Deep Blue Sea Art

CD ROM Fish Craft

Instructions to make a cute, hanging fish out of old Cds. Materials Needed:
· 2 Old CD's
· Construction Paper
· Large Wiggly Eyes
· Glue
· Yarn or Fishing Line
Instructions:
Using whatever color of paper you prefer, cut out the fish's lips, fins, and tail
Glue the lips and fins to the side of the cd with the writing on it .Set aside one of the top fins. Cut a piece of yarn or fishing line 3 - 4 feet long. Tie a knot in one end. Run a line of glue from the hole in the center of the cd up to the top edge of the top fin that is glued onto the cd. Lay the yarn or fishing line on top of the glue so the knot is in the hole in the cd. Glue the extra top fin on top of the other top fin to cover the yarn . Spead glue all over the side of the cd that everything else is glued to. Set the other cd on top of the glue and match up all the edges. Make sure you have the side of the cd with any writing facing down into the glue.
Glue the wiggly eyes on your fish . Glue one on each side of his head. If you don't have wiggly eyes, you can also use a small white pom-pom and a black bead. This will give your fishes eyes a more 'buggy' look! The last thing you need now is a fin on the side of the fish! You will make these by using a 5 x 6 inch piece of construction paper. Accordian fold the paper. you would fold the paper back and forth on the white lines. Once it is fold, hold the folds together and slip in through the hole in the center of the cd. Center the paper in the hole and unfold the ends a bit to fluff them out. Add a little glue to hole of the cd and the paper. You can now hang up your completed fish.

Rainbow Fish Coffee Filter Crafttip :
To make the Rainbow Fish Crafts look underwater, stick it to a blue sheet of construction paper and glue on top one sheet of slightly crumpled siran wrap
Materials:
coffee filter (we used the brown kind, but white ones work too)
children's markers (ex: crayola)
water
wiggly eye or paper eye
tinfoil
Instructions:
Flatten out coffee filter on a plate.
Color roughly with various colors of markers - this is wonderful as even the youngest children can color this way.
Wet coffee filter (using a squirty bottle or by flicking drops of water onto the filter with your hands.
Set aside to dry for a few hours OR
blowdry with a hand held blowdryer on low heat for about 5 minutes.
Once dry, cut out a fish shape from the coffee filter (we always save the scraps as they substitute well for any tissue paper projects we might make at a later date).
Glue on some small strips and triangles of tinfoil.
Glue on a wiggly eye and draw on a mouth.

PAPER PLATE CRAB CRAFT

If you don't have a paper plate, trace a regular plate on a piece of cardboard (old cereal box) or use a margarine container lid. MATERIALS:
paper plate or alternate (we used snack size in this picture, but dinner size would work too)
pipecleaners or two twist tie's twisted together - 9 of these.
If using snack size, cut pipecleaners in half
1 inch(ish) pieces of drinking straw
hole punch
markers or paint
INSTRUCTIONS:
punch 8 holes around the edge of the plate
thread pipecleaners/twistties through these holes and twist to secure. Put three pieces of straw on each of the pipecleaners. (represents real leg segments)
bend legs to shape/make look like he's walking
punch two more holes, close together in the "front" and put 1 pipecleaner through with ends sticking up.
Twist to secure and add beads to the end to decorate (if desired)
color or paint

Rainbow Fish Craft

This is SUCH a fun craft for young children to do. To make the Rainbow Fish Crafts look underwater, stick it to a blue sheet of construction paper and glue on top one sheet of slightly crumpled siran wrap
MATERIALS:
template of a fish ( you can draw your own)
1/2 inch or so bits of various colored tissue paper or construction paper (we used tissue paper in the photo above).
small amount of tinfoil
thin strips of various colored tissue paper or construction paper
one big blue piece of tissue or construction paper OR a blue marker or crayon
glue
scissors
INSTRUCTIONS
Draw a fish outline
color the head in blue, or glue on a piece of tissue or construction paper. It doesn't have to be perfect as we're going to cut out the fish at the end.
glue strips of various colored tissue or construction paper on the fins and .
glue 1/2 inch (ish) squares of tissue paper or construction paper onto the body.
glue a few strips and 1/2 inch squares of tinfoil over the fish (or just glue on one square scale to show Rainbow Fish after he shared).
Cut out along the lines (if you used tissue paper you'll be able to see the lines through it... if you used construction paper, just estimate where the lines are). This step will require adult assistance for younger children. Cut out the mouth and eye and glue them onto the head. (you can color them in with markers if you wish.)

Fish Paper Plate Craft

This easy-to-make fish is a cute craft that is made from a single paper plate.
Supplies needed:
· Paper plate
· Scissors
· Glue (or tape or a stapler)
· Googly eyes (optional)
· Crayons, paint or markers
Cut a wedge out of a paper plate. The wedge will be the fish's tail; the hole will be the fish's mouth. Glue (or use tape or a stapler) the tail to the end of the fish. Glue a googly eye on the fish (glue on two eyes if you want a flounder) or simply draw eye(s). Color in the fish, drawing scales, lips, and so on. For an extra touch, make a tiny fish (use the same instructions as above, but start with a tiny circle made from construction paper). Hang the tiny fish from the large fish's mouth using a short piece of thread.

WHALE MOBILE

This is an easy way to make a whale mobile using:
· paper and a printer
· scissors
· a stapler
· string
· markers or crayons
· 2 wire clothes hangers or stiff wire
· pliers and wire cutters.
Print 4 whale print-outs (included in the files section). Choose from the following whales:
· Beluga whale
· Blue whale
· Humpback whale
· Killer whale or Orca
· Color the whales.
· Cut out the whales.
· Staple the front and back of whale together, leaving a small hole for the stuffing.
· Using wadded-up pieces of the leftover cut paper, slightly stuff the whales.
· Staple up the remaining hole in each whale. ·
Staple a length of string about 1 foot (30 cm) long to the top of each whale. Vary the lengths a little bit.
These steps are for an adult:
· Cut a length of wire from a clothes hanger about 1 foot (30 cm) long, using a wire cutter.
· Repeat, using the other clothes hanger.
· Using the pliers, make loops at the end of each piece of wire (these are to hang the whales on).
Make sure that there are no sharp edges exposed on the wires.
These steps are also for an adult:
· Using the pliers, make a loop in the center of one piece of wire.
· Thread the other piece of wire through the loop you just made.
· Bend this second wire downwards and twist, making a loop that intertwines with the center loop of the first wire.
· Attach a whale's string to each of the four outer loops.
· Attach a string to the top center loop - this is for hanging up your mobile.

Paint a paper plate Blue or use tissue paper to cover a paper plate blue. Either cut out fish or use Goldfishes as a fish. Also use green pipe cleaners as seaweed. Through some teacher stores you can buy sea shells. On the bottom use cornmeal for sand. Glue all of these to the blue paper and cover with saran wrap. You have a port hole. Hang on a wall

Cut a large fish pattern from two peices of colored cellophane, and punch holes around the edges. Stuff with small peices of hollagram or shiney paper, and "sew" around the edges with ribbon. Very cute!

Make a Plaster of Paris mini beach
Need: Paper bowl, one cup plaster of PAris, 1/3 cup sand (plus extra), water spoon, tiny seashells (twigs and other nature objects), small fabric for towel, and miniature umbrella.
Put the plaster and sand in the bowl, add water and stir with spoon until mixed. Create a beach scene on top of the plaster by sprinkling with the extra sand. Add tiny shells (and other nature objects), 'beach towel' fabric scrap and umbrella. Let it dry. Remove it from the bowl and use it as a paperweight. Paint real fish on one side and make fish prints on a white sheet or piece of material to hang up. This is messy but fun and great for students with sensory problems.

Weave a Rainbow Fish

Using large precut fish in a variety of colors that have a series of slits cut in them we let the children create rainbow fish. Just weave thin strips of construction paper & metallic paper through these slits! This looks great especially since the strips (we call them the "scales") are all different colors as well. Add a big wiggle eye and it's done.

SOMETHING'S FISHY

Prepare a painting mitt for each different color of paint by folding a rectangular piece of bubble wrap in half, bubble side out, then stapling the sides. Put a mitt on one hand; then dip it into a shallow pan of paint. Press the mitt onto a large piece of white paper. Using a different mitt for each color of paint, paint the paper until it is covered. While the paint is wet, sprinkle on glitter. Cut a fish shape out of the paper when the paint is dry.

A ROCK LOBSTER

To make, cut off a row of three cardboard egg carton cups. Paint the sections of the carton to resemble a lobster's body. When the paint dries, color and cut out a lobster tail and two claws. Glue the claw cutouts to one end of the lobster and tail to the other end. Then attach two pipe cleaners to resemble the antennae. Glue two wiggle eyes to complete the lobster.

SWEET STARFISH

Combine sugar and several drops of food coloring with enough water to create a thick but paintable mixture. Use crayons to add features to a construction paper starfish. Then paint the sugar mixture onto the starfish or spread the mixture on with your fingers. When the sugar mixture is dry, add these sweet starfish to a sand and surf display.

we take a large fish pattern,then add starfish,clams,smaller fish,and make a mobile

Let the children put fish in the deep blue sea. You can paint blue for water on the bottom of construction paper and let them glue colored goldfish to the paper.

We also designed aloha wear. The children used plumerias to 'print' a muumuu or an aloha shirt.

We "painted" the ocean using wadded up plastic grocery bags (which really do a great job in making 'waves')

The children cut out the islands of Hawaii and covered them with sand.

They then used water colors to paint sea creatures. Star fish were then covered with salt as the paints dried. These items where then put on the map along with the islands.

We also made 'slippers' (thongs, flip flops) The children cut traced slippers and then decorated them with various materials (stickers, yarn, pompoms, confetti, etc.)

Some of the children made 'sunglasses'. They again collage decorated cut out glass frames. Cellophane was used in the 'lens' area, and pipe cleaners were used as the ear piece.

And finally, and of course, they strung paper flower leis. From precut flowers and straws the children strung their own lei. Tape to one end of a long piece of string was used as the needle.

Floating Fish

CLEAN styrofoam meat trays
Scissors
crayons or colored pencils
hole punch
12" if fishing line per child
One small rock per child
A clean aquarium filled with water
Cut fish shapes from the meat trays, Children decorate them with the crayons as they wish. Punch a hole in the top of the fish and attach a fishing line thru this hole to the other end attach string to a small rock. Place rock in aquarium and watch as fish swims around.

We made an aquarium for each child from a clean clear 2 liter bottle with the label pealed off. Be sure the parents bring in the lid too. I lined them up filled with water next to the art table. The child chose green or blue or both food coloring and watched it swirl into the water after several drops were added. Then using a funnel we added colorful aquarium rocks many spoonfuls, glitter and we used a small uninflated water ballon with the tail knotted as the fish. The older children drew an eye on them with permanent marker. Easter grass makes nice seaweed if you have it. We duct tape the lid on and then we shake them and roll them around.

Fishing License

Make a fishing license. Cut sturdy paper to business card size. Either use real pictures or have the children draw a picture of themselves. Then write their names or have them do it.

Housekeeping/Dramatic Center

In your dramatic play area you can create an underwater adventure. Hang from the ceiling some fish, crabs, octopus, etc. Put blue paper with an underwater scene of rocks, seaweed, clams, sand,etc. Put "diving gear" in your center and have your children pretend they are sea divers.

Science

Dissolving

Allow children to experiment with substances that dissolve in water and substances that do not. Compare sand, salt, marbles, an antacid tablet, flour, tapioca, soda, sugar, gelatin, and a powdered drink.

Form Change

Observe the forms and cycles of water by first discussing ice cubes and how they are formed. Then put them in an electric frying pan with the temperature on low. Observe as the ice cubes change first to water and then to steam as the water boils. Hold an aluminum pie plate above the steam to collect some of the moisture, and then observe the drops of water on the pie plate.

In The Kitchen Mermaid Potion
Freeze ice cubes made with water and one drop of blue food coloring per cube. Use warm water to prepare powdered lemonade drink mix and add one 12 oz. can of warm lemon lime soda pop. Add 8 drops of yellow food coloring to the lemonade/soda pop mix. Pour lemonade/soda pop mix into a clear plastic glass and drop in one or two blue ice cubes and stir.

Ocean Snack
Have blue jello - complete with gummy fish! - for snack.

we take a ritz cracker(color cream cheese blue),put cream cheese on it, add gold fish crackers.

vanilla ice cream
blue food coloring
milk
swedish fish
mix a little bit of milk with ice cream to get a milkshake type consistency. add blue food coloring. then add swedish fish. eat all up. say yummy!

Cup o' Fish

Make an edible aquarium in a cup. This is a great party treat you can make with your child.
You will need:
· blue jello
· gummy fish (or fruit-flavored sharks)
· clear plastic cups.
· Make blue jello according to the directions on the box.
· Pour into clear plastic cups.
· Let them cool in the refrigerator until partially set - about an hour.
· When they're partially set, place a few gummy fish in each cup.
· Put them in the refrigerator until they're completely set.
· Eat and enjoy!
Variations include:
· Frozen fish-popsicles (just freeze the jello in popsicle molds - add the gummy fish when they are partially set - unmold very gently when entirely frozen).
These are really messy to eat and are best eaten outside.
· An entire punch bowl of fish jello (made like the cup o' fish)!

Social

Get felt with sparkles on it. Cut them out to look like scales of a fish ( about the size of a childs hand) and use a safety pin for each to connect to your shirt. have enough for each child and one left for yourself. Read Rainbow Fish . Then discuss the concept of sharing and take off one of your scales to give to each child.

Outside/Physical

Under the Sea

Put 3 colors of cutout fish with magnet attached on pond on floor. Use fishing pole with magnet attached to catch fish in order or by color recognition. Or have different types of fish and fish by that.

Octopus Game

Play pin the legs on the octopus - EVERYONE pretty much WINS!

Beach Party!

Watch The Little Mermaid movie, then have a "beach party." Let kids wear swim suits, bring beach towels, play with beach balls.

OCTOPUS-

Materials; Two long ropes Lay down two long ropes with plenty of space between them. One player, the Octopus, stands in between the two lines (the Ocean). The other players are the Little Fishes and they stand behind one of the lines. When the Octopus calls out, "Cross the ocean," the little fishes must all cross to the other side. Anyone caught by the Octopus becomes a Tentacle and hangs on the Octopus. Keep going until everyone is a Tentacle.

Beach Ball Fun...

Place two beach balls of different sizes on a small blanket while several children hold the sides of the blanket and make the beach balls move up and down like popcorn popping or roll them from side to side by moving their arms.

Crab Races...

Have children practice walking like crabs. Once they are able to move in that position, they are ready to race. The children may have individual races or team races. Children may race forward or backwards.

Sand and water table

Ooey Gooey Jellyfish

A jellyfish is not really a fish. Remember, all fish have backbones and jellyfish have no bones at all. You will need to make up a batch of slime for this activity. Let the children smoosh and gush the slime pretending that it is a real jellyfish. You can add small fish to the table for the jellyfish to eat.

Slime :

Corn starch, Water, Food coloring (optional)
Put cornstarch in bowl. Add enough water to make a paste. If desired, you may also add food coloring. This makes a messy slime that goes from liquid to solid.

Fill a kiddie pool with a couple of inches of sand; then bury a variety of shells. Provide several shovels and place some shell reference books nearby to assist students in their sandy adventure.

Blocks

Block Area -

put a large piece of blue bulletin-board paper on the floor to make a pond. Have the children build "docks" out into the water with the blocks. You can add a home-made fishing game with construction paper fish (make them different colors for a color identification activity, or put numerals or letters on them for number or letter identification for older children.). The fish should each have a paper clip for a mouth, and the child will have a dowel rod with string attached to the end. On the other end of the string, attach a magnet. Another type of fish was made from wallpaper cut out in fish shapes (two for each fish). We then used a hole punch around the outside of the fish and used yarn to sew the two pieces together, right sides out. Leave enough room to stuff with newspaper, then finish sewing. We gave the children pompoms and the plastic wiggle eyes to glue on top so the fish had protruding eyes if they wanted to use them this way.

Classroom Decorations

Make waves across your classroom ceiling using blue crepe paper or fabric scraps. Attach the ends of a strip to the ceiling at opposite ends of the room. Then attach the material to the ceiling at intervals to create a wavelike effect. Repeat the process, spacing the strips about 3' apart.

Cover the windows with pieces of blue cellophane. Simply trim the cellophane to fit each window and tape it to the window's edges.

Embellish the walls with a variety of fish cut from fluorescent poster board. Use fluorescent paints to create designs on the fish. Then attach them at various heights on the walls. They'll seem to glow in the blue light. As an added touch, attach cutouts of green poster board seaweed for the fish to hide in and swim around.

Books/reading center

A Beach Day - Douglas Florian
A House For Hermit Crab - Eric Carle
At the Beach - Anne Rockwell
Baby Whales Drink Milk - Barbara Esbensen
Barney and Baby Bop at the Beach
Clams Can't Sing - James Stevenson
Fish Eyes - Lois Ehlert
I Swam with a Seal - Charlotte Agell
Is This a House for Hermit Crab - Megan McDonald
Little Sister - Kathleen N. Daly (Golden Book)
Monsieur Thermidor - Richard and Lindsey Kidd
My Home is the Sea: Who Am I? - Valérie Tracqui
Ocean - Ron Hirschi
Penguin Pete - Marcus Pfister
Sand Dollar, Sand Dollar - Joyce Audy Dos Santos
Sea Turtles - Gail Gibbons
Swimmers - Leo Lionni
Swimmy - Leo Lionni
The Whale Who Wanted to be Small - Gill McBarnet
Walter and the Tugboat - Eugene Bradley Coco
Whale Song - Tony Johnston
What Lives in a Shell?
What's Under the Ocean? - Janet Craig
Who Sank the Boat - Pamila Allen
Delton, Judy. Duck Goes Fishing
George, William T. Fishing at Long Pond
Henley, Claire. In the Ocean
Lionni, Leo. Fish is Fish
Lionni, Leo. Swimmy
Scarry, Richard. Harry and Larry the Fisherman
Seuss, Dr. One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish
Snapshot: In the Sea
A House For Hermit Crab by Eric Carle
Sand Dollar, Sand Dollar by Joyce Audy Dos Santos
Whale Song by Tony Johnston
Is This a House for Hermit Crab by Megan McDonald
At the Beach by Anne Rockwell
Clams Can't Sing

Reading center:

Secure a beach umbrella in a large sand bucket filled with sand or rocks. Spread out several beach towels under the umbrella. Then stock the center with a few beach bags filled with ocean related literature.

Songs

My Octopus Song -

sung to "Three Blind Mice"

Octopus, Octopus
In the Sea, In the Sea
To swim they use all 8 of their arms
Their color changes to hide them from harm
They live in the sea, not on a farm
The Octopus

I'm a Big Whale - sung to "Clementine"

I am swimming, I am swimming,
I am swimming in the sea.
I'm a big whale and I'm swimming,
I am swimming in the sea.
I am singing, I am singing,
I am singing in the sea.
I'm a big whale and I'm singing,
I am singing in the sea.
I am spouting, I am spouting,
I am spouting in the sea.
I'm a big whale and I'm spouting,
I am spouting in the sea.

A Sailor Went to Sea

A sailor went to sea, sea, sea
To see what he could see, see, see
But all that he could see, see, see
Was the bottom of the deep blue sea, sea, sea!

My Fishy Song - sung to "The More We Get Together"

If I could be a fishy,
A fishy, a fishy
If I could be a fishy
What kind would I be?
A swordfish, a guppy,
A goldfish, a molly,
If I could be a fishy,
I would be a (child fills in the blank)

My Starfish Song -

sung to "Mary Had A Little Lamb"

I'm a little brown starfish,
Brown starfish, brown starfish
I'm a little brown starfish
Who lives under the sea

She Sells Seashells

She sells seashells,
By the seashore.
The shells she sells,
Are surely seashells.
So if she sells shells,
On the seashore,
I'm sure she sells,
Seashore shells.

Crazy Crabs

Crazy crabs walk sideways,
What a giddy way to go !
Snails slip slide forwards
And that is very slow!
Ducks waddle, waddle,
And that is funny too,
And what about the hopping
Of the big red kangaroo?
(Actions:Translate words into actions)

Cranky Crabs

Five cranky crabs were digging on the shore.
One swam into a net and then there were four.
Four cranky crabs were floating in the sea.
One got tangled up in seaweed then there were three.
Three cranky crabs were wondering what to do.
One dug a deep, deep hole. Then there were two.
Two cranky crabs were warming in the sun.
One got scooped up in a cup.Then there was one.
One cranky crab was smarter than his friends.
He hid between the jagged rocks.
That's how the story ends.

The Whales

(tune of I'm A Little Teapot)

I'm a humpback whale,
I'm very strong.
I leap about
And sing a song.
I like to eat my fill
In the Northern Sea.
But in the winter,
South I flee.

I am a beluga,
I'm all white.
From head to tail
I'm quite a sight.
You can hear me singing
Way up north,
Playing and swimming
Back and forth.

I'm a mighty orca
Black and white.
In the sea
I'm a beautiful sight.
I'm not very big,
But I am sleek.
I hunt for my food
Cause I have teeth.

I'm A Big Whale

(Clementine)

I am swimming, I am swimming,
I am swimming in the sea.
I'm a big whale and I'm swimming
I am swimming in the sea.

I am singing , I am singing,
I am singing in the sea.
I'm a big whale and I'm singing,
I am singing in the sea.

I am spouting, I am spouting,
I am spouting in the sea.
I'm a big whale and I'm spouting,
I am spouting in the sea.

I Went Swimming in the Ocean

(Tune: I've Been Working on the Railroad)

I went swimming in the ocean
On a summer day.
I went swimming in the ocean
and kicked, and splashed and played.
After lunch we looked for seashells
I found three or four
You can hold one up to your ear
And hear the ocean roar.
Hear the ocean roar
Hear the ocean roar.
You can hear the ocean
Roar, roar, roar.
Hear the ocean roar
Hear the ocean roar
Hear the ocean roar, roar, roar.

Five Little Fishes

Five little fishes (show fingers)
Swimming in the sea (wave hand sideways)
Teasing Mr. Shark,
"You can't catch me!" (shake pointed finger)
Along comes Mr. Shark, (hands like open mouth)
quiet as can be...
Snap!! (clap hands)
Four little fishes (show fingers)
Swimming in the sea . . . .etc.

1,2,3,4,5 I caught a little fish alive.
6,7,8,9,10 and then I let him go again.
Why did you let him go?
Because he bit my finger so.
Which finger did he bite?
The little finger on the right!
(you could do this as a responsive 'reading', with you asking the questions and the children responding.

Slippery Fish by Charlotte Diamond (Like Brown Bear, Brown Bear)

(Could make a class book)

Slippery Fish Slippery fish swimming in the water
Slippery fish, slippery fish ( swimming motion with hands)
Gulp Gulp Gulp
Oh No it's been eaten by an...
Octopus, Octopus wiggling in the water
Octopus, Octopus ( link thumbs together and wiggle fingers like an octopus's tentacles)
Gulp Gulp Gulp
Oh No, it's been eaten by a...
Tuna fish, tuna fish flashing through the water
Tuna fish, tuna fish (place palms together and open and shut hands)
Gulp Gulp Gulp
Oh no it's been eaten by a great white shark, great white shark lurking in the water
great white shark, great white shark (use whole arms to make like a sharks jaws opening and shutting)
Gulp Gulp Gulp
Oh No it's been eaten by a humungous whale, humongous whale spouting in the water ( place arms out to sides andswing them up and down indicating a large whale)
GULP GULP GULP
BUUURRRPPPP! Pardon Me!

Five Scrumptious Shrimp
Five scrumptious shrimp burrowed in the mud
Hiding from their predators in the slimy crud
Along came a fish as quiet as he could
GULP!
Four scrumptious shrimp burrowed in the mud....

A song that went over really well this week was "Aloha" (sung to Happy Birthday to you)

Aloha to you
Aloha to you
Aloha means hello
Aloha to you

Aloha to you
Aloha to you
Aloha means good bye
Aloha to you

Aloha to you
Aloha to you
Aloha means I love you
Aloha to you

Math

*Sandy Numbers

Print hollow numbers on squares of paper. Have kids fill in with glue & sprinkle with colored sand. Then have kids close their eyes & feel numbers to try & name it.

* Beach Ball!

Write a different numeral (using a permanent marker) on each section of an inflated ball. Toss or roll ball to a child. Have him name & show one of the numbers & give an activity - such as clapping, jumping, ect. for the group to do. Another idea is to have each child name the two numbers closest to his hands. Write them on a board, count out the manipulatives, decide which is grater, or add them together.

Imagination Station (Housekeeping) or (Library)-

I took a refrigerator box (I got it from our local appliance store, free), laid it on it's side so so it looked like a submarine. I cut out windows and on the inside, taped blue saran wrap. I added fish stickers and hot-glued some tp tubes to the top. Both ends are open so the kids crawl in and out. Around it on the floor are stuffed animals from under the sea, lobster, fish, dolphin, etc. and under all of that is a large old blue sheet which represents the ocean. It's really cute and the kids just love it. They read in there, crawl through there - really enjoy it every day.

Writing Center

Make a book with sand glued to pictures of items drawn by children or clip art. Program each page with these words... Sand on the beach. Sand on the doll. Sand on the book. Sand on the ball. Sand on the pail. Sand on the box. Sand on the shoes. Sand on the socks. Sand on the blanket. Sand on the bear. Sand on the shovel. Sand everywhere!

Here are the files associated with this theme.

Beluga Whale pattern	Blue Whale pattern	Crab	Eel
Octopus Template	Crab Poster	Jellyfish	Octopus
olphin	Humpback Whale pattern	Orca Whale pattern	hrimp
Rainbow Fish Pattern