Ms. Amy's Blog @Child Central Station

Today I'm joining in with Craftulate and 49 other bloggers  from the Kid Blogger Network to bring you the next in the series: The Ultimate Guide to Chalk! We aren't chalk experts around here- but we sure do love to experiment with it! Some of our favorite experiences include: Dipping chalk into white paint and drawing with it on black paper. (You can read more about this experience by clicking on the link).  Pounding chalk bits on the wet sidewalk.  For more information on our pounding activity you can follow this link.  We also LOVE to create super long hopscotch boards on the sidewalk! I also love to watch the little ones as they are learning how to HOP! You can read more about it in this post. We also like to make sidewalk paint- some people call it sidewalk chalk paint- It is made with household ingredients and washes easily away! (Find the recipe here) . We love to add color to our sidewalks. Sometimes we: Using the paint with pendulums is a fantastic learning experience

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

Process based art is a favorite around here- and the bookmarks we made by painting with beans is a prime example of a process based art experience with a stunning product! Basically, we took a couple of scoops of mixed beans and put them into a small container. Then we cover the beans in paint. I like to use squeeze bottles for the children to add the paint. It helps them to build up the muscles in their hands which is important for their fine motor skills.  If you are looking for some refillable squeeze bottles, click here for the (affiliate) link to order some of your own:  PLASTIC EMPTY TWIST TOP Bottles . After you have covered the beans in paint, take a moment and mix them up. Then we place our paper, in this case a piece of hard cardboard into a box. This time around we used a shoe box sized plastic tote. I like to use plastic boxes for these types of projects because they are easy to clean. Here is an (affiliate) link to the type of box we used for this project:  Sterilite Stora

With the frigid temperatures we've had outside- We decided to create an "Ice Age" excavation with some of our dinosaur bones.  I like to do this activity in the summer time too, the only difference is that I have to freeze the bones in our freezer instead of outside on our porch. The first thing we did to get ready was to collect some of our dinosaur bones. You don't necessarily have to have "bones" as the children will have just as much fun digging other items out of the ice.  The bones we used came from some of the excavation kits we have previously used (most of them come with a dirt or clay for you to dig through). If you dinosaur bones and you are interested in purchasing some,  here is a list  of some of the (affiliate link)  Dinosaur Excavation Kits  we have used in the past.   Over at P is for Preschool, they did a similar activity but used plastic dinosaurs instead of bones, you can read more about it by clicking here.    To prep for the excavation

We always make homemade play dough. The tried and true recipe we use comes from an old elementary school cookbook- you can   find it in this old blog post.   The only difference is, for the eucalyptus play dough you add green food coloring and some eucalyptus oil.  (I usually add a few drops of the oil after the play dough is complete.) The dough is soft and pliable. The children love to play with it. Sometimes we cut it; Sometimes we squish it. It is the perfect play dough for days with super drippy noses! This recipe is great for other essential oils as well. One of my personal favorites is lavender. Do you have a favorite type of play dough? I'd love to hear about it!

  We have a number of young children who are going to become big brothers or sisters for the first or second time over the next couple of months.  We have been reading a number of books about new babies and we have been practicing holding and caring for our baby dolls. As a home based childcare professional- I work with a number of families and young children as they prepare for new little ones to come into their lives. One of the biggest things I have found to help children as they become siblings is to give them an opportunity to mimic and care for their own little one.  Through children's pretend play - they work to make sense of the world, and they have an opportunity to practice and to learn. Sometimes older siblings are still too young to be able to help with all of the tasks of taking care of a real baby, but giving them a baby doll to practice with helps them fell as though they are more of a part of what is going on. One of the easiest and simple sensory table experiences

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I bet the suspense is killing you, so I won't keep you waiting any longer- The TOP post, the VERY BEST post of 2013 here at Child Central Station based upon reader views is: Make Your Own Moon Mud! If you missed it, hop on over and check it out! I promise you won't be disappointed- hours of messy- gooey, sensory fun! Today, I'm joining forces with one of the most amazing groups on the planet- The Kid Blogger Network to bring you The Very Best Kids Activities of 2013 Blog Hop! Please take a moment and "Hop Around" to check out all of the wonderful posts and activities being shared, and if you are a blogger please link up your best post of 2013 as well! Powerful Mothering , The Good Long Road , All Done Monkey , Afterschool for Smarty Pants , B-Inspired Mama , Babble Dabble Do , Bits of Positivity , Boy Mama Teacher Mama , Caution! Twins at Play , Child Central Station , Creative Family Fun , Creative World of Varya , Cute and Peculiar , Dirt and Boogers , Edventure