All these recipes are basic kitchen-chemistry. With a quick trip to the grocery store (and perhaps the health store for fragrance oils) you’ll have everything you need to mix them at home. Host a spa science party perhaps?! We shared our favorite recipe here… Continue reading
We are thrilled to announce our Curious Jane overnight program! This one-week-only session is designed specifically for girls entering 5th and 6th grades, with the theme “Tell Me a Story.” Continue reading
Sage and I layered felt hearts, cinched them at the bottom with a few stitches and attached them to elastic wristbands and barrettes. The perfect accessory for the day!
This weekend, thirteen girls joined us for our Field Trip to Makeville, a professional woodworking studio in Gowanus. The studio owner, Robyn, led the girls in a two-hour workshop to create their own mini brownstone boxes from scratch. There was a quick introduction, and within five minutes, these girls were using the vices, saws, measuring tools – it was amazing! Continue reading
This past summer, we had the chance to submit a project how-to from both our Curious Jane and Blue Tree girls, to be included in Kiki magazine’s Feb/March issue. And it has hit the newsstands! Continue reading
Our collaborative sketchbooks are bound and ready for their official submission into the Sketchbook Project 2012. Continue reading
We have recently posted a few of our Wired 101 projects to make at home, but even a household’s best ‘junk drawer’ might not have everything needed to make an LED Circuit Card. And, as all of our instructors know, I’m super picky about our colored paper and steer clear of the mottled, gray-ish construction kind that is ubiquitous in craft stores. Science kits, blank books, hobby parts, fashion fabrics, art supplies… where do we find the good stuff? Continue reading
What a fantastic Friday! I spent it tinkering around with little motors and new electronics gadgets. I found spidery legs make a fantastic revision to our bristle-bots project; they keep it from falling over! Meet “Jalapeno” – our new office scuttle-bug… Our bristle-bot anatomy includes the head of a toothbrush, 4 paper fasteners (the spidery legs), 1 coin battery (on top of the toothbrush head), 1 vibrating page motor (the yellow mini-motor wired to the battery), double-sided foam tape, and masking tape (the small purple piece that acts as the ‘switch’) See our bristle-bot in action: Jalapeno enters the marble field…
One of our most loyal and enthusiastic Curious Jane girls, Anya, 7, took our Wired 101 Workshop last month. She enjoyed the Circuit Card project so much that she took it to the next level by making a bunch of her holiday greeting cards into light-up Circuit Cards! We’re so impressed with her ingenuity and D.I.Y. Holiday spirit. Go Anya! Continue reading
On Sunday we kicked off our Winter Field Trip Series with the Sketchbook Project Event, a two-hour collaborative art-making extravaganza, and it was great! We had about 60 girls show up to make pages for the sketchbooks, we were a little worried we’d run out of paper! The girls had really great ideas, and did some fantastic, cool artwork with all kinds of materials. We’re excited to take their work and bind it back into the sketchbooks, and to go see them at the Brooklyn Art Library in April, but here’s a few samples of the raw material, arranged by theme. Continue reading
I spotted this idea in a crafty book and made a simple version with the girls. So fun! Great starter-sewing project. Perfect holiday gift for mom. And useful to block out the early morning light on weekends. Continue reading
…This event got our wheels turning. The December (create) and April (visit) dates for The Sketchbook Project could book-end a winter Field Trip Series, with different events for January, March and April. I had a quite a few criteria for this first line-up of trips: 1) they push the boundaries of what girls may have already tired; 2) offer a private, shared experience for girls to build community; 3) range in location, interest and cost; 4) give a snapshot of what Curious Jane is all about… Continue reading
We have had a bunch of great after-school classes happening this semester, and the girls are doing tons of amazing projects. Here, our after-school instructors give us some of the highlights! Continue reading
This weekend, at our Wired 101 workshop, we tackled three projects: Circuit Cards, Bristle Bugs, and, the hands-down favorite – Drawbots! These little creatures make the coolest patterns and even our seven-year-old engineers were able to make them almost entirely on their own. Basically, they are a paper cup body standing on marker tripod legs and topped with a small motor and battery. The key to the whole project is an irregular weight affixed to the rotating axis of the motor. When the markers are uncapped, and the drawbot is turned on, the weighted motor causes the little creature to wobble around in a huge variety of patterns. The type of pattern depends on the size of the weight and the placement of all the pieces together. There’s plenty of room to experiment! As I was jotting down the project steps, I realized each project had exactly seven steps and … Continue reading
Laura P., age 10, is one of our Brooklyn Curious Jane girls. In this post, she shares her experience with a unique after-school activity that she’s been participating in for years: Irish Step Dancing! Continue reading
We were inspired to make these ‘cards’ by the simplicity of using LEDs to add a spark of light to any project. This is a great “wiring 101” project because kids can see exactly how a circuit works, and they can assemble it themselves without stripping wires, adding switches or worrying about being shocked. Continue reading
Miss Representation premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, and aired on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network October 20. The documentary exposes how American youth are being sold the concept that women’s and girls’ value lies in their youth, beauty and sexuality. The film appropriately re-frames what we may even consider ‘normal’ in the media as atrocities that wash over us daily, via magazines, TV shows, films, the news, serious journalism and tabloid coverage. So: what do we do? Continue reading
November is here, and we’re kicking it into high gear over at Curious Jane H.Q. We have our monthly Weekend Workshop coming up- Wired 101; we’ll be finalizing details to launch our brand-new Curious Jane Field Trip Series; and we’ll be preparing for our summer 2012 registration that opens December 1. Winter does not slow us down! Continue reading
This project was inspired by a quick drawbridge project we use to illustrate tension in our buildings class. When we started to play with the materials, it transformed into this cereal box castle with the drawbridge rope doubling as a handle for closing and carrying. We love our miniatures! We added some characters (inspired by favorite dad designer, Joel Henriques) that can be printed out and colored in. Or, better yet, create your own… enjoy! Continue reading
I’ve always loved Halloween, and I still do. As I’ve gotten older, my favorite thing about Halloween has become the joy and creative satisfaction I get from making my Halloween costume happen. So, when we decided to do a Costume Creations Workshop, I was really excited to help cultivate the DIY spirit in the next generation of crafters. Continue reading
Over the weekend’s social and family gatherings, in the natural courses of conversation, I found I kept recommending this book, The Mostly True Story of Jack, by Kelly Barnhill. There are so many of my daughter’s books that I have enjoyed just as much as I have my ‘own’… Continue reading
Robotics was a new theme Curious Jane offered this past summer. In truth, it was a bit of Intro Robotics and bit of Electronics 101. A favorite project – hands-down – was the drawbot. All it takes is a paper cup, a few markers, a small motor and AA batterypack. But we learned the most important piece of all was the small nut, screw (any little item) that we hot-glued to the motor off-center. This tiny bit of weight variance caused the drawbots to dance and skitter all about. With its marker tripod, this off-kilter motion led to some really cool patterns! To try these projects out at home, click through the links at the end of the post – and have fun! Continue reading
Halloween Glitter Scene I regularly receive emails from Michael’s Craft Store, and I adapted this project from a Halloween scene they shared this month. I changed many of the materials to suit a younger age-group. For example, the original project involved lots of fine-detail painting for the faces, so we used Sculpey color clay instead; it’s more fun to work with and more suitable to the creativity and motor skills of amateur designers. I substituted Styrofoam parts for wooden parts because they are cheap, available, and very easy to assemble (just connect the pieces with some slim wooden dowels). We amped up the glitter usage, covering almost everything in sparkles. Really, who doesn’t love a great glitter project? We only avoid it because of the mess. This project is a great excuse to overdose on glitter with an easy clean-up. I grew up on Michael’s Craft Supply; I can smell … Continue reading
From early written history, up through the 1990s, the teenage brain has been characterized as being clouded by dark forces, causing teens to behave in irrational, inexplicable, even dangerous ways. However, in the 1990s, detailed brains scans made possible by new imaging technology showed a massive re-organization and re-modeling taking place during the teen years and even into the early twenties. In the 2000s, scientists examined the teenage brain in light of evolutionary theory and found it to be highly adapted and perfectly wired for the most difficult and critical task humans undertake.
“The New Science of the Teenage Brain” landed in my mailbox last week – the cover story of National Geographic’s October issue and the top of my Sunday reading list. After being blown-away by its findings, I shared it with a friend – a therapist who works with teens. “You should read this fantastic article. Maybe teens aren’t inexplicable; maybe they’re amazing.” She replied, “I know – a lot of people have mixed feelings towards the teen years – confusion, frustration, anxiety, excitement, trepidation… but I find teens absolutely fascinating!” Exactly. Continue reading
For us, the real start to the new year is October. In October, after-school gets into full swing, and we start getting involved in events to stay connected to families during the year. There are a couple of events coming up this month that we’re getting ready for:
October 15 and 16- DIY Fashion Weekend Workshop: Costume Creations
October 29- Ghouls and Gourds at Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
October is also when we start tackling our giant list of things to do before camp next year! Most people don’t realize what all needs to happen in order for camp to work successfully, and that running a summer program truly is a year-round endeavor. Securing locations for 2012, refining the curriculum, and updating our website are just a few of the things on our plate for fall… Continue reading
At Curious Jane, we use bugs and crawlies for a few different projects. The Red Wriggler Worms we used this year have emerged as our new favorite crawly creature because they showed incredible resilience over seven weeks of camp, and don’t show signs of fading anytime soon. They are super-worms! Continue reading
This week’s ‘Zine Scene class has been writing up a storm all week! Here are a few samples of their work. The girls wrote about their neighborhoods, let their silly sides loose, and came together to write a collaborative poem… Continue reading
The girls in the Curious Jane Jr. Story Arts class at Berkeley Carroll are making pretty amazing progress on the stories they’re creating this week. This is especially impressive considering some of them have only just finished kindergarten! Continue reading
Our Shipley campers are on the verge of publishing their first poetry anthology! Here are a few poems, to give you a little preview: Continue reading
The Zinesters at Springside are busily working in our newsroom to turn out the first issue of “As Good As Everything.” Complete with chaos of meeting a deadline and out-of-the box thinking, Springside Zinesters are getting a real life peek into the wondrous world of magazines and publishing. So far, the staff of “As Good As Everything” have decided on a theme and title for their Zine, have selected stories, and are tying up any loose ends on their masterpieces. Tonight, the inaugural issue of their Zine will go to press!
This week, three small Curious Jane programs opened – heralding, for us, the start of summer! The upcoming months will be absolutely full of projects, preparation, phone calls, supply runs, new ideas, energy, exhaustion, discoveries, amazing work, and many many girls. We look forward to it all – it’s camp! Continue reading
This summer, we are moving our Brooklyn June weeks of Curious Jane to the Invisible Dog Art Center (Carroll Gardens) and offering our “Best of Curious Jane.” Each day will be favorite projects from a different theme, and each week will be a different set of “CJ’s Best.” The Invisible Dog offers a great space in a convenient and quintessential Brooklyn neighborhood. Can’t wait! Continue reading
Girls have so many amazing ideas to share and show about who they are and what they can do, and they have a spread of tools and techniques right at their fingertips. In Eleanor’s words (age 9): “I want to design-it-myself because then I can wear it and no one else will have it.” Self-expression – now that’s what we’re talking about! Continue reading
A team of workers, loads of Ikea shelving, lots of great paint (chalkboard paint, dry erase paint and magnetic paint) and plenty of elbow-grease – now our space works! Many many thanks again to Elizabeth Dahmen of MakeSpace for her time and energy in transforming our office into an organized space for work and play. Continue reading
I am often inspired by Bauhaus artist Anni Albers, an adventurous textile artist who experimented with a wide spectrum of patterns, fibers and media. So, to gather the few supplies for this simple woven belt, I headed to… the hardware store. Continue reading
I had never considered indulging in professional help for planning and organizing our home or office spaces – we have small spaces, tight resources, little spare time. I’m skilled at painting, assembling, organizing and making spaces useful. But in our Curious Jane office, we were overwhelmed with supplies and clutter, and we were at a loss of time and ideas to make our space work. We took a bold step and engaged the services of a professional organizer. Continue reading
This week on momfilter.com, we shared a simple project – the Word & Pattern Repair Shop – which combines a bit of everything I love: typography, patterns, paper, miniatures and… rubber cement. This is absolutely my glue of choice when working with paper. I have found rubber cement to be the unsung hero of glues… Continue reading
Last week, we shared this activity on momfilter.com, and we’ve also used it in some of our workshops – it’s a new favorite!
Craft ideas for younger ones are everywhere. Projects for older children (9-12) are harder to come by. One of my dearest friends from Atlanta – and one of the most thoughtful gift-givers I know – sent my 9yo daughter a copy of Todd Oldham’s book “Kid Made Modern” amidst her flurry of perfect presents. Continue reading
In drawing girls’ voices into the blog, I have reached out to a few campers and young friends who I know have something to share. Here is a tale by Talya – a 4th grade girl whose mind swirls with stories. Her stories spill onto the page and screen; she lets her characters guide her, taking her down paths she had not originally conceived. I’ve had the honor of reading many of these, and when I asked her to contribute a story, this is the one she chose… Continue reading
Dora Lanigan, contributor
About “Out of My Mind” (by Sharon M. Draper)… Melody is an 11 year old who has cerebral palsy, which means she cannot walk or talk. She must use a wheelchair and she can’t communicate with words or movements. This bugs her because she has a lot on her mind! Continue reading
Friday project! Try our Paper Lanterns – this weekend’s activity on momfilter.com. These are easy for any age and use just a few simple materials… Continue reading
One of my favorite camp sites, SignUpForCamp.comm, recently sent me a few questions about how our programs started and tips for finding a camp that fits. I’m always very honored and excited when asked to share my thoughts and ideas, and I tend to get enthusiastically carried away with the amount of information I share. The Q&A is on their blog. I hope some of it is of interest and use! Continue reading
Here’s a snapshot of Eleanor’s storyboard from her “snooze” flipbook. For a couple videos and project how-to, visit the Kid DIY section on momfilter.com! Continue reading
Dora – a fourth-grader and voracious reader, among many other things – compiled a quick list of top titles at my request. My daughters and I have read many books Dora has recommended; she does not mislead! A recent favorite (that I noticed did not make this particular list) was The City of Ember, by Jeanne DuPrau. I set aside my fresh Amazon order to finish the book; even John Irving could not sway me put it down. Included on this list, Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper, was another excellent read that I would recommend to everyone, mothers and daughters alike. Bon apetit! Continue reading
A few weeks ago, I received an email in our camp inbox, from Amy Mauch, the marketing director at Kiki. I immediately replied letting her know that I adored the magazine and would love to share it with our girls. This sparked a phone chat with Jamie Bryant (editor) and Amy, and we’ve put our minds together toward further collaboration… Continue reading
Curious Jane and MomFilter connected through the coincidence of a goody-bag retrieval mission. A few weeks later, we were asked to provide at-home projects for MomFilter’s Kid DIY section. We are excited and honored! We will be sharing a new project each week… Continue reading
Friends ask me how to find great summer activities for their children and what types of programs to look for… I’m in camps; they come to me! Before I dash out this drizzly Friday afternoon – here are a few great resources that I use quite often… Continue reading
Jen and I always look for new projects to add to our mix. Fridays (or every other Friday, at least) we wear fun sneakers and comfy old jeans and dig around in our supply bins for inspiration. Or we consult our inspiration wall or re-visit projects that need to be spruced up. We fire up the music – giving Pandora a run for its money, asking it to create a station with Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Earth Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder and 80s favorites. Continue reading
To celebrate our success, we’re launching the “Camp Kick-Off” sweepstakes. “Like” Blue Tree Camp on Facebook and you can enter to win a FREE 2-week residential session at the location of your choice. (up to $2,495 value, transportation not included). ENTER NOW! Continue reading
I’m quite attached to our home at Bryn Mawr College – Radnor Hall. It’s on the main lawn, but tucked to the side just a bit; a comfortable nook, carved out – it seems – for Blue Tree. It sits away from the larger dorms, and it neighbors the campus center, café and bookstore, a convenience not to be overlooked. Radnor holds just the right number of girls and staff to create a community that is close and lively. Its setting strikes the right tone, and its size suits us perfectly.
This summer, we are growing; we are branching out… Continue reading
We are very excited for Blue Tree to be included in the summer programs recommended by Rachel of Parents of NY Teens.
She posts on NYC schools and education programs for children of all ages. Thanks for sharing Blue Tree! http://parentsofnyteens.blogspot.com/p/2011-summer-programs.html Continue reading
During the week of February 21-25, we’ll be at The Invisible Dog in Carroll Gardens (Bergen at Smith Street) – join us for the full week or just the days you need! Each day will highlight a different theme: Toy, DIY, Building, Science and Story Arts. This is open to 1st-5th grade girls, and runs from 9am-3pm with late-stay until 4pm. The cost is $425/week or $95/day, with $10/day for late-stay.
No matter how many times we make slime, my girls never get tired of this gooey, wacky activity. If you’re stuck inside on this snow day, download the movie “Flubber” on Netflix and unleash this project. Your kids will be super-psyched. It’s made with common ingredients you find around the house. Borax, a laundry additive, is available at most supermarkets and big box retailers. Instructions after the jump. Continue reading
Miniatures have always delighted me. As a girl, I saved each bit of allowance for rare trips to the little store on Cheshire Bridge Road that housed every type of chair, rug, patio set, curio, lamp, wallpaper, grand piano, and so on – all at 1/12″ scale. I sculpted holiday feasts from colored clay; dabbled in millinery with felt, ribbons, and a messy white-glue solution; wired Christmas trees and hall sconces; stitched rugs in intricate needlepoint patterns, and then backed them with muslin. After years of loving use, my dollhouses and their items were packed in newspaper scraps and stored in the basement of our weekend home.
On the few occasions that I have visited this house recently, my own girls have just as lovingly un-wrapped each worn item and spent hours on their knees, furnishing the rooms, yards and attics. Continue reading
Come find us at the Peridance Kids Fair! Sunday January 23, 11am – 3pm, at the Peridance Capezio Center, 126 East 13th Street in Manhattan. It’s free for families and there will be lots of activities to distract from the cold weather outside! For more: www.peridance.com Continue reading
Curious Jane is sponsoring the first ever SFX Youth Sports girls volleyball clinic, and Samantha is coaching! The clinic runs February 12 – April 2, and is open to 8-11yo girls. For more information and registration, please go to www.SFXyouthsports.com. Continue reading
Join us for Toy Design and DIY After School classes at the Scholastic Store in Soho this winter! See our after-school section for more information. We hope to see you there!
Talya wore Heelies and a pedometer every day to camp. The pedometer was lost twice and found once. The second loss was via priority mail, en route from my office to her house. She emailed inquiring about her pedometer, and she attached a story draft. I suggested her next story chronicle the paths of the pedometer, wherever it landed. Where would 1124 steps take a 37-year-old Chicagoan in the Great Depression? Where would 7085 carry a 14-year-old boy in Brooklyn… in 2045? Where do 2738 steps take you – in any direction – from your bedroom door? Continue reading
In our office – every other Friday is project day. We make sketch models – then, when we come up with something we like, we reverse-engineer it to figure out the best way for young designers to make it on their own and have fun with it!
Last Friday, we started with a grab bag of electronic goodies, a mini-fish (left-over from our monsters project) and some cardboard boxes (medium-size priority mail boxes from the post office, free). I used crepe paper (lying around from a summer party) and it worked so well – young designers don’t need to stress over precision – the loose edges and not-quite-straight lines add to the watery effect. As an after-thought, I added colored acetate (transparency) because it brings color, light and dimension to almost anything. Here’s what we came up with! Continue reading
I’m exploring the tools and resources that Dove (body products) offers through their Self-Esteem Fund for girls. A few years ago, Dove launched their Campaign for Real Beauty. Even if you aren’t familiar with the details, you may have noticed their commercials featuring woman of all ages and body types. Or, you may have seen their powerful one-minute films on beauty standards and the media. The campaign promotes real beauty at all ages, and their Self-Esteem Fund focuses on the challenges facing girls and young women. These challenges are considerable. In the tween and teen years, a girls’ confidence is rocked. Girls may question their self-worth on a daily – if not hourly – basis, and they may not recover their self-esteem until their twenties or thirties. What would you tell your 8yo self, your 13yo self, your 20yo self? You look back and see a bright, beautiful girl who … Continue reading
I loved the building discs shown by Joel Henriques on his blog, madebyjoel.blogspot.com (I love each and every project he shares – thank you Joel!) However, paper discs are a bit tricky to build with, especially for younger designers. I tried the project using craft foam between the paper discs – easy to make and so easy to build! I had fun with the project myself, and my nine-year-old loved it, but designers as young as 4 or 5 can make this with assistance, and build on their own! Notes: This project makes use of a material and a technique that are very simple and come in very handy. The material is rubber cement – the unsung hero of glues (instructions for application below). The technique is making a guide (again, shown below). This project has many repetitive steps, which can seem laborious but is very rewarding in the end … Continue reading
This past Sunday, our organization, Curious Jane, sponsored an activity at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Ghouls & Gourds festival. This is a family-oriented event with activities, author visits, music stages, and crazy puppets on stilts. The festival lasts throughout the afternoon, ending with a parade around the garden and drum circle in the esplanade. The weather was stunning and the turnout tremendous. Challenges (parameters) for designing our project: accessible to young participants, including wee-ones; no electrical outlets (no hot glue guns); simple set-up; limited budget. We especially wanted participants to make something that could become a costume accessory, of sorts, with which to march in the parade. We brainstormed a few ideas, including Story Scepters and Geodeisic Jack-O-Lanterns. Monster-on-a-Leash was the favorite! The event’s MC was a Liza Minnelli impersonator; I made her a sidekick to get things started. On the morning of the festival, we spread our bins-o-stuff across … Continue reading
Come see Samantha, Jen and Emily at Ghouls and Gourds on Sunday from 12pm – 4pm! Make your very own monster on a leash!! Brooklyn Botanic Garden, see you there!
Sunday, October 24, Noon – 6pm
Kids Under 12 Free!
Barn dancing! Stilt dancing! Giant pink gorillas playing bass and dancing!
Shake a tail feather, show off your costume, and carouse with colossal puppets at Brooklyn’s wackiest costume parade! Chat with celebrated children’s book authors and illustrators, pet pretend chickens, grab a gourd to help build our giant pumpkin mandala, and create your very own monster on a leash!
Join us for loads of other hands-on workshops, marvel at zany spectacles, or just flop down on the grass surrounded by the Garden’s gorgeous fall colors.
For more info, visit the Brooklyn Botanic Garden website. Continue reading
Weekend Workshops begin September 18th in Manhattan and September 25th in Brooklyn, 10-12 at both locations! Our first theme is Toy Design-every project will have an element that lights up, buzzes or moves! $75/girl includes snack and project. Email us at info@curiousjanecamp.com. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to RSVP. Spaces are going fast!
Samantha, Jen and the Curious Jane team will be at the Brooklyn Flea on April 30th with demos, giveaways and a chance to win a free week at any Curious Jane NYC location! Register on the spot and receive a Curious Jane tote bag.
The Brooklyn Flea is open 10am to 5pm, rain or shine.
176 Lafayette Ave. (btw. Clermont & Vanderbilt Ave.)
For more info, visit the Brooklyn Flea website. Continue reading
Samantha Razook Murphy is the founder of Curious Jane and Blue Tree. She was inspired to create these unique programs to give her girls, and all girls, a chance to be creative and inventive in a high-energy, collaborative and gender-affirming space. She loves designing, tinkering and figuring out. Samantha is the mother of two girls and lives in Brooklyn, NY. She holds her BA from Yale and Masters in Industrial Design from Pratt. In her spare time she coaches volleyball and rides her bike around Brooklyn.
