson, which transformed into a month-long celebration in 1970. If you feel comfortable wearing a mask, we encourage you to check out the Brooklyn Children Museum’s Black Future Festival this weekend. Otherwise, there are plenty of convenient and unique ways to dive into cultural history online, without leaving your home.

Black History Month at the New York Public Library (NYPL)

NYPL offers a treasure trove of Black History Month activities for families, including:

Picture Books Reading List – Request a physical copy or e-book, or access online instantly, using Digital Books or Bookshare accounts. Featured books cover famous personalities like Martin Luther King Jr and Duke Ellington, but also everyday experiences like running a bookstore, coping with the grief of loss, and working cotton fields as a young child in California.
Be sure to check out the Schomberg Center’s curated list of “Black Liberation List for Young Readers,”accommodating physical copy requests and free checkout of e-books on Overdrive.
Watch NYPL Story Time – Librarians read their favorite books featuring black characters or written by African-American authors about the black experience. Stories include “Sulwe,” “Black Girl Magic,” and “My Rainy Day Rocket Ship.”
Black History Month Kids Events – Every day features different virtual events, from a chat and draw for ages 8-12 with black cartoonists and Black History Month Jeopardy, to read-aloud craft-alongs and book discussions.

Poe Park Visitor Center’s Black History Month Exposition

Poe Park Visitor Center is a community hub of art, literature, fitness, and community events in the Bronx. All exhibits have been moved online this year due to the ongoing pandemic:

Documentary photography: Michael Young; Trevon Blondet.
Mixed-media: Terrenceo Hammonds; Betty J. Murray; Gloria Zapata; Gregorio Velez.
Paintings: James Deliard; Josipa Kecman.
Wood prints: Joan Barnes.
Digital collage: Patrice J. Payne.

The New Museum’s Jordan Casteel Exhibit, “Within Reach”

Painter Jordan Casteel seeks to tell the stories of the overlooked people of color who bring the city to life, from Harlem street musicians and a little boy on a lap, to art students at Rutgers University and merch sellers. The virtual tour features 40 colorful, oversized portraits.

New York Botanical Garden’s Black History Month at Home

You’ll be missing the sweet smells of the blooms this year, but you can expect the same high-quality, family-friendly programming, such as:

A welcome message from NY State Senator Jamaal T. Bailey.
A performance, “Let Us Pull Together,” by the Harambee Dance Company.
A “Tree Time” read-aloud, education segment, and activity for children ages 4-8.

National Portrait Gallery’s Portraits of African-Americans

This comprehensive collection of famous faces is a national treasure, featuring brief bios and photographs, sketches, and paintings of everyone from Frederick Douglas and Jackie Robinson, to Shirley Chisholm and former President Barack Obama.

View the portraits on Google Arts & Culture.
Take a Black History Month virtual field trip at US museums on Google Arts & Culture.

National Museum of African-American History & Culture’s Joyful Fridays

Though the NMAAHC is closed during the pandemic, they’re offering webinar-style Zoom classes featuring literature, discussion, and art, geared toward kids ages 4-8, taking inspiration from the Joyful ABC Activity Book series. On the 26^th, they’ll be creating protest word paintings. Past activities include hat-making, portrait art, and sculpting from recycled materials.

Register for the live class, Fridays 11-11:45 – it’s free.
OR collect your resources and watch the videos on-demand.

We celebrate Black History Month as part of embracing a multicultural world and an important step in raising children who are wiser and kinder. If you liked this list, be sure to check out Shine’s “How To Raise a Culturally Sensitive Kid.” You will find a diverse and inclusive atmosphere at any of our upcoming classes, camps, parties, and workshops. We are open and operating under all the CDC and local COVID-19 protocols.

Top 5 Activities for Child Heart Health

February 12, 2021/in Celebrate, Front Page Blog, Fun, Guide/by Shine

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, you’ve no doubt prepared a special surprise for your little sweeties, but have you thought about your child’s physical heart health lately?

It seems like kids are in perpetual motion, so we assume they’re getting plenty of exercise just fidgeting, running around the house, and jumping on the furniture. Yet, nearly 60% of American children lack healthy cardiorespiratory fitness, according to a new scientific statement published by the American Heart Association.

What Is Cardiorespiratory Fitness?

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) refers to the circulatory and respiratory systems’ ability to supply oxygen to muscles during sustained physical activity. Kids with optimal cardiorespiratory fitness have healthier heart and blood vessels, perform better in school, thin more clearly, and enjoy higher levels of self-worth and overall life satisfaction. Further, good CRF reduces the risk of lung cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. The best way to measure CRF is with a cardiopulmonary exercise test on a treadmill. While most pediatricians do not test for cardiorespiratory fitness, there are ways to promote cardiorespiratory fitness if you’re unsure where your child stands.

5 Best Activities for Your Child’s Heart Health

The “best activity” is tailored to your child’s interests, but here are a few options:

Running and Power Walking – Getting outside as a family, setting goals, and jogging together is the best way to encourage your child to pick up the sport. Relay races can be fun, especially if you have the “leader” call out the type of movement – whether it’s running, galloping, skipping, or jumping. You can also work in shorter bursts of running throughout the day with Level Up, Sonic the Hedgehog, or video game workouts on YouTube.
Swimming – Normally, the NYC Parks Department runs a lotto in early March for free swimming lesson sessions and hosts plenty of venues for swimming outdoors all summer long. COVID-19 concerns have put the squeeze on these programs for now, but you can still swim at Roosevelt Island FREE of charge on a first-come first-served basis, and also at paid lesson sites like Imagine Swimming!, Aqua Skills, and Physique Swimming.
Dancing – It doesn’t take anything more than the right music to throw a family dance party. Try this kid-friendly dance party playlist if you need the inspiration. The Just Dance video game is a blast if you own a Nintendo Switch, Wii, Wii U, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or Xbox 360. There are plenty of places to find free virtual dance classes, too – ABTots, and the National Dance Institute, to name a few.
Jumping Rope – Once you’ve purchased a jump rope, it will take some time for your child to build their skills and learn the basic technique. In no time, your child will be learning jump rope songs and trying out Double Dutch. After a while, older kids can test their abilities with the Star Wars Jump Rope Challenge and learn a few tricks to impress their friends.
High Intensity Sports like Basketball & Soccer – It doesn’t cost much to pick up a soccer ball or basketball and play with your child. If you prefer formal instruction and group activities, kids as young as 3 can join the Dribbl program or Chelsea Piers’ youth basketball. NYC Basketball Kids also offers summer and holiday break camps for kids 5 and up. Soccer Shots is an amazing program that teaches kids traditional values like self-esteem and respect, while combining basic soccer skills and fun imaginative games for kids as young as two. The City Parks Foundation also has a free summer program if you’d like to test out the waters to see if soccer is something your child would like.

Shine NYC would like to wish you and your family a wonderful Valentine’s Day. Here are a few crafting projects and DIY valentine recommendations to enjoy after all that physical activity. Check out these picture books if you’re staying in, or consider going out to one of the children’s museums.