Make Archives - Page 6 of 6

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 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.

Halloween Tricks and Treats

Halloween Tricks and Treats

Earth Day Activities