Log Puzzles...aka Cookie Blocks

"If you build this puzzle you would get a log"

"No, it would be a tree!"

Last week was the city's annual spring brush clean up. The perfect time for curbside collectors to stock up on logs, sticks, and branches!!! Driving around, I simply could not resist stopping at a number of piles to investigate.

I found some trimmings from a soft maple tree and brought them up to my parent's house and my dad ran them through his ban saw. I thought about cutting them myself or with the children, but quickly realized that the logs would probably sit for a long time waiting for me to get to my "to do" list. I'm glad that I had that foresight, because the children absolutely love these new "cookies."

We have two boxes filled with various sized wooden cookies. For right now, we have them all inside, the children have been playing with them for hours. They can't quite seem to figure out how to get this crazy puzzle back together....

They sure are fun to build with!

Do you have any natural cookie blocks?

If you don't have the equipment to make your own,wooden cookies like ours and are in the market for some great natural blocks.....

You might want to check out B&B Blocks. They are a local (U.P. of Michigan) couple of guys who recently started a business making blocks! Their website is brand new and under construction. But, you can find all kinds of information and their products on the B&B Blocks Facebook Page.

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.

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....

Easter Egg Caterpillars!

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Ms. Amy's Blog @Child Central Station

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