creative jewish mom

How To Create A Productive Homework Environment for Kids

Educating a child is one of the most important roles for every parent. Of course this starts at age zero, but by the time kids have homework parents must focus on creating a productive homework environment, which is essential for their success. Of course if they're overwhelmed, asking for help with do my homework for me services can relieve stress in a pinch. Academized.com offers professional homework assistance, making it a useful essay writing service for students who need extra support. In this article, we will explore some of the strategies and tips parent can use to create a home study space that will enable the child to develop a focus and commitment to their learning which, in turn, will translate into good study habits and academic success.

DIY Paper Pomegranite On A Branch Craft

I have to admit, this is one of the cutest crafts I've done lately, and I just can't wait to make more! Perfect for Rosh HaShana, and then bring your pomegranite branches into the succah! Use them to fill vases, or make garlands for the table or to hang overhead, on LED lighting or on rings hung horizontally.......or how about as part of a placecard/napkin ring? However you choose to use this idea, make a bunch as they are truly adorable. The traditional green and red is fun, but how about neutral colors or something unexpected? Okay, lets get started........

Stunning Coleus In A Lovely Mixed Garden Bed With Elephant's Ear!

This week I was walking in one of the old stone alleys in my neighborhood, and a slightly neglected one at that, and came across this stunning garden bed with Coleus, wow! It is positioned perfectly to detract from the electric box, and I guess there was a hole of some kind in the ground that called out to be a garden bed filled with shade loving plants, and look how happy those plants are! Part of the success of this grouping is that there are four different kinds of leafy plants with 4 drastically different sizes, something to keep in mind friends and I certainly will, as this combo is so very very pleasing to the eye! The largest leaves are elephant's ear, a personal favorite, then the coleus, then a smallish plant that I can't identify, and then a tiny ground cover/wandering Jew of sorts. Depending on what kind of winter we'll have this year, I doubt that the coleus can survive, so I hope the gardener will take cutting and make new plants indoors to re-plant here in the spring. The elephant's ear won't survive snow or prolonged frost either, but it is somewhat hardy, as I've seen it in another nearby container garden and it appears to be surviving from year to year. Okay, lets take another look.....

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks so much for joining me here! With Rosh HaShana coming up in just a few weeks, and more holidays to follow it is a busy time crafting wise, indeed! i have now agreed to craft with my group of 9 year old boys on both Sunday and Monday evening, as they had so much fun with two sessions this week, I just couldn't say no! In any case now is the time to grab them before they loose their little boy innocence and may not find my jokes, or crafts all that interesting? So the good news is that I'm doing lots of crafts on account of my students, and while I may not exactly display them in my home, I certainly will be sharing them here on the blog, so stay tuned! In the mean time, enjoy the amazing features from last week's party!

The Confused Cyclamen That Is Blooming In September (In 86 F/30C Heat!)

I'm really not sure how I got so lucky with this cyclamen which I was gifted at Chanukah time, bloomed for 3 1/2 months indoors in a range from bright pink to light pink at the end, and after putting it outdoors in the Spring, now at the end of the summer when temps are still quite high, it decided to bloom! Cyclamens bloom in nature in the late winter on rocky cliffs not far from our home, and the nurseries start selling the in November, so what is going on here? My past experience has been that the plant looses its leaves at the end of the summer, rests and then regrows and blooms......so blooms now, I'm not complaining but wondering aloud. Maybe because husband claimed there was not enough color in the container garden and the plant heard him? Or maybe because husband has been watering this plant and it is a pot within a pot with no hole, so the plant sat in water and therefore thought it was winter? Who knows, just happy that I went outside and started to feel breeze and cooler weather on its way, phew, together with a blooming cyclamen, what a pleasure! So friends, since cyclamen season is coming, do treat yourself to some, but buy plants that are grown from bulbs, (generally the larger ones, just ask) not seeds, so you can enjoy for years to come!

Recycled Plastic Bottle Vase Craft For Kids

How do you make a vase to hold various paper flowers, pomegranite branches and Rosh HaShana symbols on skewers? Well, I've just come up with a really fun way that has great results and is so very enjoyable to make. The room was almost silent as my group of 9 year old boys got to work, meaning this was perfect for them. And I'll admit, I had fun making a few as well! For kids whose confidence level is low when it comes to crafting, something like this is perfect! I of course am against buying pre-made crafting elements to glue onto things as there is no creativity in that, but arranging pre-cut paper strips in a great range of colors is a few steps above that, and to encourage kids to craft sometimes you've got to encourage them with projects that are relatively easy! These vases got an extra boost of cuteness with a t-shirt yarn rim and a row or two of bobble yarn. Aren't they truly just the sweetest?

Fun DIY Plastic Bag Pom Pom Craft

Once again, I have made plastic bag pom poms, well rather my 9 year old students have made some plastic bag pom poms and the results are just so much fun! And of course with the crafty hoiday of Succot sneaking up on us, now is the time to get crafting, and these pom poms are truly wonderful! While plastic bags are outlawed in many places, they are still in use here is Israel (and honestly when you are fighting for your life, worrying about plastic bag use takes a back burner.....) and so I am doing my part to recycle them myself and raise awareness with local kids about what great crafting material plastic bags can be!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday, thanks for joining me here! Summer vacation is over, and back to school also means getting ready for the Jewish Holiday Season which includes Rosh HaShana, Yom Kippur and Succot......This year I'm planning on Succah decor that is totally different from previous years, though involves creating art that will be printed on canvas and crafting lots of strings of leaves of all kinds......the main thing is that we've recently re-stuccoed our courtyard walls that are also succah walls, and I just can't bear to start making holes with nails and such, which in itself creates new parameters, I'll keep you posted. In the meantime I re-starting my crafting classes with school age boys who are anxious to get back to work, so very sweet, and with a huge bag of plastic bottles needing to be put to good use, we have our work cut out for us, making succah decorations and maybe some plastic bottle apples. Okay, so much to do! Enjoy the wonderful features from last week's party!

Stunning August Sunset Over Mount Meron, Northern Israel

A stunning fiery orange and very dramtic sunset over Mount Meron in Northern Israel was something that one had to be near a window to catch, as it passed quite quickly! I am so very blessed to have a stunning mountain view that never gets old, especially with sunsets and cloud formations like these! And yes, I do plan to paint all of this, even as a daily practice, but in the mean time I have photos to record some of the clouds that seem unreal, and really do belong in a painting!

14 Easy & Fun Brain Exercises for Kids

Brain development in children is a topic with which every parent should be familiar, as the minute a child is born, their rapidly developing brain influences their future in every way! Brain development is part of cognitive development, which describes how a child’s intellect forms, and includes thinking, learning and problem-solving skills. These skills affect all other areas of development, and in turn effect the child's entire life.

The first three years of a child’s life are critical for learning and development, and the brain is 90% developed by age 5, and 95% developed by age 6! Okay, don't stress out if your kids are over the age of 6 and you are just becoming aware of this info. The exposure kids get after age 6 is also very important and how kids spend their time greatly impacts every stage of development.

One of the main problems today is that kids are glued to screens rather than spending time reading or playing word and reasoning games that are important for their growth. Just about any activity that does not involve a screen is great for development and truly crucial. So put away the devices and help your kids invest their time wisely in order to have a bright future!

Here are fifteen fun brain exercises and activities to get you started. Time is of the essence, lets get to it!