* Graham cracker aquariums (snack) Ingredients: graham cracker squares (1 per child) peanut butter celery cheerios pepperidge farm Goldfish Crackers materials: waxed paper knife or spoon to spread the peanut butter sharp knife (for adult use only) Give each child a square of waxed paper to work on. Next, give each child a graham cracker square, about a tablespoon of peanut butter. Have the kids spread the peanut butter all over one side of the cracker. While they are doing this, have an adult use a sharp knife to cut the celery into about 3 in. lengths. Now, slice the celery long ways into very thin 3 in. pieces. This will be used for seaweed in the aquarium. After the kids have finished spreading the P.B. give each of them about 1/4 c. of cheerios. Have them crumble several cheerios and press the crumbles along the bottom of the cracker square so that they stick in the P.B. This will make the sand. Now give each child about 10 Pepperdige Farm goldfish crackers. Have the children stick the goldfish on their sides into the P.B. on the cracker. Add some extra P.B. to the goldfish if needed to make them stick. Now, take a few cheerios and stick them onto the P.B. above the goldfish to make air bubbles. Next give each child several thin sticks of celery to stick onto their aquarium to make seaweed. *Eat some ocean! Using a new clean glass aquarium for your dish, mix and prepare enough blue-colored jello to fill the bowl at least 3/4 full. When partially set, you can mix in or arrange, some new clean aquarium plastic plants or other safe decor (the jello is intended for eating so be sure anything you mix in is compatible and SAFE for having in food!), and some different shapes of gummy fish ... When you are inserting and mixing in these things, it slighly unsettles the jello and looks even more realistic *My Ocean theme last year was combined with the color blue, which the activities to follow will show some overlapping. ~Seashells ~Built sand castle creatures using elmer's. ~Painted blue "oceans" using our feet. ~Dramatic Play: Using a large applianhce box, throughout the month we created and played in an ocean. Each day as we added a new "creature" act out where it may like to sleep, swimming, hiding, etc. ~Science/ Cooking: -Fish shaped jello mold. -Snack-dunk fish (goldfish crackers) into the ocean (blue colored cheese-spread). -made our own waves using rubbermaid tubs outdoors watching fish and boats moving about. -Octopus pretzels. -Made starfish sandwiches (cookie cutter). -Created algae as a source of food for fish. -Made blue playdough. -Baked a blueberry pie. ~Discovery table: Offered: -different seashells, real seahorse, horseshoe crab. -tub with water, various sea-life plastic animals. -sand with various measuring utensils. ~Special days: Had a "blue" day. Everyone wore something blue, we ate blue snacks during the day, to include blue milk as a surprize. Field trip-blueberry picking. ~Creative Movement: 1. Wiggle across the floor, using no arms-pretend to swim like a whale. 2. Using wading pool swim like a fish. 3. Imitate blow hole of whales using sprinkler, run through before he spays again. 4. Using props made by children, wiggle an eel from the corals back to home. 5. inside a pillow case, squirm like an eel. 6. Act out ocean poems. ~Creative Art/ Activities: Sealife placemats. Seashore hidden pictures Seek and find Beach scene Seahorse silhouette Crab pattern color Crab cut out Whale Sand Starfish Octopus Seashells *Related books ~I Wish that I had Duck Feet (good for "what if" types of discussions) by Theo LeSieg/Illustrated by B Tobey ~Fishing at Long Pond (EXCELLENT illustrations) by William T. George/Illustrated by Lindsay Barrett George ~Dry or Wet? (wonderful photographs, discussion book with no text) by Bruce McMillan ~Magic Beach (imagination is unleashed as waves become thundering horses and sand castles hold adventures and wonder) by Alison Lester ~SPLASH! (count as animals and children jump in and out of the pond) by Ann Jonas ~Swimmey (teaches cooperation as little Swimmy organizes a school of tiny fish to swim together in the shape of a large fish to keep from becoming lunch) by Leo Leonni ~The Rainbow Fish (expresses the joy that comes from sharing, holographic effects) by Marcus Pfister ~Fish is Fish ~ A House For Hermit Crab (lots of critter names in this one) ~Ibis, (a story of a humpback whale) ~A Day in the Life of a Dolphin ~Animals, Animals. ~That amazing big blue sea. ~ The Ocean all around us. ~ I feel like an octopus today. ~Those slimy things. ~I am what I am said the turtle. ~The fish and me. ~ How many fishes can you see. ~ All our fins. ~ Summertime at the beach. ~ A beachball for you. ~ Dudley ~ A horseshoe in the blue. ~That sea lions back! RELATED SONGS AND POEMS *The Waves Move Sung to: "The farmer in the dell" The waves move up and down, Without making a sound. they move through water and through air, The waves move up and down. The waves move up and down, Without making a sound. They move everywhere, The waves move up and down. *There's a pretty little legend That I would like to tell Of the birth and death of Jesus Found in this lowly shell. If you examine closely, You'll see that you find here Four nail holes and a fifth one Made by a Roman spear. On one side the Easter lily, Its center is the star That appeared unto the shepherds And led them from afar. The Christmas poinsettia Etched on the other side Reminds us of his Birthday, Our Happy Christmastide. Now break the center open And here you will release The five white doves awaiting To spread Good Will and Peace. This simple little symbol, Christ left for you and me To help us spread His Gospel Through all eternity. *Make a Sand Cake Make a sand cake In the sand. Digging and sifting Just feels grand! *The Sand Castle Sand castle on the beach, I built you big and strong. (raise arms high) A wave washed in upon the sand. Whoops! You were gone! (swing hands down, then up.) *I Like Sand Sand can be wet, And sand can be dry. I like both And I'll tell you why. I can make castles With wet sand. And pouring it dry Feels just grand. *Shells, Shells, Shells Giant shells, tiny shells (form cirlces with fingers for shells) Shells wherever I look. There are so very many shells, I could write a book. Rainbow shells, purple shells, Shells that curve around. I can see the beauty here Just lying on the ground. * Song: We're Little Orange Crabs (Tune: "The Farmer in the Dell") We're little orange crabs Who live down by the sea, And where we do go We're quick as quick can be. We're little orange crabs Who like to run and hide, And when you see us walking by It's always side to side. *Dolphin Family Song (I got this idea off the internet from The Judy and David Page (Keyword to: http://judyanddavid.com/index.html) ) It is sung to the tune of the Adam's Family. My kids have been singing every day several times a day since we did our lessons on "Life in the Sea". When they get into the notion They jump out of the ocean With tail fluke locomotion, The Dolphin family Swim in the sea, eee eee Swin in the sea, eee eee Swim in the sea Live in a pod Swim in the sea, eee eee I bet you didn't suppose Their blow hole was their nose And in and out the air goes The Dolphin family Swin in the sea, eee eee Swim in the sea, eee eee Swim in the sea, Live in a pod Swim in the sea, eee eee *THE OCTOPUS Tell me, O Octopus, I begs, Is those arms or is those legs? I marvel at thee, Octopus; If I were thou, I'd call me Us. *SEA TURTLE Paddling, we saw that turtle; saw its eyes open, its flippers outstretched, as it floated Seawater lapped at its shell, spreading across its back. *ELECTRIC EEL Some think Electric Eel lacks looks, Some others find it stunning. A homegrown battery it packs To keep its shockers running. Why, you could light all New York's streets And sky scrapers and stuff, With one Electric Eel alone, If it were long enough.