End of Program Celebration: Dig In at the Beach
By Anne Neidinger
Books to Share
Bats at the Beach by Brian Lies
Beach Day! by Patricia Lakin
Beach Party! by Harriet Ziefert
Hamlet and the Magnificent Sandcastle by Brian Lies
Mermaids on Parade by Melanie Hope Greenberg
Books to Show or Booktalk
Babymouse Beach Babe by Jennifer L. and Matthew Holm
Mr. Sunny Is Funny by Dan Gutman
Ocean Hide and Seek by Jennifer E. Kramer
Super Sand Castle Saturday by Stuart J. Murphy
Young Cam Jansen and the Double Beach Mystery by David Adler
Bulletin Board
Beaches and Books at Your Library This Summer
Create a seaside view at your library this summer based on the photo of this bulletin board on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindah/829853617/. Kids can make the paper plate crabs as a craft and add them to the bulletin board. Add small, colored copies of book jackets around the beach.
Nametag
Sand Castles
Use a sand castle die cut or the sand Castle pattern at the end of this chapter to create nametags from sandpaper or tan construction paper. If you cut the nametags out of sandpaper, use a large crayon to write the children's name on them.
Displays
Exploring Beaches
Display a collection of nonfiction books about beaches, the ocean, and ocean life. Include beach and ocean sports, such as volleyball, fishing and surfing.
Decorations
Decorate the room with colorful beach balls and beach towels. Fill a plastic pool with sand and place colorful plastic shovels and pails in it. Purchase seashells at a dollar store and display them on tables. Decorate the room with plush ocean animal toys or puppets. You may be able to borrow these from a toy store or they can be purchased online through stores like Melanie's Emporium, http://www.melaniesemporium.com/Stuffed_Ocean_Animals.htm. Poke small paper umbrellas through the bottom of cups. Add a full-size surfboard for fun and make or purchase leis for partygoers. Include bright plates, cups and napkins on the tables for refreshments.
Refreshments
Serve pineapple juice for a beach party and make "Shark and Beach Cupcakes" from the recipe at Martha Stewart.com, http://www.marthastewart.com/article/shark-and-beach-cupcakes.
Contests
Sand Castle Contest
Host a sand castle building contest. Divide the children into four teams and let them spend ten minutes creating sand castles using play sand, which may be purchased at a local home improvement store. Provide children with small tubs of water, plastic pails and shovels to help them shape castles and creations. Recognize each creation with a prize for "Tallest," "Most Unique," "Tidiest," "Most Creative," and other titles. Hold the contest outside of your library, if possible, or protect floors with plastic tablecloths during the contest.
Incentives
Give the children miniature inflatable beach balls, which may be purchased from Oriental Trading Company at http://www.orientaltrading.com/ui/search/process
Request.do?Ntt=beach&requestURI=searchMain&Ntk=all&Ntx
=mode%2Bmatchallpartial&N=0. Dollar stores also have inexpensive beach toys for sale.
Fingerplays
There Was A Kemp's Ridley Turtle
(Adapted by Anne Neidinger from "There Was A Little Turtle.")
I saw a female turtle (cup both hands like circles and put them to eyes like looking through binoculars)
Dig a sandy nest. (pretend to dig a hole in the floor with hands)
She laid her tiny eggs (form two fists and pretend to put them gently on the floor in the "nest")
Then took a great big rest. (stand and put both palms together, putting them under a cheek and closing eyes)
The eggs began to hatch. (bend down to where "nest" is, form fists, then open hands slowly, spreading out fingers)
Baby turtles crawled to sea. (stand up and use crawling motions with hands in air)
They swam among the seaweed. (extend arms and hands as if paddling)
One baby looked at me. (hold up one finger, cup both hands and form pretend binoculars, then point to self)
He chased a crusty crab (use four fingers of one hand in a paddling motion while pretending to chase other hand in a snapping motion like a crab)
And dove into the sea. (put both palms together and make diving motion)
He snapped at a shrimp, (use both hands in snapping movement)
But he didn't snap at me! (shake head and point to self)
Songs
"Surfin' Safari" and "Wipe Out" from Catch a Wave: Beach Songs for Kids by Various Artists from Music for Little People.
Sing "Waves at the Beach" to the tune of "Wheels on the Bus" from Music and Songs: Beach and Ocean at PreschoolEducation.com, http://www.preschooleducation.com/sbeach.shtml.
Dance and Movement Songs
Musical Towels
Spread out colorful beach towels instead of chairs on the floor in this beach version of musical chairs. Have one less towel than the number of children at your program. Play beach music, such as "Surfin' Safari" or "Wipe Out" while everyone dances around the towels. When the music stops, everyone has to sit or lie down on a beach towel. The person without a towel is out. Restart the music and continue playing until there is only one "sunbather" left.
Reader's Theater
A House for Hermit Crab
Use Eric Carle's book, A House for Hermit Crab, to create a reader's theater script. Assign parts and have the children read directly from the book. If desired, create paper costumes using the illustrations as a guide.
Flannel Boards
Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef
Create a flannel board based on the book Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef by Marianne Berkes. Distribute the flannel board pieces to the children and have them participate in this rhyme adapted from "Over in the Meadow."
Five Little Seashells
Refer to "Five Little Seashells" from The Big Book of Reading, Rhyming and Resources by Beth Maddigan. Cut out seashells using patterns from First-School: Preschool Activities and Crafts at http://www.first-school.ws/t/apshells.htm and turn this fingerplay into a flannel board story.
Crafts
Rainbow Fish Coffee Filter Craft
Make a fish from a coffee filter using the pattern and instructions from DLTK at
http://www.dltk-teach.com/books/rainbowfish/coffeefilter.htm.
Ocean in a Bottle
Gather reminders of a visit to the beach, including tiny seashells, seaweed, plastic or foamy toy fish, and other sea creatures of the ocean to create an ocean in a bottle using the instructions from Everything Preschool at http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/beach/art.htm.
Keiki Straw Lei
Materials
- Colored straws
- Construction paper in bright colors
- Yarn
- Hole punch
Directions
Let the children make leis with die cut flowers strung together with straws! Follow the instructions from Library Think Quest at http://library.thinkquest.org/J0110077/straw.htm. Alternately, a pattern for flowers is available in Color Your World…Read!, the 2004 Texas Reading Club Manual, http://www.tsl.texas.gov/ld/projects/trc/2004/manual
/internal_chapters/elementary_caribbean.htm
Starfish Craft Necklace
Children can make a starfish necklace following the directions and using the patterns from Enchanted Learning at http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/stars/gluestarfish/.
Paper Plate Crab Puppet
(Adapted by Anne Neidinger from "Make a Fiddler Crab" from Texas Parks and Wildlife at http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/kids/fun_stuff/arts_and_crafts/make_crab.phtml.)
Materials
- Small white paper plates
- Red construction paper
- Wiggly eyes (self-adhesive)
- Crayons or markers
- Glue or tape
Directions
Each crab requires one and one-half small uncoated paper plates and two wiggly eyes. In advance, cut crab claws and crab eyes using the patterns provided at the end of this chapter. Cut some of the paper plates in half. Give each child two sets of crab claws and eyes, one half of a paper plate, and one whole paper plate. Staple or tape the half plate to the whole paper plate around the edges, leaving the straight edge open so the children may put four fingers inside to create a puppet. The half paper plate is the top of the crab, and the whole plate is the bottom. Children can color the outside of their crab. Bend the small tab on the eyes and glue or tape them onto the top of the crab. Glue or tape pre-cut crab legs on each side of the crab, and add wiggly eyes.
Seashell Critters
Children can create a seashell critter craft following the instructions on Kaboose at http://crafts.kaboose.com/seashell-critters.html.
Games and Activities
Crab Walk
Divide the group into two teams and have a crab walk relay race, walking backwards on hands and feet, belly up, like a crab. Designate start and finish lines with masking tape. Cheer for the first team to complete the relay. Give prizes or snacks to everyone who participates.
Gone Fishin'
Create fishing poles with long dowels with string attached as the fishing line. Add a strong magnet to the end of each fishing pole. Cut out photos of different things you would find at the beach, including fish, crabs, starfish, shells, etc. Patterns for these creatures are available in Color Your World...Read!, the 2004 Texas Reading Club Manual, at http://www.tsl.texas.gov/ld/projects/trc/2004/manual/internal_chaptersimages/patterns/T_Pattern_SeaLife.jpg. Add magnets to each item and put them in a small plastic pool so the children can go "fishing."
Beach Bowling
Set up six small plastic sand pails so that one is on the first row, two are on the second row, and three on the third row, as if setting up bowling pins. Let the children "bowl" by rolling a beach ball at the pails.
Beach Bummin' Memory Game
Cut out these cards featuring beach items from Disney's Family Fun at
http://familyfun.go.com/printables/beach-bummin-memory-game-703797/ and let the children play a matching card game.
Beach Scavenger Hunt
Host a beach scavenger hunt using ideas from Coolest Birthday Party at http://www.coolest-kid-birthday-parties.com/beach-scavenger-hunt.html.
Beach Patterns
(Adapted from "Patterns in Nature" from What's the Big Idea, a manual for the program from the Vermont Center for the Book.)
There are many patterns in nature. Explore seashell patterns by sharing books such as Seashells by the Seashore by Marianne Berks and Shell by Alex Arthur.
Guest Speakers
Invite environmental experts, such as park rangers or fish and game staff, to show ocean life and talk about our beaches. A pet shop employee might bring examples of various tropical fish to show the children.
Professional Resources
Conchologists of America, Inc.
http://www.conchologistsofamerica.org
This resource for seashell collectors provides information to help identify seashells and includes a kids' section with jokes, games and activities.
National Parks Service
http://www.nps.gov
The United States Government agency devoted to our national parks and wildlife includes information about and links to our national seashores.
Texas Parks and Wildlife
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us
The state agency dedicated to preserving Texas' parks and wildlife includes links to Texas beaches and wildlife, including turtles.
Craft Materials
Sand Castle Nametag Pattern
Printer Friendly PDF Version (126 KB) (Full Page)
Paper Plate Crab Puppet pattern
Printer Friendly PDF Version (393 KB) (Full Page)
