Wednesday, December 16, 2009

A KC Poem about 2009

December, 2009

Dear friends,
We wrote a poem about 2009. We hope you enjoy from the first to the last line. Please consider a donation if you are able or see other ways to help in the left table.
The Poem
2009 was a Kids Creative year to remember
Our kids are creating a style that's all their own.
With hundreds of kids at eight schools, we're never alone
They learned from our teachers and this summer was proof
The peace and culture of camp was truly amazing
And our drive for diversity is super trailblazing
The community we build with friends of all kinds
Is inspiring for creative young minds
From plays about "A Cycloptic Robot" and "Spicy Icy"
Every little bit helps our kids pop their collars
Your help is key, whether now or then
Help NYC Kids
Rock Out in 2010!!!
Any financial gift, $25, $50, $5,000, will help Kids Creative offer youth from underserved communities throughout New York City the opportunity to have fun and learn in safe, supportive environments year round. Your contribution will allow Kids Creative to provide essential skills and experiences to youth in need:
  • Alternatives to violence
  • Creative expression
  • Positive role models
  • Confidence building measures
  • Conflict Resolution
  • A strong sense of community
Every gift will help send a deserving student to a Kids Creative after school program, summer camp or workshop. To read more about how your gift will help, click here.
How to Help:
or send a tax deductible donation to
Kids Creative
32 Broadway, Suite 1801
New York, NY 10004
Questions, Comments, Ideas?
Contact me at (646) 485-5123 or adam@kidscreative.org

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Upcoming Winter Events!!!!

Hey there everyone,
Check out Kids Creative and our upcoming winter/holiday/exciting showcases.
For more information, or to come to a show, give a call (646) 485-5123 or e-mail afterschool@kidscreative.org

PS 145 with Oasis
December 22, Holiday Showcase with art and hip hop dance
January 29, The Full Show!!!

PS 191/Hudson Honors Middle School with Oasis
December 15-21, Class Showcases, from Create-A-Play to capoeira to Rock N Roll Theater
January 26 and 28, Create-A-World Art Exhibits

Manhattan School for Children
January 19, The world premier of "The Giant Pickle and the Quest for Nacho Cheese”

PS 102
January 25, The BIG Show

The Heschel School
January 27, Create-A-Play Final Performance
January 29, Rock N Roll Theater Final Performance

STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFO ABOUT JANUARY PERFORMANCES

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Confidence + Encouragement = Group Cohesion

It is a pretty simple equation. If a kid is encouraged to express themselves and be more confident in their ideas and contribution, the class or group will be stronger.

The best way to push group cohesiveness and group identity is to give the space for the individual to stand out. In Kids Creative, it is key that our participants are given the encouragement to express themselves and their ideas and that these ideas are embraced by the group. If there is denial of ideas (ie, "no, that's not a good idea" OR "that will never happen"), this is almost like the denial of rights. If this happens enough, our kids will begin to question themselves and have less drive to participate in our programs. On the other hand, if kids are given the tools to express themselves and celebrate the ideas of others, they can feel proud of their contribution to the group as a whole. This is one huge piece in strengthening group cohesion.

Stay tuned for more random ramblings on peace education...

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving 2009!!!

We have much to be thankful for. Thanks to all of the amazing kids, teachers, parents, families, supporters, friends, communities, organizations, artists, musicians, actors, theater professionals, pets, dinosaurs, princesses, princes, planets, and other characters we have the priviledge of working with throughout the year.


















Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Internships and Twitter-esque ramblings

Hey all,
Kids Creative is looking for interns. Spread the news far and wide.

Did you know that you can follow Kids Creative on Twitter?

You can also follow Mr. Clown of the Dirty Sock Funtime Band AND the Dirty Sock Funtime Band on their own!!!!



Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Kids Creative at PS 102


The following account is an overview of the new Kids Creative program at PS 102.

KIDS CREATIVE PS 102 HIGHLIGHTS & UPDATES
(As reported by Assistant Teacher Tejon Witter aka TJ)
Little Kids are comprised of children in grades K, 1st and 2nd
Big Kids are comprised of children in grades 3rd, 4th, and 5th.
Remember Communication is KEY!

October 14, 2009
Acting
First Day: Learned children’s name and introduction.

October 16, 2009
Art
Made and colored sheep, bulls, and bird masks.

October 19, 2009
Music
Little Kids:
Played name games with adjectives and went over the class rules.
Some included were: all ideas are good, playing safe, showing support and encouragement for one another, yes and.

Big Kids:
Name game with overview of rules and expectations
Zip Zap Zop
Vocal warm-ups
Brainstorms and thoughts for next class, and songs and themes for Halloween

October 21, 2009
Acting
Little Kids:
Voice Warm-ups
Brainstorm ideas for play
A monster who’s funny instead of scary, such as in Monsters Inc

Big Kids:
Body and voice warm-ups
Brainstorm Titles of the play:
boy who could do the longest thing, slumber party, cheerleading, missing tooth, ice cream, sugar and spice, high school musical, Hannah Montana, cat who jumped out the window, the last year of earth, high school drama, vampire diaries, kids creative, super girl, Halloween day, haunted Halloween.

October 23, 2009
Art
Little Kids:
Finished painting and designing mask

Big Kids:
Drew inanimate objects in the classroom

October 26, 2009
Music
Little Kids:
Played Freeze Dance Song
Wrote Ricky Baloney Song:
“Ricky Baloney
(Kids Repeat) Ricky Baloney
Rhymes with Baloney
(Kids Repeat)
La, La, La, La, La
Eats all the baloney
Num, num, na, num, num, num
Bones for a walking stick
He is so great
He makes soft grapes
Different kinds of baloney
Ricky Baloney
Ricky Baloney”

Big Kids:
Played I love you game
Wrote Opening Verse for Halloween Song:
“Halloween is here
Let’s make some Jack-O-Lanterns with fear
A saw with skeletons, haunted house too
Zombies and spiders, ghost that say boo!
Babies are crying, Vampires are biting
Spiders and scary movies are igniting
A fire that burns into the night
Vampires and skeletons are fighting a fight.”

October 28, 2009
Acting:
Little Kids
Monster tag, where you could only run, tag, walk, and play like your character
After brainstorm we began an activity of brainstorming sentences with one another
“Once upon a time, there was a dinosaur traveling for food. He wanted food but was unable to find the supermarket. Once found, unfortunately it was closed. He then began to wander around into a forest and found a gigantic monster. The monster had food and the dinosaur tried to scare him for it but the monster jumped unbelievably high, which caused the dinosaur to forget all about his hunger and bust into hysterical laugher and applause. The dinosaur then realized how funny he was and began doing a traveling show where he would be able to laugh at his amazing skill of high jumping.”

Big Kids
Vocal warm-ups:
Placing emphasis on T sounds:
Oh what to do to die today at a minute or two 'til two
A thing distinctly hard to say yet harder still to do
For they'll beat a tattoo at twenty to two
With a rattatta tattatta tattatta too
And the dragon will come when he hears the drum
At a minute or two 'til two today
At a minute or two 'til two.

Brainstorming sentences on the titles of previous weeks:
Sleep Over/Slumber party
Missing Tooth
Cat who jumped out the window
“Once upon a time, a little girl named Kalie had pet cats named ShishCaBob, Mr Pickles, and a dog named Dora. Kalie went to the slumber party and unexpectedly ShishCaBob jumped out the window. Kaile was unaware and when ShishCaBob knocked back on the window Kaile yelled and kicked her right back out! After jumping from the window she fell on the floor and said Mewww! Her tooth then popped out. Her leg was broken and cut. She was hurt and Kalie, carefully and lovingly took her to the hospital. However, someone steals the cat from the hospital which causes Kalie to place missing posters up. The tooth fairy came later that night, but had no one to exchange candy with for the tooth. While still sad and disheartened, Kalie heard a meow at the door…IT WAS ShishCaBob!!!!!
Surprise, surprise, the tooth fairy also left a note…

October 30, 2009
Art:
Little Kids and Big kids were together for the day. We began with gym and later enjoyed a pizza party together in the art room, watching Michael Jackson classic videos.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Amazing 61st Street Day

Congratulations to all of the schools and program partners on W. 61st Street and Amsterdam Ave. for a very successful "My 61st Street Day". Sachi Ferris and Miriam Fogelson of Border Crossers did a great job of bringing everyone on the block together.

If you weren't able to make it, the day was a ton of fun and the block looks great! Kids Creative began working at PS 191 on 61st Street 5 years ago and there has never been so much amazing cooperation on the block. The trees and other additions to the block look fantastic, and tons of students, parents and teachers alike made their "61st Street Super Heroes" with Kids Creative and made pledges to help the cooperation and beautification on their block continue.

NYC City Council Member Gale Brewer (center), along with Kids Creative Executive Director Adam Jacobs (right), look at the planting table run by the Gateway science teacher.

PS 191 Principal Maria Verdesoto writes her "61st Street Pledge": to continue making friends on the block.

Sasha Medina of Peace Games, Damaris Carrion, PS 191 Parent Coordinator and Roger Redhead of Kids Creative/Oasis at PS 191 pause in a hard day's work to pose for a picture.

Dayshawn!!!!!, showing off his brand new super hero mask.

The Parade of participants explores the block of W. 61st Street between Amsterdam and West End Aves.

Roger helps a student make a super hero mask.

Jossie Oneill of The Gateway School reacts to the super hero masks.


Alexis Schuster of Kids Creative works with Samantha of PS 191 on her super hero.

Samantha thinks what she can add on to her character.


Alexis helps more kids create their vision of a 61st Street Super Hero.









Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Ally Sheedy for Kids Creative

Actress Ally Sheedy gives her support for the Peace Education mission of Kids Creative (If the video is choppy, click here to see the full version).

Monday, October 19, 2009

New Programs, New People, New Fun

Hey there people in Kids Creative Land,
Big week for Kids Creative:

All of our after school programs with 8 schools are under way and going swimmingly. We are so excited to have our old teachers back and new teachers starting and to have Suzu McConnell-Wood guiding them in the Kids Creative process as our brand new Curriculum Supervisor. Stay tuned for a brand new video from Ally Sheedy about Kids Creative.

Also this week:

Thursday, October 22nd--Lights on After School

Saturday, October 24th, 10 AM-1 PM--The 61st Street Day of Action:
Come plant trees and beautify West 61st Street in Manhattan with Kids Creative, Border Crossers, PS 191/Hudson Honors Middle School, The Gateway Schools, The Speyer School, the Beacon School and the whole community

Sunday, October 25th, 1-3 PM--The Dirty Sock Funtime Band (featuring KC founder Stephen Jacobs on the guitar and KC Executive Director as Mr. Clown) plays at The Best Halloween Party Ever with New York Family, Manhattan House 200 East 66th street (between 2nd and 3rd), New York, New York
Cost: FREE-- UNFORTUNATELY THIS EVENT IS BEYOND CAPACITY, but you can sign up for the wait list.

Last, check out this important piece about after school programming that aired on NY1 last week. Thanks NY1 for covering this important topic.

Monday, August 10, 2009

SHOWS TOMORROW!!!!


DON'T FORGET
Summer Camp Final Performances START TOMORROW!!!(see below for details)

Thanks to everyone who came out to see the awesome performances and to support Kids Creative
at Barnes and Noble on the Upper East Side

STARTING TOMORROW:

Come see FOUR brand new musicals created and performed by the Kids Creative campers, Grades K-8

"The Cyclops and the Cheesy Robotic Quest for Friendship: A One-Eyed Mystery"
by Create-A-Play 1 aka I Forgot Odd Squad SISMA
Tuesday, August 11,10:00-11:00 AM
Wednesday, August 12, 4:30 -5:30 PM


"The Legend of Spicy Icy"
by Create-A-Play 2 aka The Cyclone Potatoes
Tuesday, August 11, 4:30-5:30 PM
Thursday, August 13,10:00-11:00 AM

"Sky Flies and the Attack of Jack's Banana Toe Dino"
by Create-A-Dream aka The Peace WarriorsWednesday, August 12,10:00-11:00 AM
Thursday, August 13,4:30-5:30 PM

"The Food Fight in the Kitchen Beyond Wrestling"
by Create-A-Tale aka The Crazy Lightning Cat Superstars
Friday, August 14, 10:00 AM followed by the end of camp potluck

All performances will take place in Auditorium at Joan of Arc, 154 West 93rd Street between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenue
Suggested donation of $5


The New York State Department of Education 21st Century Learning Center
The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
The After School Corporation
Materials for the Arts of the Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of New York
City Council Member Gale Brewer

Friday, August 7, 2009

THIS SUNDAY, AUGUST 9th

THIS SUNDAY, AUGUST 9th
2 PM
KIDS CREATIVE PERFORMS at Barnes and Noble
on the Upper East Side
Watch preview performances and USE THIS VOUCHER when making purchases to help raise money for Kids Creative

PLUS
Summer Camp Final Performances NEXT WEEK:
Join us for the BIGGEST Kids Creative Performances of the Year

Come see FOUR brand new musicals created and performed by the Kids Creative campers, Grades K-8

"The Cyclops and the Cheesy Robotic Quest for Friendship: A One-Eyed Mystery"
by Create-A-Play 1 aka I Forgot Odd Squad SISMA
Tuesday, August 11,10:00-11:00 AM
Wednesday, August 12, 4:30 -5:30 PM


"The Legend of Spicy Icy"
by Create-A-Play 2 aka The Cyclone Potatoes
Tuesday, August 11, 4:30-5:30 PM
Thursday, August 13,10:00-11:00 AM

"Sky Flies and the Attack of Jack's Banana Toe Dino"
by Create-A-Dream aka The Peace Warriors
Thursday, August 13,10:00-11:00 AM
Friday, August 14, 10:00-11:00 AM

"The Food Fight in the Kitchen Beyond Wrestling"
by Create-A-Tale aka The Crazy Lightning Cat Superstars
Friday, August 14, 10:00 AM followed by the end of camp potluck

All performances will take place in Auditorium at Joan of Arc, 154 West 93rd Street between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenue
Suggested donation of $5

CAP Express 2 was awesome

The Rockin’ Bellum Link Blink Streaks Players
presents
The Journey Through Gameworld


Create-A-Play Express 2 created and performed their original, 30-minute musical on Thursday of the second week. It was a great show. Here is their story summary and some pictures to go along...

The Journey Through Gameworld Summary
We join our story at the Cat and Dog Baseball Game, which ends with the most awesome homerun ever seen. After watching the game, Manzilla decides that he wants to keep the homerun ball and goes to talk to the players. They go on a search for the ball and find it in front of a mysterious “Italian Door” in a wall they have never seen before. And someone lives inside the wall! After noticing Andrikiqu, the person inside the wall, they are sucked through it and land in Narnking the Lost Gameworld. Here, Manzilla finds out from his new friends, Rosa, Rose, Rosie, Kitty and Link, that there are games besides baseball and he has to play them in order to travel through Gameworld and win prizes, such as a golden key, that holds the secrets to playing all of the games.

Drake Vampula, the Vampire of Gameworld, is upset by Manzilla’s holding this key. He sends his minion out to steal the key and stop the gamers from travelling to his castle. The minion takes the key and Manzilla. Manzilla’s new friends travel to the castle with the help of Link the Tourguide to win their friend back.

Just before the epic battle, Drake Vampula’s assistant asks for their help. He asks if they can help him replace Drake Vampula’s bad heart with a good one, so he can be good as well. The gamers accept and they change Drake Vampula, get Manzilla, and all play games together!






Sunday, July 19, 2009

Congrats to the Rockin Creative Express



The Rockin Creative Express show was awesome! Congrats on an amazing story and a great job creating and original musical in only 2 weeks! Here is the story summary and some pictures to go along.

A World of Surprises Play Summary

One billion years ago in The World of Surprises, a Superhero put a Giant to work saving the world by standing outside of a witch’s house, catching the many flaming space boulders and meatballs coming from an ongoing game of Space Boulder Meatball Baseball between Space and Mouskinland. However, the giant is also blocking the sun from entering the witch’s house. Annoyed, the witch and her long lost witch friend prepare a potion to shrink the giant. It works, and the giant is shrunk. This story is not over, though. Simultaneously, the Mad Scientist is trying to get back at the witches by creating Half-Halfs. The Half-halfs wake up and are immediately on a quest for superhero powers! They journey to visit their arch-nemeses, the witches. In the Witches Potion Shop, the witches give them a fake potion, but the half-halfs know this trick and steal the real potion. While this is a seemingly dastardly deed, the Half-halfs actually mean good. They join the Space Boulder-Meatball Victory Party, where the witches are leading the soiree. Almost a conflict, the Half-Halfs surprise everyone including the Witches by giving them all new superpowers with the real potion, much like Super Delivery Guys. And they become friends by realizing they are all super and they eat brownies to celebrate.










Counselor John helped them project their voices through the entire auditorium.