Firefighters' Busy Day! is a wonderful way to introduce little people to the abilities and skills needed in firefighting as a career. The active and engaging language used by the author encourages the incorporation of movement in a lesson. -Donna Gerdes, MAEd Firefighters are busy! They have many tasks to do each day including "washing, waxing, shining the truck, cleaning the gear, getting rid of the muck." In Firefighters' Busy Day!, children can see the jobs firefighters do before, during, and after a fire call. Through the use of movement written into the text, they can even help firefighters get their jobs done. Young children can pretend to be busy firefighters, too, by trying some of the exciting fire safety activities included such as a fire truck parade or a firefighter-themed meal. These activities are sure to turn everyday learning into firefighter fun. Grab your gear, jump on the truck, and ride along with firefighters helping in the community!

Winner of the 2015 Parent's Choice Award The perfect starting point for creative play, this is the ultimate book of ideas for arts and crafts, building and tinkering, writing and rhyming, singing and dancing, and more! For parents who don't feel they are creative, this book provides an easy entry point for raising creative kids. Creativity is an essential ingredient for a happy childhood, and this is the ultimate collection of ideas for arts and crafts, building and tinkering, writing and rhyming, singing and dancing, and more! With 500 unplugged, hands-on activities for children ages two to twelve, this book goes beyond the simple arts and crafts found in most kids’ creativity books and offers fun ideas for a generous range of imaginative and creative play—all in one giant book. You have the power to encourage creativity in your child’s daily life, whether you feel creative yourself or not. This book is your guide for being a creativity mentor, your handbook for raising kids rich with creative habits and skills, and your toolbox full of ideas and activities. So say YES to creativity! Encourage your child to dabble in all kinds of activities, and discover the magic and beauty of imagination.

Nature-based preschools are powerful programs that fuse early childhood and environmental education to develop a child's lifelong connection with the natural world. With the number of this unique, cutting-edge program growing throughout the country, many nature centers are asking, “Is a nature-based preschool right for us?” Establishing a Nature-Based Preschool helps answer that question, and provides a how-to guide to move from concept to implementation.

Illustrated with 200 stunning photographs and encompassing objects from furniture and ceramics to jewelry and metal, this definitive work from Jo Lauria and Steve Fenton showcases some of the greatest pieces of American crafts of the last two centuries. Potter Craft

“Good details on weekend trips in the manner of the old-time guides.”—The New York Times Author, editor, and TV host Joanne Michaels, a longtime resident of the Hudson Valley, brings families with young kids a wealth of opportunities to have fun and explore this playground so near to New York City as well as dozens of attractions upstate and in the Berkshires. From picnic spots to cruises, Joanne finds activities that kids love and parents can enjoy. • Educational sites, including parks, kid-friendly museums, historic sites, and nature centers • Wintertime fun • Many seasonal opportunities, like pick-your-own fruits and veggies • Hiking, biking, zoos, and much, much more • Family resorts So the next time your brood screams “We’re bored!” grab Let’s Take the Kids! and find something to do that will delight, educate, fascinate, and entertain them.

Written by a parent, for parents, this opinionated, personal, and easy-to-use guide has hundreds of ideas to keep the kids entertained for an hour, a day, or a weekend! Fun with the Family Upstate New York leads the way to amusement parks, historical attractions, children’s museums, wildlife habitats, festivals, parks, and many other exciting places to go. The whole family will enjoy . . . Flume zooming at the Catskills’ largest water park, fly-fishing on the Willowemoc, or hiking to Huckleberry Point Immersing themselves in the wonderful world of America’s pastime at the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum in Cooperstown Exploring Ithaca’s nationally acclaimed Sciencenter, or traveling through a huge heart and brain at the Rubenstein Museum in Syracuse Standing in awe before Taughannock Falls or Niagara Falls

This book presents a series of projects for children of all levels of expertise, beginning with abstract patterns, rows, and towers and progressing to step-by-step instructions for 18 projects, including a bridge, boat dock, airport, shopping mall, skyscraper, castle, Greek temple, Toy Store City, City of the Future, and The Emerald City of Oz. The book proposes activities for children and parents to play together. Focus is upon developing an interest in architecture. Each project is accompanied by detailed plans, photographs, drawings, and text that informs each project's historical context. The projects are illustrated by 125 line drawings and 67 black and white photographs.