Update: Our Outdoor Music Area

For those of you who have been following the development of our outdoor area, this is the most recent update.

The giant xylophone is now reinforced with 2x2s but needs to be connected to a post in the ground. It seems as though using the 2x2s is a much better option than the string. The sound is great, and the structure is more secure.

We have also added a few sets of chimes. One is made from bamboo that we found at the Dollar Store and cut into various lengths. (I think the longest one is 30 inches and each smaller one is 2 inches shorter than the last.). The other one is made from metal pipes that we recycled from broken clothes racks. Again, we used the same method, however with this one, we went all the way down to a 2 inch piece. (We had a lot of metal pipe!).

We have also made some homemade "tambourines." We took a bunch of lids from canned foods, nailed holes in them and strung them with beads on a wire coat hanger that we cut into pieces. (We have a great can opener from Tupperware that cuts the cans safely and allows us to use the lids for craft projects).

We also hung a mini "yooper scooper" from the fence. It makes great music too!

We're getting closer to finishing up this area. We have some copper conduit pipes that we have cut into chimes, and some that we found the exact lengths to make a musical scale. (The directions for this can be found here.) We were also able to get a large piece of plexi-glass donated that we are having cut into a drum head. We will place that in the center of the huge tractor tire. A friend of ours has a cow bell to add, and we will continue to add smaller pieces as we find them!

For our previous blogs on the Music Area: Making the Xylophone, Making Music in the Yard Part II.

What Would You Do With It? Wednesday #4, Cardboard Tubes (Toilet Paper, Paper Towel, etc)

Welcome to this week's edition of What Would You Do With It? Wednesday. This week's item(s) are paper tubes. You most often find them at the end of a roll of toilet paper or paper toweling. I'm having trouble hunting up the photos I was going to post for this, so when I find them, I will add them. We have made: rain sticks kaleidoscopes marble runs and we have also cut the tubes and made them into flowers or snowflakes like these. If you would like to visit and link to some of our previous What Would You Do With It Wednesdays, please click here.

Yes, WE CLIMB UP THE SLIDE!

Yes, we do climb up the slide. We climb up the slide here at Child Central Station in the backyard... We climb up the slides when we are at the park..... and here are a few reasons why we think you could reconsider climbing up and allowing the children in your care to climb up the slide too! 1. Climbing up the Slide uses MUSCLE! Young children need to be active and climbing up the slide requires a lot of muscle and coordination. It is not an easy feat- and requires strength, concentration, determination, and will power. 2. Climbing up the Slide is RISKY! Yes- climbing up the slide is potentially risky, but so is sliding down! Your job as a caregiver is to carefully observe and monitor the situation, to be close by- but not to interfere unless necessary. Part of a child's learning process must include managing risks- climbing up the slide is a perfect way to practice this skill. 3. Climbing up the Slide involves potential CONFLICT! It is al

Making Moon Mud!

We usually make our moon sand with cornstarch , sand, and baby oil. However a blog reader commented that when they make their moon sand- they use water instead of oil. So, of course, my first thought was- why make moon sand when you could make MOON MUD? And so you have it- our homemade moon mud! Basically, it ends up being a sandy- runny oobleck! It acts kind of like a solid- and kind of like a liquid..... Now, I'm sure I will get all kinds of questions on the exact recipe and proportions to make this stuff..... The truth is, we rarely measure. We just mix it up until it looks and feels about right! Today, we made ours with too much water. (It was an experiment.) So, we removed some off the top. After we were done playing in the mud- we let it sit. A little bit more of the water evaporated while we napped.... Then, this afternoon- It was perfect! Hard as a rock on the bottom, until you dig into grab it... Then....

Ms. Amy's Blog @Child Central Station

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