Health Matters

Join us for fun and relaxing Paint Nights! Our amazing artist, Audrey Carroll-Prucnal will guide you step-by-step while painting beautiful pictures! These are fun and creative workshops – no experience is necessary & all supplies are included. Best suited for ages 10+.

Instructor: Audrey Carroll-Prucnal

Pumpkin Snowman: 
Join our watercolor worskhop and paint a delightful Pumpkin Snowman! You’ll learn simple watercolor techniques while creating a charming pumpkin snowman painting that captures the cozy transition from fall to winter. This fun and relaxing workshop is perfect for beginners and experienced painters alike.

Date: Wednesday, 10/14
Time: 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Age: Ages 10 & up
Fee: $10/person

Wooden Star with Reindeer:
Create a festive 8-inch wooden star featuring a charming reindeer in this fun acrylic painting workshop! You’ll learn simple painting techniques while crafting a holiday decoration that’s perfect for your home or to give as a handmade gift.

Date: Wednesday, 11/18
Time: 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Age: Ages 10 & up
Fee: $10/person

Step up your style in our Sneaker & Shoe Bedazzle Workshop! Transform plain sneakers, Crocs, or any favorite shoes into sparkling, one-of-a-kind creations using gems, rhinestones, and fun embellishments. Let your creativity shine while giving your footwear a dazzling makeover. All materials are provided—just bring your shoes and your imagination!

Facilitator: Shamane Shepard
Date: Thursday 8/27
Time: 6 – 7:30 pm
Age: Ages 10 & up
Fee: $12/person, per session

Choose a painting project—no rules, just pure fun – while enjoying fresh, make-your-own waffles with your favorite toppings. Don’t miss a morning of art, imagination, and delicious treats. All supplies and ingredients are included!

Facilitator: Shamane Shepard
Date: Saturday, 8/29
Time: 10:30 am – 12 pm
Age: All ages
Fee: $12/person, per session

Design and create your own faux stained glass artwork in this fun, beginner-friendly workshop. Learn simple techniques to mimic the look of traditional stained glass using paint and other easy-to-use materials. You’ll leave with a colorful, light-catching piece that’s ready to display. All supplies are included, and no experience is necessary.

Facilitator: Erica Wagner

Session 1:
Date: Tuesday, 9/16
Time: 5:15 – 7 pm
Age: 11+ (younger with an adult)
Fee: $20/person

Session 2:
Date: Tuesday, 11/10
Time: 5:15 – 7 pm
Age: 11+ (younger with an adult)
Fee: $20/person

Celebrate the season with a fun and creative two-day Air-Dry Clay Ornament Workshop! On Day 1, you’ll design and sculpt your own unique holiday ornaments using air-dry clay, cookie cutters,and more. Then return on Day 2 to paint and decorate your dried creations, adding color, personality, and festive flair. Relax, get crafty, and leave with handmade ornaments to gift or keep!

Facilitator: Shamane Shepard

Dates: Wednesdays, 12/2 & 12/9
Time: 6 – 7:15 pm
Age: 4+
Fee: $10/person for both sessions

Join us for fun and festive Holiday Sweater Cookie Decorating! Kids can use their creativity to decorate sweater-shaped cookies with colorful frostings,  candies, and sweet toppings — no experience or instructions needed, just a good time and lots of holiday fun. Feel free to wear your favorite festive sweater while you decorate and celebrate the season! Hot cocoa will be served!

Facilitator: Shamane Shepard

Date: Wednesday 12/16
Time: 6 – 7:15 pm
Age: All ages
Fee: $12/person

With dozens of exciting crafts to choose from, there’s something for every young artist! Kids will explore a
variety of hands-on arts and crafts projects, including colorful fall decorations, spooky Halloween creations, festive Thanksgiving crafts, and more. Participants will take home one-of-a-kind fall creations that capture the beauty and spirit of the season.

Facilitator: Shamane Shepard

Fall Themed Session
Date: Monday, October 26th
Time: 6 – 7:15 pm
Age: Ages 4 & up
Fee: $10/person, per session

Join us for our Winter Kids Open Arts & Crafts Studio! Young artists can explore a variety of festive, hands-on holiday and winter-themed art projects. From snowy creations to seasonal keepsakes, there’s something for every participant to enjoy and create while celebrating the season!

Winter & Holiday Themed Session
Date: Monday, November 30th
Time: 6 – 7:15 pm
Age: Ages 4 & up
Fee: $10/person, per session

Join us for a kids yoga & mindfulness series this October! Each week, we’ll embark on an exciting fall-themed “yoga adventure” where your child will learn a variety of yoga poses, practice breathing, explore mindful activities and crafts, then calm the body & mind with a relaxing savasana. Kids yoga is a great way to move the body, build confidence and practice emotional regulation/stress relief tools.

Facilitator: Rachel Kaczynski, Founder of Healthy Chicks and creator of “Mindful & Magical Me” Kids Inspiration Deck.

Fall Yoga Series:
Date:  Wednesdays, 10/7, 10/14, 10/21, 10/28, and 11/4
Age: Grades K – 3rd
Time: 5 – 5:45 pm
Fee: $65/person

Fall Yoga Workshops

Join us for kids yoga & mindfulness individual workshops this Fall!

Age: Grades K – 3rd
Time: 5 – 5:45 pm
Fee: $15/person, per class

Dates:

• Wednesday, 10/14: Fall Fair
• Wednesday, 10/21: Woody’s Roundup – You’ve Got a Friend
• Wednesday, 10/28: Halloween Hoot
• Wednesday, 11/4: Friendsgiving Fall Fun

Create an adorable macramé elf or gnome in this fun, hands-on workshop! Learn a few simple knots and craft a charming handmade decoration that’s perfect for gifting or displaying. No experience needed—all materials are included!

Facilitator: Erica Wagner
Date: Tuesday, 12/8
Time: 5:15 – 7 pm
Age: 11+ (younger with an adult)
Fee: $20/person

Get into the spooky season spirit at our Macramé Ghost Workshop! Create your own adorable ghost decoration while learning simple macramé techniques in a fun, beginner-friendly setting. All materials are provided, and no experience is needed—just bring your creativity!

Facilitator: Erica Wagner
Date: Tuesday, 10/27
Time: 5:15 – 7 pm
Age: 11+ (younger with an adult)
Fee: $20/person

Get crafty this Halloween at our Macramé Skeleton Workshop! Learn simple macramé techniques while creating a fun and spooky skeleton decoration to take home. Perfect for beginners—all materials are provided, and no experience is needed.

Facilitator: Erica Wagner
Date: Tuesday, 10/13
Time: 5:15 – 7 pm
Age: 11+ (younger with an adult)
Fee: $20/person

Learn the art of macramé while creating a stylish and functional towel holder for your kitchen or bathroom. In this beginner-friendly workshop, you’ll master a few essential knots and assemble a beautiful handmade piece to take home. All materials are provided, and no prior experience is required.

Facilitator: Erica Wagner
Date: Tuesday, 11/17
Time: 5:15 – 7 pm
Age: 11+ (younger with an adult)
Fee: $20/person

Turn fiber into statement art! In this creative, hands-on workshop, you’ll create a stunning wall piece, packed with texture and color. It’s the perfect mix of relaxing and exciting—and leave with a totally unique project. All materials are included.

Facilitator: Erica Wagner
Date: Wednesday, 8/26
Time: 5:15 – 7:30 pm
Age: 11+ (younger with an adult)
Fee: $20/person

Explore your creativity at our Pinecone Woodland Animal workshop! Transform natural pinecones into charming woodland creatures while enjoying a fun, hands-on crafting experience. Perfect for all skill levels—materials are provided, and you’ll leave with your own adorable handmade forest friend.

Facilitator: Erica Wagner

Date: Tuesday, 11/24
Time: 5:15 – 7 pm
Age: 10+ (younger with an adult)
Fee: $20/person, per session

oin us for a fun-filled Stuff-A-Pet Workshop with Balloon Delightz! Kids and adults can choose their own 16” cuddly pet, hand-stuff their new friend, add a special heart, and bring it to life! Each participant receives a pet T-shirt to decorate, birth certificate, backpack or carry box, and coloring activity mat. It’s a fun, hands-on experience filled with creativity, smiles, and memories—and everyone gets to take home a cuddly friend to love!

Facilitator: Kelee Calkins

Date: Monday, 11/9
Time: 6 – 7:30 pm
Age: 3+
Fee: $35/PER PET

Create your own beautiful woven loom wall hanging in this beginner-friendly workshop. Learn the basics of loom weaving, including simple weaving techniques, texture building, and finishing methods, as you design a unique piece to take home. All materials are provided, and no prior experience is needed.

Facilitator: Erica Wagner
Date: Tuesday 10/20
Time: 5:15 – 7:30 pm
Age: 10+ (younger with an adult)
Fee: $20/person

Health Matters successfully launched during the fall of 2020!  Phase 1 which focused on “the Self” ran for a total of eight weeks with three to four activities a week. Participants had access to the following live Zoom wellness activities: Introduction to Yoga, Yoga Flow for All, Chair Yoga, Storytime Yoga, Tai Chi, Zentangle Drawing, and Zumba® Fitness.

In addition, Health Matters hosted two workshops: a Meditation & Mindfulness Workshop, which introduced strategies to add this practice into daily routines, and a ‘Love Your Face Therapy’ Workshop, that guided participants on proper techniques for a self-massage on the face and neck, and the benefits which include de-stressing of the mind and improvement of physical well-being.

The goal of our Health Matters Program is for participants to be inspired by the activities and workshops offered so they will want to incorporate this type of activity into their lifestyle on a consistent basis.  AHM will refer community members to the instructors who partnered with AHM for Phase One: the Self but also recommends connecting with your town’s Parks and Recreation Department for a current list of activities offered.

Due to global health crisis Health Matters Phase Two: the Family programming will deviate from the originally planned schedule of activities to provide a self-care video library that provides outlets to calm the mind and body. AHM is providing this video library at no charge for residents of all ages in the towns of Andover, Hebron, Marlborough and Columbia and as a special exception due to the pandemic, all surrounding towns are welcome to view the video library as well!

The AHM Health Matters Program is proud to partner with the Hebron Open for Business Task Force on the “Eat Healthy🧡Eat  Local” initiative. This initiative shows how easy it is to eat healthy while supporting local restaurants. Each week a restaurant is spotlighted with a video post on Facebook and Instagram by a resident who is choosing to eat a healthy lunch or dinner entrée. If you are interested in how to fill your plate with healthy food choices please refer to the nutrition videos created by Mission Wellness of Colchester CT.  And, when you visit local restaurants and you are eating healthy – we want to know!  Take a picture of what you are eating, where you are and tag us at @Andover Hebron Marlborough Youth and Family Services with the hashtag #ahmhealthmatters!

#InspirationalMonday begins each week with one way you can be kind to your ‘self’, your body and those around you!  Like AHM Youth & Family Services on FaceBook to be inspired each Monday!

All of the above is created to help our community during this trying time when there is more anxiety, depression and loneliness. Life is not the normal that we remember but we are moving forward to better days! Continue to looks after friends and family and if there is something that you need remember that AHM is here for you!

Health Matters Phase three will begin in spring 2021 and will focus on engaging activities within the community. The Health Matters 8-week calendar offers unique ways to see the value in the community we live in and express ourselves in the most positive of ways with those around us.