Tucked away in Binghamton, New York is one of the most outstanding places for children ever imaginable. Located in the same vicinity as The Zoo at Ross Park is The Discovery Center & The Story Garden.

Every step you take will lead you to somewhere amazing. The Story Garden is a wonderland of learning and non-stop fun for a wide range of ages. The entrance itself is stunning and gives you an inkling of things to come. There is a pathway to follow throughout the garden, bringing you through impeccably landscaped areas. Chill with a book, which can be found at different sections in the garden. The books are grouped together by themes, each correlating with the activities offered. The books available fit different reading levels.

The entire garden was impeccably designed. There is Peter Rabbit's Garden, where actual vegetables are grown & donated to a non-profit organization. Children can learn about gardening by helping water the garden with a fish watering can that is set up by the waterfall.

There is a miniature golf course for the kids to try, with a bench adjacent to the astro-turf for kids to read a book. Steps away, sits a lovely castle structure where children can let their imaginations run wild.

Further down the path is a stage for role-playing and an awesome jungle gym + a rock-climbing wall! Both areas offer more books to read and areas to sit and enjoy them. A hidden path with another place to lounge can be found after you have reached the top of the climbing wall. Next to this area is a treehouse; it is pretty spectacular.

There was a tiny house along the path. The roof was made from living plants- kids could learn about the process & see it in action for themselves. Small details added to the experience- there was a broom available for little ones to help clean the home. Located nearby was a paddle boat that really worked and a tiny bridge that little feet could explore.

The Three Bears cottage sits near the edge of the park. Both the exterior and interior design were outstanding. The interior was painted how one would imagine the home of the three bears to be. Children can share stories at the table or climb up the ladder to the 2nd level and check out the layout from above.

To make long story short: No details were overlooked. There were places to climb, explore, learn, and discover. Children were able to exercise both physical and mental strength. This place is well-done and other places throughout the country please take note. City planners should visit & make great efforts to replicate this project for their region. I cannot say enough good things about this playscape/learning area- it is fantastic beyond belief. Access to the Storybook Garden is compliments of The Junior League of Binghamton.

p.s. After you reach the end of the Storybook Garden, you can make your way to the Zoo at Ross Park, then to the historic carousel, which anyone can ride for free. There is also a playground. I will have to devote another post to the Discovery Center, located at the entrance of the Storybook Garden.

Having seen the 'beanpole teepee' making the rounds on pinterest, I thought it was awesome. However- summer was already in full swing when I discovered it, & the beans had already been planted. So we got to work & constructed an old stand-by that my sister & I used to make in the summertime: A Teepee of Branches.

This is very simple to do. Enlist some helpers & set your sights on a woodland adventure. Collect some long boughs* and lean the branches against each other to form a triangular shape. Leave an opening for the doorway. [see image below]

After you have placed approximately twenty sturdy sticks to form the base of the structure, you are ready to cover with greenery. This will serve as a barrier against rain and also keeps the interior space cool in the hot sun.
*easier said than done in urban areas

YES, the awesome prog rock band, seems to be in a constant state of flux, always on the look-out for a new lead singer. (did they ever really think Jon Andersen was replaceable?) Up your kids chances of being asked to join the band by helping them make this cool synthesizer. (& it wouldn't hurt if they could carry a tune...)

David Erik Nelson will be holding a fun and informative how-to session at Maker Faire Detroit today. "Your First Synthesizer, a Weird Little Noise Toy You Can Build Tonight" is scheduled for Sunday, July 29, in Maker Faire Zone I, at The Make Live Stage, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Maker Faire is a two day extravaganza, at The Henry Ford Museum, of all things inventive and creative. Makers bring their inventions, ideas, and tinkerings and exhibit them during the festival. The event itself is a carnivalesque atmosphere of tech, craft, design, art, and engineers.

Mr. Nelson is the author of the book, "Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred: Seriously Geeky Stuff You Can Make With Your Kids," an invaluable resource of innovative fun for anyone with kids. 

Today Skrillex & friends are launching a Canadian concert tour by rail. Tonight is Toronto, then the Full Flex Express will hit other cities, performing at music festivals at each stop. Similar to Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue in terms of the musical carnival experience, this should prove to be equally entertaining. Skrillex invited some friends to roll with him to guarantee that the celebration never stops.

Since you weren't invited- you may want to make your own train, then you can maybe pretend you are some EDM superstar, off to perform in front of thousands.
Next week, we'll make the musicians out of clothepins... you can create one in your likeness if you want to perpetuate the dream.

Ingredients:
Plastic Juice Bottle
Long cardboard roll of some sort [aluminum foil tube works best]
Toothpaste Box
Cardboard
Knife/Scissors
Paints & Brushes
Glue Gun
String
Random Junk: Raid recycling & use whatever you find around the house

For the Papier Mache:
Newspaper: shredded into an array of different size strips
Paste: to create, mix ½ cup h2o with ½ cup flour

To begin: Shape the bottle into a train by cutting the center out & folding the 'label' into a podium. Children should not help with this part-  the emergency room almost got a visit; I used an exceedingly sharp knife.

Attach the cardboard rolls onto the body of the bottle using hot glue. Add a smaller roll above each long tube. Cut openings in long roll: these are the windows. Using the toothpaste box or similar,* fashion the front of the train into a three dimensional diamond. Fold & glue part of the same box to create the top of the podium. This is when trouble set in, so I just spray-painted paper & taped it on.

Papier mache all* surfaces, leaving a little circle in front for the headlight. Let it dry. Now paint it. Add fabric backed by cardboard for the seat. Cut to fit proper dimensions & secure in place. Add strings to recreate cables- beads were used for the RCAs. Film canisters were painted & placed on the front of the train. Makit & Bakit beads were used as the headlte.

*Please Note: Attempting to depict the front of the train accurately drove me insane- so I resorted to photoshopping a vintage toy train as the front.

This is the first in a series of musical papier mache recreations.

Hamtramck Disneyland is a glorious display of carnival and culture, converging upon a backyard on Klinger Street. Dmytro Szylak began creating his folk art extravaganza atop his garage in 1992 with a picture of Elvis, some propellers, and those wondrous plastic painted ponies. He added some references to air travel, his Ukranian roots, and everyday kitsch, and by the time 1999 rolled around, the towering masterpiece was complete.

Mr. Szylak can be found on certain days, tinkering with the unfortunate off-kilter doll head or replacing a burnt-out bulb. If you are lucky, he will turn on the mechanical circuits he devised, and the twinkling music of Ukraine fills the air. At night, do a drive-by to check out the Hamtramck version of the Main Street Electrical Parade.

Location:
12087 Klinger Street
(the alley located between Sobiski & Klinger)
Hamtramck, MI 48211

Remember playing telephone when you were little? A rainy day is a great time to create these nostalgic gems. They are durable & can be played with indoors or outside. Great for covert ops in the treetops.

Ingredients:
2 Tin Cans
Hammer & Nail
String [Kite String or Fishing Line = optimal]

Have your helper rescue two cans from the recycling bin. Puncture the end of the cans by driving the nail through the bottom of the can with a hammer. Grab some string from the kite you flew last week. Determine the desired length & cut. Push the string through the bottom of one can, knot the string. Pull the remainder through. Now on to the next one. Pull the string through the second can, knotting the end. Now like Ma Bell- you got the Ill Communication.

Before you donate that arsenal of stuffed animals, check out this project where they could be of use. This project gives stuffed animals that have seen better days a new lease on life. Fun for a large group- everyone can bring a neglected animal to add to the pile.

Ingredients:
 -At least 4 Stuffed Animals
 -Hot Glue Gun
-Scissors
-Needle & Thread
-Large Safety Pins

Deconstruct all limbs, tails, heads, etc from the main body of the animal. Throw the spare parts into a box. Let the children dig through the bin. Allow the children to reconfigure their animals- the sillier the better. An adult should help smaller children with the task of assembly. Have safety pins ready as a way to temporarily attach the parts.
Next, use your best judgment to determine which method- sewing or hot glue- will work best to secure the various parts  onto the body permanently. After the glue has cooled or the stitches completed, remove the safety pins.

Hint: Hot glue can hold almost anything together.

To broaden the scope of learning, ask the children questions about the new species they have created.  What is it called? Where does it live? What sounds does it make?   

This activity combines learning and imaginative play. Kids will love the opportunity to fish for letters while pretending they are captains of their boat Perfect for rainy days when you wish you were sailing off into the sunset.

What you need:
A Boat: sled, box, couch...
Body of Water: flat sheet, rug, fabric remnant
Fishing Pole: plastic or stick & string- magnet hot glued onto string
Fish: magnetic alphabet or construction paper letters with paperclips attached

Place the boat adjacent to the lake. Scatter the alphabet, magnet side up. Children sit inside the boat, each with a fishing pole.  Go fish!

Alphabet Fishing can be enjoyed by a wide range of ages. Just tweak it to fit your child's skill level. For 18 months+, it is fun simply to hold the pole and see what they catch. You can ask toddlers to fish for a particular color, while preschoolers will enjoy finding particular letters they are familiar with. Start with the letter their name starts with. As they master those,  introduce new letters. Challenge older children to spell words, fishing for each letter in succession to create a word.