Today’s Gift Idea Of The Day: The Gift Of Giving

Ah, the holidays! A time to relax with friends and family—and also shop frantically for the perfect presents. But, relax. You should be done with all of your holiday shopping by now–we hope! If you’ve been following our daily gift ideas, you’ve been able to tap into some of the best present picks for everyone on your list.

Now it’s time to turn to an important question: How can you give your child the gift of “giving” this holiday season? Try this. First, talk to your children about how lucky they are and mention that so many others are not as fortunate. What can your kids do to help others? Suggest that they give away some personal toys that are in good shape and rarely used. Provide a nicely decorated gift box for them to fill with a few nearly new toys that they can give to needy children. Then go together to a nearby hospital or shelter. Seek out a place where there are children who would smile at the idea of new toys, and deliver them together as a family.

Be sure to take pictures of your children filling their gift boxes, carrying them, even delivering the boxes to a hospital or other organization. Those photos will be some of the most meaningful in their lives as they, hopefully, continue the tradition of giving. Happy Holidays!

Sharla Feldscher is the author of The KIDFUN Activity Book (HarperCollins) and writes a blog at kidfunandmore.com.

Athletic Association of Yorkville Youths

<p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;" data-sheets-value="{" data-sheets-userformat="{">Serving the families and children of NYC for over 50 years with high-quality recreational activities that foster life-lessons which empower young people to succeed beyond sports. Our programs encourage positive attitudes and growth through teamwork and sportsmanship, attendance, fair play, respect, hard work, integrity and fun. Your child can participate in clinics and leagues in such sports as baseball, basketball, flag-football, lacrosse, soccer, hockey, wrestling, track, and tennis. We also offer weekly dodgeball tournaments, drama and musical theater workshops, and after school programs.</span></p>

New York Society of Play Summer Camp and Classes

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Summer Game Camp</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">There are many who do not feel safe sending their children back out into the world with summer camp, this year. To serve those parents and keep the children connected and stimulated during this challenging time, we are offering NYSP Digital Summer Camp. The name of the game with NYSP Summer Camp is community. We have made a large effort to make our camp feel like a living space, with features including &ndash;</p> <p dir="ltr">- Role-Playing games familiar and new, led by our master storytellers!</p> <p dir="ltr">- Enriching electives such as Chess, World Building, Character Acting, Crafts, Drawing, and more!</p> <p dir="ltr">- Discussion and media screening rooms during lunch!</p> <p dir="ltr">- A digital campus!</p> <p dir="ltr">- Moderated chat hours!</p> <p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p> <p dir="ltr">Join us for a summer of games, friends, and more!</p> <p dir="ltr">Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm</p> <p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Roleplay Expeditions: Dungeons &amp; Dragons</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">No experience is required to join one of our Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our game masters have pre-made character sheets, so you'll be able to start playing the game right away! We adapt the rules of traditional Dungeons &amp; Dragons to make them more approachable to children of various ages. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop!&nbsp;</p> <p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p> <p dir="ltr">Public games meet once per week, with different groups every time. Private games meet 1 to 2 times per week with the same group of kids. Since the players and the storyteller in the group are consistent, this enables us to tell epic tales of adventure together!</p> <p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Dungeons &amp; Dragons Junior</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">No experience is required to join one of our drop-in Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our Dungeons &amp; Dragons Jr. game provides a D&amp;D storytelling experience without character sheets. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop! A great way to introduce young children to D&amp;D so they can eventually move onto the main game.</p>

Plugged in Band

<div>Plugged In is a nonprofit program that offers online programs to student&nbsp;musicians (Ages 10-18) in a non-competitive environment and provides band and individual performance opportunities in support of community and charitable causes.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Our programs include:</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Rock Band Classes</div> <div>Private Music Lessons</div> <div>Summer Camp</div> <div>Digital/Audio Production</div> <div>Songwriting and Recording Workshops</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Oh and hey parents, we are now offering private music lessons and our rock band program for adults too. Reach out to us for more information.&nbsp;</div>