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OCEAN PICTURES
Provide your children with white construction paper and crayons.
Invite them to draw pictures of undersea life, such as fish,
shells, an octopus or a shark, and seaweed. Encourage them
to press down hard while coloring. When they have finished,
let them brush a thin wash of blue tempera paint and water
over their pictures to turn them into underwater scenes.
OCEAN DIORAMA
Find a cardboard carton, cut off the flaps, and place
it on one side. Have your children paint the inside of
the box blue. When the paint has dried, help them glue
or tape green crepe-paper seaweed onto the painted back
and sides of the box. Then let them decorate paper fish
shapes to hang with thread as if swimming inside their
diorama. To complete, help them spread sand on the bottom
of the box and add small rocks, shells, and clay or playdough
sea creatures. |
FISH GAMES
UNDERSEA
PUPPETS
Use picture books to help your children learn about a
few creatures that live in the ocean. Then let them make
puppets, such as those below, to accompany stories or
songs.
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Octopus Puppet: Use a paper half circle for a
body and draw on eyes. Glue or tape eight ribbon
pieces hanging down from the straight edge for arms,
and add a craft stick handle. |
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Seastar Puppet: Cut a seastar shape out of paper.
Using a marker, add a face and cover the shape with
dot "spines." For a handle, tape on a
plastic straw. |
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Oyster Puppet: Paint a hinged, burger carton
gray (add a drop of dishwashing liquid to help the
paint stick). Draw on a face and glue a small plastic-foam
ball inside for a pearl. Use hands to open and close
the Oyster Puppet's shell. |
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ON LAND OR IN THE OCEAN
Invite your children to stand in an open area. Then start naming
different animals, including such undersea creatures as fish,
octopuses, crabs, seastars, sharks, whales, and oysters. When
the children hear the name of an animal that lives on land,
have them walk or run in place. When they hear the name of an
undersea creature, have them make swimming motions with their
arms. Continue the game as long as interest lasts.
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SALT
WATER EXPERIMENT
Use this experiment to show how salt water, the kind found in
the ocean, makes it easier for objects to float. Find two large,
see-through measuring cups and pour 1 1/4 cups water into each
one. Let your children observe as you add 3 tablespoons salt
to one of the cups and stir until the salt dissolves. Place
a hard-cooked egg in the plain water for the children to watch
as it sinks. Then remove the egg and place it in the salt water.
What happens? (The egg floats because the salt has made the
water denser.) Continue by letting the children try the experiment
using a bar of soap. |
LET'S GO DIVING DOWN
Tune: "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"
Let's go diving down
In the ocean blue.
See us swimming with a fish
And with an oyster too.
Each time you sing the song, let your children substitute a
different undersea creature, such as "crab" or "shark,"
for "fish."
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OCEAN
SNACKS
Try one of these ideas at snacktime.
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Make blue gelatin and add canned fruit bits for pretend
sea creatures. Serve in clear-plastic cups. |
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Tint white frosting with blue food coloring and spread
onto cupcakes. Place gummy fish or other gummy sea creatures
on top of the blue "ocean waves." |
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