Fun in the Summer Sun!
By Patricia Peters
Books to Share
All You Need for a Beach by Alice Schertle
Gilbert the Surfer Dude by Ellen De Groat
Sea, Sand, Me! by Patricia Hubbell
Pigs on a Blanket by Amy Axelrod
Books to Show or Booktalk
Beachcombing: Exploring the Seashore by Jim Arnosky
Flotsam by David Wiesner
A House by the Sea by Joanne Ryder
Looking Closely Along the Shore by Frank Serafini
Shells! Shells! Shells! by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
Bulletin Board
Read for Summer Fun
Cover the bulletin board with blue paper to create an ocean and brown paper to create sand and a shoreline. Along the shoreline, add a sandcastle library, beach toys, and other objects for playing at the beach cut from paper or use pictures from old magazines and books.
Nametag
Sun
Make sun nametags using the pattern provided at the end of this chapter.
Costumes and Props
Decorate the storytime room with pails, shovels, beach towels, and other beach toys.
Dance and Movement Songs
At the Beach We Dig in the Sand
(By Patricia Peters. Sing to the tune of "Mulberry Bush")
At the beach, we dig in the sand,
Dig in the sand, dig in the sand.
At the beach, we dig in the sand
To build our great sandcastle.
At the beach, we pack the sand,
Pack the sand, pack the sand.
At the beach, we pack the sand
To build our great sandcastle.
At the beach, we shape the sand,
Shape the sand, shape the sand.
At the beach, we shape the sand
To build our great sandcastle.
Action Rhymes
At the Beach
(By Patricia Peters)
At the beach, we dig in the sand. (Pretend to hold shovel and dig)
Then the waves rush in, and we run away. (Roll arm over arm; then run in place)
At the beach, we pick up shells. (Reach down and "pick up" shells off the ground)
Then the waves rush in, and we run away. (Roll arm over arm; then run in place)
At the beach, we find starfish. (Reach hand to ground; then toss high in the air)
Then the waves rush in, and we run away. (Roll arm over arm; then run in place)
Rhymes and Poetry
"I Must Go Down to the Beach Again," pp. 18-19 in I Must Go Down to the Beach Again by Karen Jo Shapiro or reprinted in the 2008 Texas Reading Club Manual, http://www.tsl.texas.gov/ld/projects/trc/2008/manual/elem_write.html.
One Grain of Sand: A Lullaby by Pete Seeger
Puppet Plays
Duck Dunks
Make a puppet play based on the book, Duck Dunks by Lynne Berry. In this simple counting book, five little ducks enjoy a beach adventure. Act out the story with duck puppets. As the last page is read, lay each of the prop over the front of the stage but be sure that there are no ducks in sight! You will need three puppet handlers and one person to narrate the story.
Puppets
- 5 ducks
- 1 crabs
Props
- 5 towels
- Picnic basket
- Kite with string
- Float
- 5 duck swimsuits
- Puppet stage backdrop: beach
- Puppet stage front panel: water
Crafts
Sand Art Castle
Materials
- Construction paper
- Liquid glue, diluted
- Paint brushes
- Craft sand
- Large cardboard or plastic boxes
Directions
In advance cut castles out of construction paper using a die cut or the pattern provided at the end of this chapter. Give each child a castle, glue, and sand. Paint the castle with liquid glue. Sprinkle natural or colored sand across the paper. Shake off the excess sand into the boxes. Let the castle dry.
Sand Art Honey Bear
Materials
- Hollow plastic "honey" bear with lid
- Craft sand, various colors
- Containers or dixie cups
- Plastic spoons
- Hot glue gun
Directions
In advance, purchase bears and lids from a supplier like Container and Packaging Supply, http://www.containerandpackaging.com/item.asp?item=B326C. Give each child a plastic "honey" bear. Set out the sand in small containers so that every child has several different colors available. Let them spoon or pour different colors of craft sand into the bear to make distinct layers. When the bear is full, an adult should use a hot glue gun to seal the lid onto the sand art bear.
Games and Activities
Beach Toys Toss Game
Let the children use plastic shovels to toss small fish and beach toys into a large beach pail.
Water Play
Set up a water table, outdoors if possible. Either purchase a water table or make one from a plastic wading pool. The table is designed to hold water or sand at waist level for children. Add rubber ducks and small beach toys to the water table. Be sure to protect the floor with a plastic sheet that will catch spills. Outdoors is always a better spot for water play, but it's not always practical, especially in a public library setting. Usually a water table is about 6" deep, but you only need an inch or so of water in it. Spills will be minimal.
DVDs/Films
Seashore Surprises (30 minutes)
Craft Materials
Sun Nametag Pattern
Printer Friendly PDF Version (148 KB) (Full Page)
Sand Art Castle Craft pattern
Printer Friendly PDF Version (126 KB) (Full Page)
