The Beach Can Be Closer Than You Think

Now that it has really warmed up, many of us have "beach" on our minds, and you may be planning that great vacation. With the pandemic though, many of us are also sadly not going to be traveling to the beach. That should not stop any family from spending some fun time together remembering past vacations, looking back at beach pictures, swimming together or playing in a wading pool, or building a sand castle in the sand box (cardboard tubes make great castles and walls in a sandbox).

Reading books has always been a way for all of us to visit places and have adventures and experiences we could not otherwise have, so vacation and learn about the beach and the ocean at home from some wonderful children's books:

Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle
A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle
Magic Beach by Alison Lester
Pete the Cat at the Beach by James Dean
What Lives in a Shell? by Kathleen W. Zoehfeld
Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach by Melanie Watt
Biscuit's First Beach Day by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

Whether or not you are actually going to the beach, these books lend themselves to many follow-up art projects, poems to create, and just a chat about the characters, the pictures, a problem that may have been solved, and what your child learned. Done in a casual manner, the chat will not feel like school, but will promote their comprehension skills and an eye for illustrations and what even the pictures tell us.

One easy craft to do after you read Rainbow Fish is to make your own fish out of poster board or cardboard, aluminum foil and paint.

• The adult needs to cut a fish shape out of pasteboard or cardboard.
• Cut a piece of aluminum foil large enough for your child to fold around one or both sides of the fish shape.
• Paint designs on the foil wrapped fish.

                                 
These are fun to hang up where the sun can reflect off the colored foil.

Crayola also has instructions for a fish CRAFT using craft or popsicle sticks.

There are also some fun songs about the sea and it's creatures. One is the very popular, Baby Shark! You can also find a You Tube video with Down By The Bay which is fun because of all the rhymes and the repetition. And, Old McDonald  could have an ocean with a fish, swish, swish, swish, a wave, crash, crash, and a shark, chomp, chomp. Kids could continue to add on to that one.

Another fun activity to keep your kids moving, is to take a beach towel or blanket and have everyone hold on somewhere (corners, etc.). Toss an inflated beach ball into the air and use the blanket to keep catching it and throwing it back up. Be prepared for squeals of delight!

For a break from the heat of the day or a movie night, you could let your children watch some great movies that deal with the beach, the ocean, fish, and even mermaids! Finding Nemo, Finding Dory, The Little Mermaid, and Moana are wonderful family friendly movies with good stories and lessons, beautiful visuals, and great music!

Of course, don't miss an opportunity for a beach dance party! Put on some of your favorite beach music and just dance! Your children will love dancing with you.