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Blog Entries - Child Directed Play

A young blonde girl and a younger blonde  boy peek out from a wooden structure. The girl is wearing a green coat and the boy is wearing a blue coat.

The Magic of the PlayScape

by Abbie Rinehart, Member The Cincinnati Nature PlayScape is a magical place to inspire wonder and curiosity in children and relaxation in their parents. We first discovered the PlayScape just after it opened 10 years

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Photo of a white woman looking at the camera. She has long brown hair framing her face and is wearing a green shirt. A taxidermy skunk is being held in front of her face.
Me, as a volunteer at a station about skunks

Growing Up in Nature

by CB, a staff member Long before I came to work at Cincinnati Nature Center, I grew up here. As a kid, a neighbor would frequently bring me and my best friend (her daughter) to the Nature Center. We’d tell stories

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nest in tree

At Home with Nature: Nest Building (Ages 2-5)

Children can have lots of fun mimicking the creativity of birds and building with natural objects! You’ll need: A nature space to find building materials and an “egg” (a stone, pinecone, or other egg-shaped

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young boy pretend cooking with mud

At Home with Nature: Mud Kitchen (Ages 2-5)

You’ll need: Old kitchen utensils, a pile of soil, and a bin of water.   Optional extras: Paper and markers to make your own menu. Mix the water and soil together, either in the bin or on the ground, and let your

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The Power of Hmmm

The Power of Hmmm

August 24, 2016  |  Child Directed Play, Kids, Nature, Play, PlayScape

By Anne Horne, Trailside Experience Coordinator “Mommy, will you play with me”?  In my house, this request is common and it used to be followed by a quiet pause from me. It wasn’t that I

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