4 Ways to Teach Preserving the Earth

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Growing Beans

I was one of those lucky kids who grew up playing outside – in the woods behind Linda’s house, along the creek far away from anyone’s house, on the hills we rode to on our bikes. That sense of freedom and joy of being outdoors continued at Jewish summer camps. On kibbutz picking pears. Camping with my husband and kids. And now, walking in parks with our grandkids. So I love discovering programs that take “Judaism back to nature,” like Wilderness Torah. Adamah.  B'naiture.  Outdoor Jewish Adventures. Jkidphilly – introducing Jewish values When I read about jkidphilly.com’s latest program … [Read more...]

20 Fun Tips to Get Your Child to Read – Guest Post

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Reading is fun

We’re pleased to feature a guest post this week from JewishconnectEd, a website dedicated to the empowerment and education of Jewish mothers, created by special educators supporting parents raising children with disabilities. Thanks to Zlaty Kahan, JewishconnectEd founder, and Bella Kahn, author of this post. We all know reading is important. Ideally, we try to encourage (nag?) our children to read. (Unless, of course, you’re the parent of a diehard bookworm. In which case you encourage and nag them to put that book down and go to sleep already!) Amongst its many benefits, reading … [Read more...]

5 Fun Kitchen Activities for a Summer Shabbat

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Beautiful Veggies for Shabbat

About this time of the summer, you start seeing articles about how to help your child hang onto math and reading skills over the hot, lazy months. Spending time in the kitchen is the perfect solution. I’m with Grandma’s Briefs blogger Lisa about all the wonderful reasons to bake with your children or grandkids -- from reading recipes to measuring to learning fractions to sequencing. Of her eight top reasons to encourage kitchen time together, my three favorites are: Encourages creativity Fun for different ages to work together Natural time to tell family stories about favorite … [Read more...]

What Lifts You Up? With Thanks to Maya Angelou

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Showing loving-kindness

It was 20 years ago. In June. I strained to see her face, past rows and rows of heads in front of me. Maya Angelou was the keynote speaker at the International Association of Business Communicators conference in Boston. You could have heard a pin drop in that vast room of 1400 communicators. No paper rustling. No chairs scratching around on the floor. Just silence. Maya made us laugh. She made us cry. All with words and tone and drama unlike anything I’d ever heard. We drank in every beautifully uttered syllable. And she lifted us up. Given her recent passing, may her memory be for … [Read more...]

Play with Food and Flowers for Shavuot

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Celebrate Shavuot with Dairy Foods

So you know that classic foods for Shavuot include dairy (cheese and milk) + twin challahs (challot), and kreplach. In our last post, we talked about making no-bake mini-cheesecakes. And I am in awe of the extraordinary challah masterpieces for Shavuot that experienced bakers make. I also absolutely love the idea of decorating your home with fragrant flowers and spices. But what I truly love is inviting kids to bring their creative touches to food and decorations for Shavuot. Go ahead. Play with your food. One way to bring home the message of Shavuot is by providing seasonal … [Read more...]