Great Mardi Gras!

Have you heard of Mardi Gras? It is sometimes linked with carnivals, New Orleans, masks, beads, food, and religion. Celebrate Mardi Gras by exploring the online activities below.

 

CONNECT:

• Get the facts about Mardi Gras at https://www.ducksters.com/holidays/mardi_gras.php
• See how people celebrate Mardi Gras at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayydZYlxfj4&t=2s&ab_channel=KidColors
• For more details, about the history of Mardi Gras, watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBFSY4RM0p4&ab_channel=Hey%21GuessWhat

 

CREATE:

• Dance and sing about Mardi Gras and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ1KIjv1-og&ab_channel=TheKiboomers-KidsMusicChannel
• Get crafty for Mardi Gras at https://redstickmom.com/mardi-gras-crafts-kids/
• Try up to ten ways for families to celebrate Mardi Gras at https://www.jumphouses.com/blog/10-fun-and-festive-mardi-gras-activities-for-kids/
• Plan a kid-friendly Mardi Gras party using some of these ideas: https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/mardi-gras-party-ideas/?srsltid=AfmBOordZooJuiVUeVbLxOIPIz2ebraGvbOE_J7veaEcdP3RM8x7opbo

 

CARE:

• Masks are usually associated with Halloween, but they are also popular at Mardi Gras. Make sure to wear those masks safely by following these tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgqw6VXmu3A&ab_channel=13WMAZ
• For parents: Is there a Mardi Gras event near you? Here are some good reminders if you want to take your kids to Mardi Gras and other parades: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUKO6LCEU3s&ab_channel=WDSUNews
• The day after Mardi Gras is the of Lent, which is a time of sacrifice – rather than partying.. Get introduced to Lent at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV8XpwPoRvI&ab_channel=TwinklEducationalPublishing

 

CAREERS:

Want to participate in Mardi Gras year round? It could be a fun career choice.  You could be a party planner, a performer, a costume designer, a make-up professional, a musician, a chef – as well as a religious leader.

• See behind the scene of Mardi Gras at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_cGXDqbOB4&ab_channel=SydneyGayandLesbianMardiGras
• Watch how Mardi Gras floats are created at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM9ODg03srU&ab_channel=Insider
• Join a Mardi Gras krewe; see what is involved at https://mardigrastraditions.com/ride-parade/#:~:text=Fortunately%2C%20some%20parading%20krewes%20let,or%20an%20after%2Dparade%20party.

 

 

 

 

Windows to the World

 

Buildings would be mainly dark and gloomy without windows. See the light about windows by doing these online-based activities.

 

CONNECT:

• Watch a clear history of windows at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgiC8uG4Kpc
• Did you know that there are different types of windows? Get the facts (and pictures) at https://kids.kiddle.co/Window
• See 1000 years of stained glass in 5 minutes at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDrHv9U88zo

 

CREATE:

• Try 10 ways to use a window for play at https://www.cbc.ca/parents/play/view/10-ways-to-use-a-window-for-play
• Create mess-free window art with foam shapes and water at https://happyhooligans.ca/window-art-foam-shapes-water/
• Make stained class with tissue paper at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHax38AtEuI

 

CARE:

• Celebrate Window Safety Week with these kid-friendly resources: https://www.nsc.org/getmedia/ba6ff4b1-6bc8-428c-9c91-a02b1b17f059/window-safety-week-kids-activities-2017.pdf
• For families: Watch how window safety systems came to be—and how to be window-safe at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkhdCNLXJ6Q
• Use science to test energy efficient windows at https://www.education.com/science-fair/article/energy-efficient-windows/
• For families: Homes can lose lots of heat through windows. See tips to cut heat loss of windows by following these tips at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TAoZiDprZk

 

CAREERS:

Are you looking into a window-ful career? You might make windows, sell them, install them, clean them, cover them, or decorate them.  See some of the possibilities here.  

• Watch how window glass is made at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTytNLJ25RU
• See how to make stained glass at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqXTKnAo3Jg

Iconic Symbols

 Nowadays we tend to think of icons as those tiny little pictures on the computer or phone, but icons have a long history – and have been associated with other concepts than technology. See the possibilities with these online activities. It could be an iconic experience.

CONNECT:

• Legos, the Beatles, and tea are all cultural icons. Find out why at https://kids.kiddle.co/Cultural_icon
• Read about computer icons and how are they used at https://wiki.kidzsearch.com/wiki/Computer_icon
• Watch the background about Orthodox religious icons at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gvrkF3XDBk 

CREATE:

• Get fun ideas about drawing customized social media icons at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iieii87lCIM
• Symbols can be icons, such as United States symbols. Test your memory with the U.S. symbols match game at https://matchthememory.com/kimbrowning
• Can you guess these logs in 3 seconds? Try it as a family at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PNX8MY9lZw

CARE:

• What does the wheelchair symbol actually mean? Watch at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppNYZq-hYTw
• Have you seen food safety icons? Check them out at https://www.foodprotection.org/resources/food-safety-icons/
• Health Icons is a volunteer effort to create a ‘global good’ for health projects all over the world. These icons are available in the public domain for use in any type of project. https://healthicons.org/about

CAREERS:

Dreaming about an iconic career? You could be a graphic designer, a sign maker, a religious leader, or an international communicator.

• (Almost) everything you need about icons in under 3 minutes at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCXFJEK_lVk
• https://usajobs.github.io/design-system/icons/
• https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/graphic-design-jobs

 

Let there be Light - Festivals!

India just finished celebrating Diwali, and several more light-centric festivals are scheduled soon.

Explore these activities to see the light about these important events.

CONNECT:

• Get the facts (and history) of light festivals at https://facts.net/events/17-facts-about-light-festival/
• See pictures of light festivals from around the world at https://communityoflights.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1117:spectacular-festivals-of-lights-from-around-the-world&catid=68&Itemid=239
• Experience the Hanukkah story at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tws_uMAEOs&list=RDQMtOA86jhwn5c&start_radio=1
• Enjoy the story of Ramaya: the origins of Diwali, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp59n0So-XE&list=RDQMtOA86jhwn5c&index=4
• Discover the origin of Kwanzaa at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUIdFiOMX5k

CREATE:

• Try these ideas to celebrate light in dark times: https://www.kidfriendlydc.com/2020/12/02/ideas-for-at-home-celebrations-of-light-in-dark-times-from-the-washington-waldorf-school/
• Reinact lantern festivals with these activities: https://lanternfestival.uk/lantern-festival-games-and-activities/
• Light up a party with these light festival ideas: https://theimaginationtree.com/light-party-crafts-and-games-for-kids/
• Make your own advent wreath by following the directions at https://happyhooligans.ca/cardboard-roll-advent-wreath-craft/

CARE:

• Get smart candle safety tips at https://smartkids101.com/blog/candle-safety/
• Make luminaries and candle holders as a holiday gift by trying some of the ideas at https://www.redtedart.com/diy-luminaries-and-candle-holders/
• Be a point of light by engaging in service projects for kids: https://www.pointsoflight.org/blog/12-service-project-ideas-kids/

CAREERS:

Do you like to celebrate with light? There's light at the end of the career tunnel for you: as a party planner, an anthropologist, a scientist, a historian, an artist, a cook, or a religious leader. Light the way for others. Light up some ideas with these resources:

• Festival planners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSlPhaLxV28
• Careers in religion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woCgbVWFRIg
• https://www.mashed.com/885179/what-its-really-like-being-a-disney-chef/

The Spices of Life

 You are probably eating some of the same spices that people ate and used over 3000 years ago! Spice up your life with these activities about spices.

 

CONNECT:

• Spices have improved humans’ lives since ancient civilizations’ times; read the spicy history at https://www.mccormickscienceinstitute.com/resources/history-of-spices
• See how spices changed the ancient world at https://www.bbc.com/future/bespoke/made-on-earth/the-flavours-that-shaped-the-world/
• The earliest use of cinnamon was in religious ceremonies; discover more of this spices sacred uses at https://thespiceacademy.com/custom-and-belief-cinnamon-in-religion-and-folklore/
• Watch the science of spice at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DnlkOSBWj8

 

CREATE:

• Stimulate your senses with sensory spice painting: https://craftulate.com/sensory-spice-painting/
• Watch this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Qm89lMLkQ4) to see how to use herbs and spices in the kitchen.
• Your spice rack is historic! Look at it in a new way to see the history of five common spices: https://www.amexessentials.com/historical-facts-about-spices/
• Explore the science of seasonings at https://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/seasoning/index.html

 

CARE:

• Explore medical uses of spices at https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=medspice.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0
• Does your medicine cabinet have these 12 spices? https://thewholejourney.com/12-spices-that-belong-in-the-medicine-cabinet/
• Discover how spices have been used in perfumes for centuries at https://www.carrementbelle.com/blog/en/2020/10/20/spicy-notes-perfume/#:~:text=Among%20the%20warm%20spices%20most,base%20notes%20of%20a%20perfume.
• Celebrate International Hot and Spicy Food Day – and check out a chart to find out about health-benefitting spices at https://studentaffairs.duke.edu/blog-entry/international-hot-spicy-foods-day

 

CAREERS:

Want a spicy career? You can be a chef, a chemist, a naturalist, a farmer, a manufacturer, a seller, and even a historian. Spice up your future with these possible jobs.

https://www.astaspice.org/asta-programs-resources/general-publications-and-resources/introduction-to-spices-for-new-industry-professionals/

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/careers-in-food

Ho Ho Ho for Christmas

 Christmas is celebrated around the world, both as a religious event and as a cultural or commercial time. The following activities offer lots of ways to celebrate the season in many ways.

 

CONNECT:

• Chris IS the reason for the season, and here is why Christmas is celebrated on December 25: https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/25th.shtml
• Read up on the history of Christmas at https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas
• See how Christmas is celebrated around the world at https://www.countryliving.com/entertaining/g4933/christmas-traditions-around-the-world/
• Watch about poinsettias (including their history and pronunciation) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymgdsWr326A

 

CREATE:

• Follow Santa around the world with NASA at https://www.noradsanta.org/en/ (available in 8 languages)
• Get crafty about Christmas at https://www.thebestideasforkids.com/christmas-crafts-for-kids/
• Get a taste of Australia by making these kid-friendly Christmas treats at https://www.bestrecipes.com.au/entertaining/galleries/christmas-recipes-fun-christmas-recipes-kids-cook/67u8212d
• OR go British with these yummy Christmas baking recipes for kids: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/christmas-projects-kids
• Ready to play Christmas games? There are 35 fun ones for the family to enjoy at https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/christmas-ideas/g2725/christmas-games/

 

CARE:

• Keep your holiday peaceful with these holiday safety reminders: https://saferide4kids.com/blog/holiday-safety-reminders/
• Candlelight is lovely but candle burns and uncontrolled fires are not, so here are candle safety tips for kids: https://smartkids101.com/blog/candle-safety/
• Cookie dough ice cream is fun to eat, but you shouldn’t eat raw cookie dough: here’s why: https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/communication/no-raw-dough.html

 

CAREERS:

Christmas is just one calendar day, but year-round careers are built around Christmas: not only the Christian religious life, but also tree farming, event planning, costuming and performance, designing and manufacturing Christmas items – and then selling and using them. Some jobs can make Christmas seem like every day. See samples here.

https://theundercoverrecruiter.com/top-christmas-jobs/https://www.careeraddict.com/christmas-jobs

https://www.coburgbanks.co.uk/blog/friday-funnies/10-weird-christmas-jobs/

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20141222-where-christmas-is-a-way-of-life

 

Lucky Charms

 

Lucky Charms is more than a cereal. Most cultures have some kind of lucky charm: for the four-leaf clover to evil-eye symbols. Find some good luck as you explore the following activities. You’ll be charmed!

 

CONNECT:

• Many cultures have charms against the Evil Eye. Indeed, about 40% of the world believe in that symbol.  Read about its history and use around the world at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil_eye
• Another lucky charm found throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East looks like a hand: hamsa. Watch this video of many artistic ways to create hamsas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKob1IFyzYE  Try making one yourself.
• You may have seen waving cat statues in East Asian restaurants. Discover their history – and luck – at https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/maneki-neko-fortune-cat-5-interesting-facts

 

CREATE:

• Create a welcoming sign, inspired by the tradition of hex signs in Pennsylvania Dutch communities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t83ELNEN2DY
• Make your own lucky Egyptian amulet by following the directions at https://www.kiwico.com/diy/art-creativity/quick-easy-crafts/egyptian-amulet
• Make a fun spinning four-leaf clover by following this step-by-step video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXpOp95KiH0

 

CARE:

• Can talismans help your health? Here’s what doctors discovered: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10804902/
• You might bring good luck to your home by hanging up a horse shoe; here’s why: https://www.dailysabah.com/life/2019/04/15/superstitions-busted-hanging-a-horseshoe-for-good-luck
• Thai taxi drivers may have amulets for safety’s sake; read their story at https://www.thephuketnews.com/culture-thai-taxi-talismans-good-karma-protective-amulets-and-road-safety-in-thailand-59032.php

 

CAREERS:

Want a charmed life? These days we usually think of charms and jewelry. Here are some types for that kind of career. You could get lucky.

• https://www.jewelers.org/ja/careers-education/jewelry-careers-guide
• https://www.ganoksin.com/article/on-jewellery-career-options/

 OR you could study people’s beliefs in, and use of, lucky charms as an anthropologist or historian:

• https://www.americananthro.org/AdvanceYourCareer/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=1783
• https://www.geteducated.com/careers/anthropology-jobs/

Hats Off To Hats!

Hats can keep us warm and dry – and they can denote status as well as just be a fun thing to wear. Wrap your head around these online activities about hats. I’ll tip my hat to you.

CONNECT:

• Travel through 100 years of fashionable hats, for both him and her at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqdTxWbtra4
• Who do so many religions have headwear? See the reasons at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meZLctPgV88
• Hats off to the beret! Watch how they are made at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQkYriD97Co

CREATE:

• Hats are fun to make as well as to wear: be a sailor, a bunny, and dragon – they are all possible as hats – and there are even more hat ideas. Just follow the directions at https://redtri.com/simple-and-fun-hat-crafts/slide/2
• And you thought paper plates were just for eating on… You can make hats for several holidays. See how at https://alphamom.com/family-fun/holidays/diy-holiday-hats-for-every-occasion/
• Let’s party with hat party games at https://www.kids-partycabin.com/kids-hat-party-games.html

CARE:

• Sunscreen doesn’t protect you completely from the sun – even better is wearing a hat. Find out why at https://www.sunsafetyforkids.org/sunprotection/hats/
• Why do you need to wear a hat when it’s cold outside? Harvard Medical School tells you at https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/cold-out-why-you-need-to-wear-a-hat
• Make a hat-themed game for a friend. Here are some great facts and pictures to use: https://kids.kiddle.co/Hat

CAREERS:

Use your head to make a career out of hats: in fashion design, manufacturing, sales, and event planning.

https://www.careerigniter.com/careers/milliner/

https://www.careershifters.org/success-stories/from-fashion-to-millinery

https://blog.printsome.com/best-event-planning-jobs/

And many jobs require hats: firemen, police, cowboys, cooks, athletics – what are some other jobs where you need to where a hat?

Toot Your Horn!

It’s New Year’s time, and you may hear lots of horns. Do you know why? Horns are usually associated with celebrating. It’s time to toot your own horn as you engage in these rootin’ tootin’ activities!

CONNECT:

• Horns were created more than 2500 years ago. Discover their history at http://www.hornplanet.com/hornpage/museum/history/horn_history1.html
•  Car horns have been needed since the start of cars in order to warn others of their coming; it’s a lot simpler than the other warning suggesting: having a man walk in front of each car and wave a red flag. Read more about car horn history at http://www.cogapa.com/history.htm
• Animals have natural horns ; look at the top ten amazing horns in the animal kingdom at https://themysteriousworld.com/10-amazing-horns-in-the-animal-kingdom/
• Watch and hear the shofar being blown for Rosh Hashana at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRpwei1Qs88

CREATE:

• Make your own French horn by following these visual directions: https://www.savvyhomemade.com/homemade-french-horn-for-kids/
• Watch this video to create unicorn horns: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM9udMbTfbk
• Have your horn and eat it too with these edible party horns that you can make: http://cookingwithmykid.com/2010/12/28/countdown-to-2011-edible-party-horns/
• Explore the science behind horns with a plastic bottle horn: https://www.childrensmuseum.org/blog/saturday-science3a-handmade-horn

CARE:

• Music can be an important part of life, but instruments can be expensive. “Horns for kids” (http://www.hornsforkids.org/) supports music education. Consider donating to this cause – or start your own musical instrument donation project.
•  Animal horns have been desired by people for thousands of years, and have sometimes been cut before the animal is dead. What are the consequences – and what can you do? https://www.savetherhino.org/rhino_info/thorny_issues/dyeing_rhino_horn_and_elephant_ivory
• Discover how technology in rhino horns can help save them: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/technology-save-rhino-extinction-180956958/
• Find out how the National Park Service is using horns at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectID=35955

CAREERS:

What can you do with horns? Manufacturer them, sell them, play them, repair them, teach how to play them – and that’s just as a musical instrument. You can also product them as they exist on animals.  It’s time to blow your own career horn!

https://www.careersinmusic.com/

https://music.usc.edu/music-teaching-careers/

https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes499063.htm

http://wildlife.org/next-generation/career-development/careers/