Sea Cruise
Books to Share
- Down to the Sea in Ships by Philemon Sturges.
- Horrible Harry Goes to Sea by Suzy Kline.
- My Ocean Liner: Across the North Atlantic on the Great Ship Normandie by Peter Mandel.
- The Wild Culpepper Cruise by Gary Paulsen.
Books to Show or Booktalk
- Draw 50 Boats, Ships, Trucks, and Trains by James A. Lee.
- Exploring the Titanic by Robert D. Ballard.
- Heroine of the Titanic: A Tale of Both True and Otherwise Life of Molly Brown by Joan Blos.
- Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall.
- The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi.
- The Vacation by Polly Horvath.
Display
Display books about cruise ships and tropical destinations such as Cancun, Cozumel, and Jamaica. Surround the books with items such as beach towels and chairs, sun block, sun glasses, etc.
Bulletin Board
Contact local travel agents to acquire posters and pamphlets about various cruise vacations. Cut out some of the pictures of cruise activities to display on the bulletin board. Add book jackets for travel books, luggage tags, and postcards around the posters.
Decorations
Decorate the library with party flags, palm trees, coconuts, and beach balls.
Refreshments
Serve pineapple juice smoothies in tall plastic glasses and coconut cookies.
Songs
The Boat Is at the Dock
(Adapted by Shelly Lane. Sing to the tune of “The Farmer in the Dell.”)
The boat is at the dock.
The boat is at the dock.
Bon voyage! Come on board.
The boat is at the dock.
The boat is ready to sail.
The boat is ready to sail.
Bon voyage! Come on board.
The boat is ready to sail.
Audio Recordings
- “Sea Cruise” on A Child’s Celebration of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
- “Limbo Rock Remix” on Radio Disney: Move It.
- “The Banana Boat Song” on Baby Beluga by Raffi.
Crafts
Designer Postcards
Materials
- 3 x 5 or 4 x 6 index cards
- Markers
- Old magazines
- Glue sticks
- Scissors
- Samples of postcards
Directions
Let the children design their own custom postcards. Ask the children to think about the pictures on postcards and look through the magazines for appropriate images. Cut out the images and glue them to the front of the index card. Use markers to add space for a message and to indicate where the postage stamp should go.
Passport Fun
Materials
- 8 ½ x 11” sheets of paper
- Stapler
- Markers
- Polaroid™ camera and film or digital camera
- Passport examples
Directions
Provide each child with three sheets of paper. Fold them in half and staple along the crease to create a book. Let children use the markers to design their own passport. Take a Polaroid™ photograph or use a digital camera and print the photograph for each child. Glue the photograph into the passport.
Games and Activities
World Tour
After creating passports in the activity listed above, take off for an adventure. Make key stops in important library “cities,” noting important facts about that locale. Have someone in each department use a different library stamp to mark the passports.
Examples:
- Circulation – home of the book drop
- Reference – famous for a collection of 500 reference titles
Beach Party
Host a beach party or campout. Serve lemonade with umbrellas and finger foods snacks. Play beach music and invite a dance teacher to show the children some fun dances. Play limbo, volley ball, and other beach party games.
Limbo Fun
Get a broomstick or a long ruler. Line up the children to play the limbo. Let volunteers hold up the stick at about shoulder level. In turn, each child must bend backwards and walk under the stick. After everyone has gone under, lower the stick and keep repeating. If a child can’t go under the limbo stick, he or she is “out.” See how low the last child can limbo. Play “Limbo Rock Remix” listed in the audio recordings section of this program.
What Will We Put In The Suitcase
Let the children sit in a circle. Go around the circle and ask each child to name what he or she will put into a suitcase. Each item must begin with the next letter of the alphabet. For example, “A” might be alligator shoes; “B” might be bubble gum, etc.
Web-Based Activities
Virtual Field Trip: The Titanic
www.virtual-field-trips.com
Click on the History tab and select Titanic to take a virtual field trip, complete a scavenger hunt, view artifacts from the ship, learn about expeditions to salvage, and more.
