Blog Archives

Snowy Day Activities!

1/26/2015

We all like the outdoors. The breath of fresh air, kicking and playing in the grass, tossing the ball around, etc. However, there are days where Mother Nature likes to ruin all of the fun. Not all hope is lost. The fun can always take place indoors as well. Here are 10 activities everyone can do on snowy/rainy days!

Arts & Crafts
Pull out the crayons, glue, and construction paper and have your children create fantastic works of art. Whether if its to pass the time and alleviate the boredom, or you simply want to put up Winter decorations around the house, showcasing your children's masterpiece; arts & crafts time will stimulate the minds of your children and allow them to think outside the box!

Get Warm and Cozy with Hot Cocoa
We all lead busy and hectic lives. Sometimes a snow day will provide of rate opportunity to just get comfortable and cozy while spending some wholesome family time. Make hot cocoa for everyone and relax by the fireplace. To help you get started, here's the recipe for making hot cocoa courtesy of http://allrecipes.com/recipe/creamy-hot-cocoa/:

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups of milk
3/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 cup of half-and-half cream
Marshmallows!!

Movie Time!
Have access to Netflix, Hulu Plus, or some other movie streaming channel? If so, then gather the family around and catch up on some great family movies! My personal recommendation, The Lion King! You can't go wrong with that!

Touch Base with Family
Use this opportunity to to connect with distant family members. Be it through Skype, WhatsApp, or FaceTime; technology has helped bring everyone closer together, regardless what part of the world everyone maybe in. Remember, if there is one thing grandparents love, is hearing from their grandkids!

Expand Your Horizons
Have a book or two want to catch up on? With a snow day, you have the opportunity to catch up on some reading. Regardless whether if its Fiction, historical, biographical, scientific, you name it; reading will help pass the time all the while helping you learn new things. For the children, have them pick a book and once they are done, engage in a group discussion, where the kids have the opportunity to present what they read.

Science Fair
Turn your home into a laboratory! Using materials from around the house, host a science fair within the confines of your very own home. Be it designing a replica of the solar system, building a volcano (actual lava and fire should not be used), or designing a seltzer rocket; have your children build their own projects, having fun while at the same time incorporating an educational element to it.

Collage
Got photos or old magazines lying around? Have your children use them to design their own collage's. Their collage can highlight a particular experience (elementary school or middle school years, a particular age) or build on a theme of their choice.

Board Games!
Perhaps nothing is as fun as enjoying family time over a board game. Monopoly, Risk, Clue, or Life, gather the family around and have fun while engaging in some competition!

Treasure Hunt
Gather the children around and shell out maps, hints and clues, as they search for lost treasure around the house

Baking
Is grandma's recipe collecting dust? Bring it out and have your children help you bake some delicious Winter goodies.

This is by no means a comprehensive list. This was more or less designed to help provide you with some ideas on how to have a good time when the weather takes a turn for the worst. We encourage you to share with us some other activities that may not be on the list, that you do to pass the time!

0 Comments

5 Ways to Become Involved in Your Community

1/18/2015

2 Comments

Yes, bullying can be rough and can cause the victims to shy away from social interaction. However just because one person or a particular group of people are bad, that doesn't mean that everyone is like them. At Play It Forward NY, we encourage children and teens to go out and get involved in the community. It could be anything from joining a local sports league, joining a club, becoming a member of a community organization (i.e. the YMCA), or participating in community service activities. Becoming involved helps increase social interaction as well as provide you with the opportunity have a voice in local community affairs. It cultivates a sense of responsibility not only to yourself, but to your fellow community members. Below are 5 ways children and teens can become active members within the local community.

1) Volunteer
We all have something we care about, whether if its the environment, the homeless, or a desire to help cure some of the social ills plaguing society. Figure out what it is that you are passionate about and get involved. Go to your local community center, library, or town hall and see what volunteer opportunities are available. If none of these options are at your disposal, then check out http://www.volunteermatch.org for volunteer opportunities within your local area.

2) Join Clubs/Teams
If you have a particular hobby (books, poetry) or have a special interest, join an existing club or start your own. Clubs serve as a great way to establish connections with like-minded individuals who share the same passion/interest with you. The same could be applied to sports teams. If you are a basketball, baseball, or football enthusiast, join an existing sports league or start your own team and challenge the neighborhood kids. Teams and clubs help cultivate a sense of camaraderie and team-building skills that are important in everyone's personal development. Plus you get to interact with your own peers and expand your circles.

3) Community Associations
Almost every neighborhood has some type of association or organization in place. Join them and get involved in the affairs of your local community. This works well if you see something you want changed and allows for you to have a voice within the community. Community organizations may help organize a wide array of events such as block parties, pot lucks, or events in the arts. Maybe your community has a neighborhood watch you could be a part of.

4) Fundraisers
Want to make a difference? Want to contribute to a particular cause or raise money for a particular benefit? Fundraisers may be the thing for you. Be it a bake sale, garage sale, a car wash, or hosting a live performance; there are many ways you help contribute to a cause and making a difference in other people's lives.

5) Donations
More often than not; many organizations seek donations to contribute to the needy. Food Banks welcome donations of food to help feed the hungry who can not afford to obtain their own food. Other organizations like the Salvation Army will donations of any kind to provide to the needy. Be it clothes, food, or even books and toys; take the initiative and donate it to those who need it the most. We tend to take things for granted that others so desperately need.

These are just some of the ways we encourage children and teens (and everyone else for that matter) to get involved. The list is not just limited to the above mentioned suggestions. We encourage everyone to go online and search for other opportunities and ways to get involved and show that you care.

2 Comments

6 Tips for Preparing for College

1/12/2015

0 Comments

Many counselors and teachers will tell you that Junior year is the most important year in High School. Guess what? They are right. Everything you do as a Junior will weigh in heavily when it comes time to apply for college. It is at that point that not only do you figure out what institution you want to attend after High School, but what you want to do career-wise as well.

Below are 6 tips on how to maximize your junior year in High School and adequately prepare for college.

1) Know What Career Path You Desire

First, you need to research some possible career paths. Consult with family, teachers, and your peers. Re-examine yourself and understand your strengths. If you like numbers and excel at it, maybe Mathematics and Statistics would work for you. If you enjoy the past, then maybe History is your thing. Dream about running your own business one day? Maybe Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration suits you. Regardless of what that strength or area of interest maybe, it is important you have a good grasp of it before you begin filling out application forms. Some college’s specialize in specific fields. For example, John Jay College of the City University of New York is mostly renowned for its law and Criminal Justice program. Baruch College is famous for its Accounting program. Then you have other college’s that provide a plethora of course offerings to choose from. Take the time to fully understand what is it that you are looking to gain from your college experience.

2) Research and Prep Your List of College’s

Figuring out your potential career path comes a long way in helping narrow down possible college choices you may want to consider. Also factor in location and costs as well when researching the college’s of your choice. Some High School graduates choose to stay local to be amongst their friends and families and attend college’s within the area. Others want to venture out on their own and take on the college life head on. Regardless of where it is you want to go, make it a priority to schedule campus visits and feel out the environment and the vibe. If you do not feel comfortable with the College settings, cross that college off of your list, as chances are you won’t fare well there. Visit several campuses and attend as many open houses/information sessions as you can. Give yourself ample opportunities to learn as much as you can about the college’s you hope to apply to and see if they are right for you.

3) Get Involved

Grades are good and all but they are not enough when it comes to applying for college’s. college’s often want to see their applicants as well-rounded individuals who don’t just focus on academics. If you haven’t done so in your Freshman or Sophomore years, starting getting involved in the community. Talk to a teacher or community outreach coordinator and see what community service events are available. If you are passionate about a particular sport, join your school’s sports team. Have a particular hobby or interest, join a club. Engaging in community service or extracurricular activities shows not only initiative, but demonstrates how well-rounded of an individual you are.

4) Study, Study, and More STUDY!

Junior year is when you will need to take SAT’s, ACT’s, and Advanced Placement Exams. There is no such thing as it’s too early to start studying and preparing for those exams. Sign up for as many Advanced Placement classes as you can and prep for those exams. Register for SAT or ACT prep courses, as high scores in those exams will improve your chances of getting admitted into the college of your choice. Junior year is also the year you want to demonstrate your best academically. Make sure your grades are as high as they can possibly be for it’s your performance in Junior year that most college’s will look at.

5) Gain College Credit While in High School

Get a head start on college by registering for some pre-college programs. These programs have the added benefit of exposing you to what a college-level coursework would entail while providing you the opportunity to earn college credit towards your degree. Examples of such programs include CUNY’s College Now program and Wagner College’s Summer Pre-College Program.

6) Don’t Limit Yourself

In some cases, certain college’s may have rigorous admission requirements. Maybe you fall short on some of them such as GPA’s or SAT/ACT scores. That does not mean you should not apply to that specific college. As mentioned earlier, there are more to college applications than just grades. There are letters of recommendations, community service involvement, leadership roles, and even work experience that may be looked at. Apply to as many college’s as you can. The worst that can happen is you do not get accepted. You never know.

0 Comments

5 Safety Tips For Using Social Media

1/4/2015

0 Comments

We live in a world that is becoming ever more entrenched in social media. Every day, new platforms arise and others slowly lose their value. Around 2004, MySpace was the thing. Almost everyone had a MySpace. Now, hardly anyone speaks of it. Regardless of the fads and trends in social media, one thing will never change and that is safety. Bullying no longer is confined to the school environment, but can expand to our very own homes via the computer. Cyber-Bullying is becoming an increasing threat and in order to combat it and other threats, let's take a look at the following tips for playing it safe on social media:

1) Keeping personal stuff....PERSONAL!
Be if Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or other platforms, we often post many things. They could include pics, quotes, opinions, and news. That is perfectly fine. However, one thing that should not be posted are personal information. Once they get posted, they become viewable by the online community, and even if you do delete it, chances are that posted could've already been captured by someone else or shared amongst someone else's circles. Your business is supposed to be your business! Some information you post can eventually be used against you be it by your friends, enemies, or even a hacker.

2) Maintain contact with who you know
When online, make it a priority to only interact with people you KNOW! More often than not, we will get friend requests from people who we may have never heard of or seen before. It's fine to expand your circle and interact with people, just not with strangers. In most cases, some of these friend requests can be hackers, people looking to harm you, or fake individuals. If you don't know that person trying to connect with you, delete them immediately.

3) Avoid drama or arguing on social media
At some point, we all have come across disputes and arguments on social media, be it debates that took an ugly twist or the airing of grievances. Social media is not the place to settle scores or beefs with others. It has been said that discussing major things via text or online serves to only exasperate the situation. And in those cases, things could be taken out of context and misconstrued, causing further aggravation between the parties. Also, putting your issues to public display may serve as an invitation for others to chime in, thus leading the situation to become out of control. If you have a problem with someone, call them or meet face-to-face and air out your differences.

4) Never leave your profile unattended!!
One major mistake many people commit is leaving their social media profiles unattended in a public venue. Doing so serves as an invitation for others to go on and make posts that may slanderous in nature, all in the name of a good joke. From my personal experience, I have seen it done several times and was even the victim of it myself several years ago. If you need to go somewhere, make it a point to log off your accounts. Never leave it unattended for what may start out to be a "harmless joke" could turn into a major problem.

5) Be tolerant
Not everything we post will be accepted by everyone. Everyone has different views and perceptions of society and the world and what may be acceptable for one person, may not be the case for someone else. If someone feels uncomfortable by what you posted and requests that you delete it, be courteous enough to do so. Vice-versa, if someone else were to post something that you felt uncomfortable about, you would do the same. Mutual respect is important and so is tolerance to others as well.

These are some of the tips for how to play it safe on social media. Social media is an excellent way to express yourselves, get creative, showcase your work, and stay in touch with others. But it is imperative that all of it be done within proper constraints. Social media is a double-edged sword. It can help build bridges but can easily be used to destroy them. Be wise and smart in how you conduct yourself online.

0 Comments

Snowy Day Activities!

5 Ways to Become Involved in Your Community

6 Tips for Preparing for College

5 Safety Tips For Using Social Media

Author

Archives

Categories