Give each child a zip lock bag with their names on it and go for a walk at low tide on the beach. Have the children collect items that remind them of the beach (make sure that the things they pick up are not alive) Items Required: construction paper zip lock bag liquid glue felts & crayons sand items from the beach (shells, crab shells, drift wood, sand dollars etc) 1) pre-cut construction paper in the shape of a sand pail, let children decorate the pail with crayons, felts etc. (I like to use crayons as alot of children aren't given the opportunity to use them, their parents always seem to buy felts) 2) have children glue sand on their pail then glue on items they have found at the beach. This is a very simple craft even the younger ones can do this, for the older ones I would have the pail traced and let them cut out. *********************************************************************** Song - Scoop up Sand (tune-Ten Little Indians) Scoop up sand and put it in your bucket. Scoop up sand and put it in your bucket. Scoop up sand and put it in your bucket. How much do you have? *********************************************************************** Science - What is Sand? Use a magnifying glass to examine sand. Talk about how sand is actually tiny pieces of rocks, shells or coral. Explain that sand is created when materials such as rocks rub together. Over time, tiny pieces of rock wear off and these pieces become sand. To explain this concept have the children rub two sugar cubes together to make "sand". My children had fun with this. *********************************************************************** SAND STEPPING Prepare a tray of tempera paint mixed with sand and dish washing soap. Place the paint at one end of a roll of butcher paper; then place a dishpan of water and an old towel at the other end of paper. The children take turns stepping in paint and walking across paper. Have them rinse feet and dry them. Label each child’s foot prints with their name. Paint glue on the areas of the paper surrounding the footprints; then sprinkle sand over the glue. *********************************************************************** BEACH BALL PARTY: two beach balls of different sizes. Place the beach ball on a small blanket while several children hold the sides of the blanket and make the beach ball move from side to side by moving their arms. *********************************************************************** ADDING SPARK TO THE BEACH CENTER: play music with nature sounds from the beach. These sounds are intriguing for young children and will keep em coming back. *********************************************************************** BEACH IN A BOTTLE. The children all brought in plastic water bottles. They put in about 1 inch of sand, some crushed or small sea shells, They then used a funnel to add water and then colored the water blue. A fish shaped fishing lore was added and we glued the caps on. *********************************************************************** FINGERPAINTING :fingerpaint with ocean colors TISSUE PAPER COLLAGE on fish shapes using a rainbow of different colors. Tissue paper can be cut or torn by the children to make various shapes and sizes. OR if you prefer not using the fish shapes, how about tissue paper collages on paper using the various ocean colors...blues, greens and purples. In either project, paint on the tissue paper with liquid starch or diluted school glue to give it a "wet look" as the children create it and then a stiff texture when it has dried. The children may want to add fish to this "ocean". *********************************************************************** SAND CASTLES If you have a sandbox, wet down the sand and build sand castles. *********************************************************************** PRETEND TO SWIM IN THE OCEAN Jump over imaginary waves, pretend to surf, listen to Beach Boys while doing this. *********************************************************************** PROPS FOR THE BEACH CENTER: beach chairs and unbrella wading pool (for sand or water) shells beach towels/air mattress sunglasses empty sun lotion bottles lifesaving ring, floats, life jackets radio/tape player and music tapes swim clothes flip flops, goggles and fins beach hats and visors beach balls sand toys old cameras *********************************************************************** VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT: sand, shovel, ocean, seafood, beach ball, umbrella, pail, wave/tide, crabs, pavilion, pier, sand castle, sailboat, shells, surfboard, jelly fish, lifeguard, motel/accommodations, fishing, boats, dolphin, snorkel, salt water, sunburn, surf, float, postcard, lighthouse. *********************************************************************** I WENT SWIMMING IN THE OCEAN (Tune: I've Been Working on the Railroad) I went swimming in the ocean On a summer day. I went swimming in the ocean And kicked, and splashed and played. After lunch we looked for seashells I found three or four You can hold one up to your ear And hear the ocean roar. Hear the ocean roar Hear the ocean roar. You can hear the ocean Roar, roar, roar. Hear the ocean roar Hear the ocean roar Hear the ocean roar, roar, roar. *********************************************************************** I WENT TO THE BEACH --rhyme I went to the beach And what did I see? A bird on the sand using fingers- make thumb and index finger touch Looking at me! each other making a birds beak I went to the beach And what did I see? A fish in the water using hand and make it like a fish swimming Splashing at me! I went to the beach And what did I see? A shell in the sand make one fist with one hand and have the other Sparkling at me! finger tap top of fist I went to the beach And what did I see? make a crab using all 10 fingers ( place hand over other hand and wiggle fingers) A crab in its shell Waving at me! *********************************************************************** I plan on bringing in a wading pool we have, ad setting it up in the room along with the sand box. I am putting shell in the sand box fo the children to find. Everyone is coming in summer clothes, and I sent a note home to also bnring in bathing suits and towels. We will ahve our snack on the floor,(ice cream cones)on the towels. *********************************************************************** Everyone bnrought in a bathing suit and beach towel. I filled a small wading pool with water, and brought the sandbox in. I put shells in the sandbox. Thje kids had a great time. It was so cute to see them "sun bathing". Some of them also brought in sunglasses and sunscreen. We had ice cream cones for snack.We had a big discussion ahead of time about slippery wet fgloor, running, etc. *********************************************************************** Just a fun idea for Beach Games, Water ballons or we filled gloves up with water and the children got to play with them. They were harder to break open than the balloons. Or you could even put a hole in one of the fingers with a pin and the water would come out slowly. *********************************************************************** What about beach volley ball/badmitton--you know the game with a little birdie. I'm not sure if I spelled it right. You can also build sandcastles --have a contest on the tallest/most unusual/original, etc. How about digging for sea shells---how many can you find. Touch football and tug of war are some fun games to play on the beach. You could also make an obstacle course and have relay race. *********************************************************************** Our art teacher made a terrific beach art activity... She took plaster of paris and added sand and put it into a styrofoam bowl. Then had the children put shells on the top before it set and added a paper umbrella(the kind in drinks).... It looked just like the beach on some exotic island...... Very cute and fun and realitivly easy. *********************************************************************** Make a beach scene: (simple and easy) A fun way to make a beach scene is to fill a baby food jar with sand. Arrange pebbles, shells, and twigs on top and put a lid on it. The lid can be sprayed gold. Pasta shells can be used to represent real shells. *********************************************************************** Song: LET'S GO TO THE BEACH (tune - "A Hunting We Will Go") Let's go to the beach To swim and play and run. Building castles in the sand Is ever so much fun. We'll fix a picnic lunch And eat it when we like. And when we all are nice and full We'll take a nature hike. Be sure to wear your suit And bring along your float. We'll ride so far out in the surf Pretending it's a boat. *********************************************************************** When I did beach Day the hit was the magic mermaid juice. Make blue ice cubes (very blue food coloring) and use lemonaide with some yellow food coloring added. When the blue ice is put in the yellow drink it turns green. *********************************************************************** For a snack you could make Sand Pudding. To make it easier at the beach , you could buy bring the pre-made vanilla pudding that come in plastic containers. As you help each child open their container,give them a plastic picnic spoon to use for sprinkling some sand on top (bring a bowl of pre- crushed vanila wafers). Then they can use the same spoon to eat their pudding. *********************************************************************** For a present, you could make picture frames using pre-made mats - just decorate with sea-themed things, you could use beach stickers and glitter glue. At the beach party, take lots of group pictures. The one that turns out best can be copied, mounted in the decorated frames and sent to the child in the mail a couple of days after the party. *********************************************************************** We take a very long piece of white butcher block paper and lay it down across our classroom floor. I then give the children paint brushes and glue and sand in cups. They may choose how they get it all on the paper. Some of them mix the sand and glue together in cups and then paint and some paint with the glue and sprinkle the sand. We al do this together until the paper is more or less covered in sand/ glue mixture. then we let it dry overnight. The next day we mix up a few tubs of paint....we usually use 3 or 4 different colors. The children take off their shoes and step in the paint and walk across the "BEACH"!!! they love it and its a great sensory activity. When dry it looks very cheerful up on the wall!!! *********************************************************************** A walk on the beach 5 dish pans 1 - with sand in it (beach) 1 - with dry navy beans in it (pebbles) 1 - with cooked green spagehetti ( sea weed) 1 - with shaving cream with a little blue food coloring (sea foam) 1 - with salt water ( ocean) Each class took off their shoes and socks and waited patiently to walk on the beach. I explained that when you go to the beach you first walk on the beach then through pebbles and crushed shells then some sea weed as the wave spash they create sea foam and then you finally reach the ocean. Of about 145 students we only had about 4 who would not do it. They could not stop talking about it. I placed everything in a line on long white paper. You have to add a little water to spaghetti to keep it moist. It is not messy because you can not put your feet in your hair or on your clothes. I used towels at the end to step on and wipe feet off. ***********************************************************************