Make Archives - Page 6 of 6

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

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

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

The Art of Giving Back

November 13, 2013/in Guide, Make/by Shine

The holidays are an exciting and overwhelming time for children. Candy, cookies, parties, presents. That’s why during this season we at Shine feel compelled to share with our families the importance of giving back and teaching children how to strike that balance between selfish and selfless. However, introducing children to public service in a meaningful way can be daunting. We value community building, especially for those in need. Through our Lighthouse Project, our experienced educators introduce kids to the idea of charity in a safe and age-appropriate manner. Children have fun but also learn the value of giving back.

Art of Giving Back You don’t need to go far to participate in some easy ways to give back to your community. Even very busy families and children can use some of the ideas below to create charitable opportunities at home (and have fun too)!

Decorate a piggy bank and use it to collect charity. We love the idea of ordering plain piggy banks and having children decorate them with acrylic paints and rhinestones. We use these special banks to collect money for charity. When the bank is full, take the money out, count it together and donate it to a charity of your choice. Read more

Halloween Tricks and Treats

October 14, 2013/in Celebrate, Fun, Guide, Make, Party/by Shine

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

Earth Day Activities

April 16, 2013/in Celebrate, Make/by Shine

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.