Crafting and Tumbling.....

I've been using Tumblr to help me keep track of some of the great ideas I find online. You can check out my Tumblr page here: http://childcentralstation.tumblr.com/

I have one more big project to finish for my class, otherwise life is starting to slow down enough to blog again :).

Here are a few photos of some of our recent art/craft endeavors.....

Dane is super excited about being in the Wolf Pack for Cub Scouts. We decided to make a wolf t-shirt. I found a wolf pattern on one of the boy scout sites, enlarged it and made a plastic stencil. After I used silver paint with the stencil, Dane colored it in with fabric markers.

Then we Tie Dyed the shirt with all kinds of great colors....

I finished it off with a second coat of sliver paint and Dane added another coat of fabric marker.

We also put his name on the back:

Wintery weather has started to arrive, and I needed to whip up a couple of new pairs of mittens! Dane's new coat is orange, gray, and black....

I've been itching to try out some of the felt food patterns I found online awhile back..... I made a couple of things, but hope that I will find/make time for a lot more soon! I'd love to replace our plastic food in the play kitchen with wooden and fabric food instead. Here is the start:

I decided that my little cook's cannot be without a chef's hat.... So, I whipped up one of those too. I looked at a few tutorials, but ended up making my own pattern:

I have a few other projects for the sewing machine, but Dane has taken over my sewing machine! He wanted to learn how to sew, and he picked it up quickly! His first project was a dinosaur pillow case:

He decided that he likes free form sewing better and opted to make a piece of felt pizza:

There will be plenty of time for learning how to cut and follow patterns, and I know he will learn all kinds of techniques as he works and explores on his own!

I have a few more things to share, but I'll save some for later this week!

A Few Ideas With Marker Caps (As Promised)

Yesterday, I hope I convinced you not to throw away your markers that "don't work." Today, I will share with you a few ideas for what to do with all of the caps. The possibilities are nearly endless, but here are a few of our recent creations: 1) A Leprechaun/Fairy Ladder/Rope Ladder: 2) #1 if not permanently secured can also double as a rope bridge: 3) #1/#2 can also be made into a train track for your homemade trains :). (No photo available) 4) You can use them as beads for a necklace: 5) You could make them into a wind chime. (No photo available). 6. You can use them as small manipulatives to count, sort, and make patterns with. (No photo available). 7) You could use them as playing pieces in your own homemade board game. (No photo available). 8) You could put them on a wire and glue them in place to make a twirling whirly-gig. 9) You could top them with a lid from a milk jug to make tiny tables or toadstools. 10) You could make them...

"The Markers Don't Work!"

How may times have you heard, "Ms. (fill your name in here), this marker doesn't work!" I know I hear it all the time. Sometimes it is because our little friends forget to replace the caps, and sometimes the markers have just been "all used up!" What do you do with all those markers that just don't work? Please don't tell me that you throw them out, try this instead: First, sort your markers out. Put the caps in one container ( save those too, I'll show you what you can do with them in tomorrow's post) and the markers in another. I have a box for the markers that "don't work" for the children to place them into every time they run across one. You can also have the children help you test the markers periodically to sort out the ones that need to be removed from the "working set." When it comes time to use "the markers that don't work," we use a small sponge paint roller to roll water onto our card...

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 ...

Ms. Amy's Blog @Child Central Station

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