The Beach

Books

Ages 4- 8

  • A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle
  • Beach Day by Karen Roosa
  • Isaac the Ice Cream Truck by Scott Santoro
  • Lottie’s New Beach Towel by Petra Mathers
  • Louie’s Goose by H.M. Ehrlich
  • Super Sand Castle Saturday by Stuart J. Murphy
  • The Great White Man-Eating Shark by Margaret Mahy

    • Activities

    Natural Sand Art

    Materials: construction paper, glue, (colored) sand

  • Design a picture with glue on a piece of paper.
  • Pour sand on to the glue.
  • Shake off the excess sand

    • Sandy Bottles

    Materials: colored sand, clear bottle, funnel

  • Put different colored sand in a clear bottle using a funnel.
  • Seal.

    • Seashell Picture Frame

    Materials: glue, picture frame, sand, seashells

  • Put glue all around the edge of a frame.
  • Sprinkle sand on the glue.
  • Glue seashells along the bottom of the picture frame.

    • Jellyfish Activity

    Materials: paint, sponges, buttons, scissors, streamers, glue

  • Sponge paint paper plates.
  • Cut up sponges or buttons and glue them on for eyes.
  • Glue streamers to the bottom of the paper plate for tentacles.

    • Rainbow Fish

    Materials: coffee filters, paper plate, water, scissors, tinfoil, glue, markers or crayons or colored pencils

  • Flatten out a coffee filter on to a plate and color it.
  • Wet the filter then let it dry.
  • Cut the filter into a fish shape.
  • Cut strips and triangles out of tinfoil and glue them onto the fish.
  • Glue on an eye and draw on a mouth.

    • Watercolors

    Materials: wax crayons, drawing paper, watercolors, paintbrushes

  • Draw colorful scenes on paper with crayons of life under the sea.
  • Cover drawings completely with blue and green watercolors.
  • Let dry.

    • Snacks

    Do-It-Yourself Ice Cream

  • Ingredients: 1 c half and half, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, ½ kosher or rock salt, ice, 1 pint and 1 gallon size Ziploc bag, sprinkles, spoon.
  • Mix half and half, sugar, and vanilla in pint-sized bag.
  • Fill gallon-sized bag with salt and half way up with ice.
  • Put small bag inside big one, seal, and shake.
  • Shake for 10 min or until contents become creamy.
  • Add sprinkles and eat up!

    • Sand Dollars, (http://www.preschooleducation.com/cbeach.shtml)

  • Ingredients: round crackers, grated parmesan cheese, peanut butter, knife.
  • Spread peanut butter on crackers and sprinkle with cheese (sand).

    • Beach Snack, (http://www.preschooleducation.com/cbeach.shtml)

  • Ingredients: pre-made blue Jello (ocean), paper plates, graham cracker crumbs for sand, gummy sharks and fish, lifesavers, peanut “sunbathers.”
  • Put a portion of each ingredient on each child’s plate and let them create their own beach scene.

    • Banana Boat Salad, (http://www.preschooleducation.com/cbeach.shtml)

  • Ingredients: bananas, jam or jelly, cottage cheese, cherries, lettuce, knife, bowls.
  • Peel banana and cut it in half lengthwise. Place it on lettuce in a bowl.
  • Top with cottage cheese, jam, and a cherry.

    • Mermaid Potion

  • Ingredients: pre-made blue ice cubes (1 drop of blue coloring per cube), yellow food coloring, water, powdered lemonade mix, lemon-lime soda (or Sprite/ 7UP, etc), clear plastic glasses, spoon for stirring.
  • Use warm water to prepare powdered mix and add 1 12 oz can of soda.
  • Add 8 drops yellow coloring to mixture and stir.
  • Serve to each child in clear glasses with 1 or 2 blue ice cubes.