-A Digital Camera with video taking capacity.
-Beach Accessories (Beach Towels, Beach Umbrella, Sand Toys, Bathing Suits, goggles, squirt guns, hats, floating accessories (like wings, inflatable toys, life jackets etc), picnic baskets, beach chairs) old magazines, tents, etc.
-If possible: borrow a "sound machine" or a CD with ocean sounds.
-buy a cheap plastic baby pool fill with two or three bags of playground sand available at home depot.
-If possible: borrow a "sound machine" or a CD with ocean sounds.
-buy a cheap plastic baby pool fill with two or three bags of playground sand available at home depot.
Various Activities leading up to the "Beach Day:"
SOCIAL STUDIES:
Map the nearest beaches to where you are. Find its distance. Look for pictures of the place and check out the different activities the beach offers.
With the children's help, plan and set up a beach area.
Brainstorm on all the elements that make a day at the beach, fun,
-picnic
-water play
-sand play
-shell hunting
etc.
Come up with solutions with the children to have makeshift substitutes.
For example:
Water play: squirt guns, water balloons, painting with paint brushes/water/colored chalk, watering cans, wading pool, sprinkler and hose if possible. Slip and slide, etc.
Sand play: fill a child's plastic wading pool with three bags of playground sand.
Shell hunting: purchase shells from a craft store.
SCIENCE:
-Purchase a hermit crab from a pet store and have the children care for it.
-Teach the children water safety
-Teach the children how to do CPR.
MUSIC:
Make a beach music list. Have the children vote on their top 50 selection.
Burn a CD to play on "beach day"
See if you can borrow a steel drum or have someone do a steel drum demonstration.
Look up other various forms of "island music"
On "Beach Day" have children wear their swim suits, or clothes they can get wet in.
GROSS MOTOR ACTIVITIES:
-Have a paddle ball tournament.
-Frisbee toss.
-Beach ball volleyball
-Long jump contest.
-Water balloon toss (the furthest toss)
-Limbo under the stream of a water squirter.
-Slip and slide.
FINE MOTOR and ART:
-With Buckets of Water, Colored Chalk and paintbrushes have a boardwalk where artists can display their side walk art.
-Have children create sand sculptures in your makeshift sand box.
-With paper and glue create sand pictures drawing with the glue and shaking sand on the glue.
DRAMATIC PLAY:
-Have various groups pose for their beach scenes and take pictures.
-Discuss how advertising agencies use pretty pictures to sell products. Have children
pose for advertisements/magazine ads.
-For older children--discuss how some advertisers use subliminal messages to sell products. Have children plan their own indirect way of taking pictures to sell products and have others guess what product they are "selling."
-Encourage children to make their own music videos using the beach props.
MISCELLANEOUS:
- Hide shells (purchased in bulk at a craft store) all around the "beach area" and have the children find them. Give them a maximum of how many each children can take home, so that everyone gets a chance to "find" shells.
-Have a picnic.
-Make a fresh fruit salad.
-Popsicles
-Make ice cream (or serve ice cream)
Have Fun.
