Beach Theme

Letters: Ff, Pp
Number: 8
Colors: blue, teal
Verse: You are the light of the world. Matthew 5:14
Person of Interest: Christopher Columbus

We kicked off  this sunshine and sand weeks with a trip to a New Smyrna Beach for their Sandcastle Buildings.  

It was fun to see the work they put into these sand creations. It spurred a conversation with Eve later that evening about how come we can't build our homes from sand like on the beach. 

Specifically, she asked "Mommy, how come we can't live on the beach in a sandcastle?".  Im truly loving being able to have these hands on experiences with her that allow for such thinking.

Counting Seashells and ordering 

Materials

Any number cards

Seashells 

Instructions

Your child will: 

Pick a number card 

Collect that amount of shells

Place them under the number card

Count.

Painting Seashells

Materials

Watercolors

Paint brushes

Sea shells (we used the ones we just collected and counted.) 

Jar of ocean water 

Instructions

Your child will: 

Use their creative side and paint the seashells. 

It's that simple. Yet they did this for a long time. My tot even got into self expression ;) 

Seaweed Discovery

Materials

Magnifying glass

Beach with seaweed

Instructions

Your child will:

Gather seaweed from the shore and use the magnifying glass to get a closer look. Maybe even find some critters. 

Paint The Scene with Ocean Water(colors)

Materials

Watercolors

Brushes

Jar for ocean water 

Instructions

Discuss with our child what they see while at the beach. 

Discuss colors they see. 

Discuss that the sky and the water are blue but you can tell the difference between them because they are different shades of blue. 

Your child will:

Use the watercolors to paint what they see. 

PRESCHOOL INDEPENDENT TRAYS

Building Sandcastles

Materials
sculpty sand
small broom
book on sandcastles (optional)

Instructions
Your child will:
Read the book provided
Use the sculpty sand to build sandcastles
Use the broom to clean up any spilled sand

Shapes on the Seashore

Materials
Book: Shapes on the Seashore by: Frances Ridley
Shells to go with the shapes in the book (5 total)

Instructions
Your child will:
Read through the book and match the shapes seen to those on the shelf.

Scooping Shells

Materials
Large tub
Water
shells
scoop strainer
ice cube tray
small rag for clean up

Instructions
Fill the tub with the shells and then with water.
Place materials onto the tray.
Your child will:
Use the strainer scoop to scoop out shells from the tub.
Pour the shells into the ice cube tray.
Use the rag for any spills.
*** I watched my daughter sort her shells in the ice cube tray after she scooped.

Beach Ball Sand Writing

Materials
beach ball clip art
Sharpie
sand
palm tree stir stick (optional, a finger works well too)

Instructions
I printed and laminated some free beach ball clip art.
I wrote the words we have been working on this week onto the balls, one each.
Your child will:
Pick a ball, then proceed to write the word in the sand using the stir stick.

Sandpaper Letter Writing

Materials
Sandpaper letters
Small papers
Summery colored pens (any writing materials would work)

Instructions
Your child will:
Trace a letter with their finger.
Use the pens to write those letters.
** I place out the vowels and the letters of the month only in this set.

Sunny Sums

I found this here, but here is mine.

TODDLER TIME INDEPENDENT TRAYS

Beach Felt Scene

Materials
Piece of sandpaper
colored felt depending on what you want in your scene
blue and brown crayon (Do NOT use markers)

Instructions
Cut out shapes to use  in the beach scene. I made: sun with rays, cloud, umbrella, towel, fish and beach ball
Using the crayons draw the sand line and the ocean water. If you want you can add to it like I did drawing a birds, crab, pail......
Its important you don't use marker as the sandpaper will rip up the tip.
Your child will:
place the felt shapes onto the scene creating their own beach scene.... repeat.

Life Cycle of a Sea Turtle

Materials
Book: One Tiny Turtle by: Nicola Davies
Life Cycle figures of a sea turtle

Instructions
Read the story first with your toddler, using the figures to match the ones on the pages.
Your child will:
retell/act out the story or cycle by using the figures.

Seashell Washing

Materials
Large seashells (I actually used 4 different ones varying in size to place in order)
Toothbrush
small spray bottle
rag

Instructions
Your child will:
Spray the shells.
Use the toothbrush to scrub the shells.
Use the rag to dry the shells.

Beach in a Bottle

I found the idea here, but here is mine.

Beach Discovery Basket

Materials
shells of varied shapes and sizes
any nature object that can be found on the beach
magnifying glass

Instructions
Your child will:
use the magnifying glass to discover the beach up close.

*** My daughters especially loved the sand dollar and piece of a coconut we found!


Whats On Our Bookshelf:
What Lives in a Shell? by: Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
Shapes on the Seashore By: Frances Ridley
Super Saturday Sandcastle by: Stuart J. Murphy
The Ice Cream King by: Steve Metzler
Big Al and Shrimpy by: Andrew Clements
Clam I - Am! by: Tish Rabe
Pig Kahuna by: Jennifer Sattler
Stella Star of the Sea by: Marie Louise Gay
Lottie's New Beach Towel by: Petra Mathers
Davey Sand Dollar by: Suzanne Tate
One Tiny Turtle by: Nicola Davies
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Shell by: Lucille Colander
The Seashore Book by: Charlotte Zolotow (we like this one especially because of the paintings)
Sandpiper by Music Together Singalong Storybooks

Ocean Theme

Letters: Ff, Pp
Number: 8
Colors: blue, teal
Verse: You are the light of the world. Matthew 5:14
Person of Interest: Christopher Columbus

We are diving into oceans and discovering the deep blue and the life below the surface.

Fishing for Sight Words

Materials
foam fish
sharpie
pool of water (or a tub)

Instructions
Using the sharpie write the words you are working on this week onto the foam fish.
Fill the kiddie pool and add the fish.
Your child will:
locate the fish with the word you call out. Repeat until all fish are found.

More or Less Whales

Materials
cheddar whale crackers  (or goldfish)
ice cube tray

Instructions
Place the tray and a bowl of whales in front of your child.
Give your child a "story" such as: If there were 4 whales in the ocean (have her place one whale into each section to make 4) and 2 more joined them (place two more) how many whales were in the ocean?
Subtraction: If you had 6 whales (they should be there from the last story) and 3 swam away (have her eat 3 of the whales) how many are left?

Watercolor Ocean Scene

Materials

water colors
crayons
paper

Instructions
Your child will:
draw ocean creatures using crayons.
use the water colors over the crayon drawings to finish the ocean scene.

SENSORY BOX

Aquarium

Materials
Plastic box
water beads
aquarium figures
small pitcher filled with water
other containers for pouring and filling

Instructions
Place the items into the box.
Allow your child to pour and explore.

INDEPENDENT PRESCHOOL TRAYS

Shark Teeth

My daughter couldn't stop talking about the different sharks or stop asking "are these reeeal shark teeth, mama?" The excitement that bubbled up in her playing with this tray was so contagious.

Materials
shark teeth
magnifying glass
book about sharks

Instructions
Your child will:
read through the provided book.
use the magnifying glass to explore more closely the shark teeth.
make conclusions and observations.

Fish Stamping

Materials
fish stamp (or make your own like I had to out of a sponge, gluing it onto a wood peg doll)
stair step number graph

Instructions
Your child will:
stamp a fish into each box under the numbers.
be able to associate that number to the quantity of stamps made.

Clams and Pearls Count

Materials
clam shells (or regular ones)
pearls (easily purchased at a craft store)
sand
taller tray to limit to spilling of sand

Instructions
Pour the sand into the tray.
Write the numbers you want your child to work on onto the shells, one per shell. I did numbers 1 -10.
Place shells into sand.
Place the pearls in a bowl/basket for the child to use.
Your child will:
place the pearls into each shell according to the number on that shell.

Wave Cutting

Materials
blue paper
sharpie or marker
scissors (I had a regular kids scissors and wavy ones)

Instructions
Using the marker, draw wavey lines onto the blue papers.
Your child will:
use the scissors to cut along the waves.

Ocean Writing

Materials
Two different blue finger paints
white paper
Two different blue markers
Red Marker
Wipes

Instructions
Choose the words you want your child to work on.
Using one of the blues, write the word at the top of the page in upper case letters.
Using the other blue marker, write the same word on the bottom of the page in lower case letters.
Using the red marker, draw dots where each letter starts, to help your child know where to place their finger to start each letter.
Your child will:
choose one of the blue paints (ocean) and trace the upper case word.
take one wipe and clean their finger.
choose the other "ocean" and trace the lower case word.
using the same wipe, clean their finger again.
Repeat for each word.

Ocean Water Transfer

Materials
small jars
blue and green food coloring
baster
towel for spills

Instructions
Fill the jars with water leaving one empty for the transfer.
Add food coloring to each jar of water, I made varied colors of blue.
Your child will:
use the baster to transfer water from jar to jar.


INDEPENDENT TODDLER TRAYS

Ocean Discovery Tray

Materials
blue and green sea glass (available at craft stores)
sea shells (I had clear glass ones for this tray)
ocean animal figures
ladel
small jar with lid
water
oil
food coloring
tray with dividers (mine had 6 with one center one - was a veggie platter I got at the dollar store)
paper anchors (cut from my silhouette machine)- optional

Instructions
Fill the small jar mostly with water.
Add a few drops of blue good coloring.
Add oil.
Close jar very tightly.
Place into a section of the tray.
Place other items, each in their own section of the tray.
Your child will:
explore the items.

Ocean Animal Stringing

Materials
ocean animal beads
pipe cleaner

Instructions
Your child will:
string the beads onto the pipe cleaners.
take them off.

Buried Treasure, X Marks the Spot

Materials
Stickers (LOTS)
white paper
red marker
small bowl

Instructions
On each piece of paper, draw Xs all around.
Your child will:
place the stickers on each X.
place the backs of stickers into the bowl for self clean up.



OTHER - unrelated to ocean but we used this week

Blue Basket
Materials
Anything blue around the house

Instructions
Place items into a basket.
Your child will:
touch, feel, see, smell (?) these items.


Ff Basket

Materials
anything around the house that starts with the letter Ff.

Instructions
Place items into a basket.
Your child will:
touch, feel, see, smell (?) these items.

Cookie Cutter Shape Matching

Materials
cookie cutter shapes
Marker
Construction paper

Instructions
Pre trace the cutters to fit onto the sheet of paper.
Your child will:
match the cutter to the traced one on the paper.



On Our Bookshelf

Mary Manatee by: Suzanne Tate
Whats Under the Ocean by: Janet Craig
Life in the Sea by: Melvin Berger
Baby Beluga by: Raffia Songs to Read
What Seahorse Saw by: Robin Bernard
Strange Sea Creatures by: Gina Ingoglia
Do Dolphins Really Smile by: Laura Driscoll
Hello Ocean by: Pam Munoz Ryan
Pout Pout Fish by: Deborah Dieson
Mister Seahorse by: Eric Carle

I Explore Under the Sea by: Dr. Mile Goldsmith