Beach - decorating

I didn't want to go overboard (sorry bad pun!) with my beach decorating so I just tucked a few items throughout the house.

on the window sill

in the living room

on the dining room table

in the dining room

on the book shelf

Little collections that subtly suggests our theme during our very casual summertime home learning.

~ joey ~

-----------------------------------------------------

If you would like to have your related links included in one of the themes, click here.

Beach - link up

from:  madebyjoey

Some of the different ways that we

'Sea Creativity'

and

Our 'Marvelous and Mysterious Beachcombing' experience

-----------------------------------------------

If you would like to have your related links included in one of the themes, click here.

Beach - sorting shells in artful ways

Sorting shells is fun for little and big people!

We filled a basket with a bunch of different types and sizes of shells and had some fun learning.

What else did we use?

~ this sorting sheet from Playful Learning (page 14)

~ small baskets

~ a sheet of white poster board

 

We sorted according to shape, type of shell and size.

Then we arranged the shells in mandala type designs.

Simple learning fun!

~ joey ~

-------------------------------------------------------

If you would like to have your related links included in one of the themes, click here.

Linking up to:

Keep Calm Craft On {crafting on}

and



and

and

and

and

Beach - Learning and play

Subjects:

Math:

- shell counting and sorting

- counting - octopus and starfish/sunfish legs
- beach sudoku (draw a grid and numbers in the sand and solve the puzzle)

Language: 

- paint letters on rocks to spell words

- write a message in a bottle
- glue shells to driftwood to spell your name
- BEACH acrostic poem

Science: 

- beach ecosystem

- beach plantlife

- different types of beaches - sandy, rocky, gravely

- tidal pools

- animals that come to shore
- make a labelled beach display of things you find on the beach
- look at sand, plants, shells, etc. through a microscope
- what floats?  (guess which items from the beach will float or sink in water)
- what does 'beachlife' eat?
- crabs - compare sizes, different species, parts of a crab
- shells - different types, parts of a shell
- plants - kelp, seaweed, grasses, bushes, flowers

Geography: 

- which countries have an ocean beach?
- which provinces (Canada) have an ocean beach?

- different types of beaches around the world
- locate local beaches on the map
- how far away are the beaches? closest, furthest?
- Name the oceans

beach art

Active Play: 

- the crab race
- beach sandbox - pails, shovels, plastic beach animals, shells, driftwood, rocks, flags, pattern maker (for making patterns in the sand)
- make a raft or boat to sail

Imaginative Play: 

- beach fairy houses
- blue silks 

Practical Life Skills:

Crafts:

- beach art (above photo)
- sew a terry cloth starfish bean bag
- large clam shell candles
- shells with googly eyes
- shell wreaths
- shell angels
- photo cards:  photos of words written in the sand, beach art, etc.
- sew a beach bag
- painted rocks, driftwood creatures
- tye dyed beach towels
- sand art
- rubbing of shells

- beach glass jewelry

- rope knots or wound around driftwood or vases, sand in glass containers with shells and candls
- glass filled with beachglass and battery tealight in center

Activity/colouring sheets:
Jan Brett - Hedgie takes the kids to the beach, sea shells,
sea turtles ,printable bookmarks for Comet's Nine Lives 

Games and toys: puzzles, go fish card game, beach tic tac toe (drawn in the sand), checkers (draw the board in the sand and use shells or stones as checkers), beach themed animal stuffies, bath toys

Pinterest Galleries:

http://pinterest.com/madebyjoey/home-studies-beach/

Links to blog posts:
http://madebyjoey.blogspot.ca/2012/05/marvelous-mysterious-beachcombing.html

http://madebyjoey.blogspot.ca/2012/03/beaches-and-kites.html

http://madebyjoey.blogspot.ca/2011/06/sea-creativity.html 

http://madebyjoey.blogspot.ca/2011/07/summer-fun.html

http://madebyjoey.blogspot.ca/2011/07/corners-of-our-home.html

Reference & printable materials:

Playful Learning - 

http://playfullearning.net/ocean-treasures-a-counting-book/

http://playfullearning.net/everybody-needs-a-rock-classifying-sorting/

http://playfullearning.net/searching-for-hermit-crabs/

Activity Village -
http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/beach_games_and_activities.htm

Internet sites - Kid friendly:

Beach - Booklist

Reference/Non Fiction:

~Eyewitness - Seashore (printable here)
~Eyewitness Explorers - Shells
~Take a Beachwalk - Jane Kirkland
~Science in Seconds at the Beach - Jean Potter
~Oceans Alive - Along the Shore - John Woodward

Craft:
~Crafts for kids who are wild about oceans - Kathy Ross
~The Children's Year - Stephanie Cooper, Christine Fynes-Clinton and Marye Rowling (Gnome in the shell Page 59, Toddler's sunhat Page 70, Baby's sunbonnet Page 68)
~Little felted animals - Marie-Noelle Horvath (needlefelted baby seal Page 22)


Story books/Early childhood:
~Good night beach - Adam Gamble

~A home for Hermit Crab - Eric Carle
~Comet's nine lives - Jan Brett
~Harry by the sea - Gene Zion
~Tideline Treasure - Todd Ballantine
~All you need for a beach - Alice Schertle
~The story of the sea glass - Anne Wescott Dodd
~Out of the Ocean - Debra Frasier

Youth:

~Jonathoan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach

Beach - Planning Ideas

Important dates and celebrations:

Possible times to use this topic:  July, August

Extensions of this theme: the ocean, boats, lighthouses, crabs, shells, sand, clams, seaweed/shore plants, starfish, barnacles, shore birds, seagulls, sand dollars, tides/moon, pirates, mermaids

Decorations:  nature table (shown above), shells, stones,  driftwood, boats, anchors, lighthouses, sand dollars, starfish, rope/knots, sea turtles, umbrellas, flip flops, sunglasses, sunhats, towels, grass mats

Common items to use:  dishes in the shape of or with beach items on them (plastic or china), themed handle spreaders, mini umbrellas for drinks, ocean printed napkins or placemats, hurricane lamps filled with sand, shells and candles, beach towels with beach item on them, shell or starfish shaped soap, bath or beach toys, your sandbox

Foods:  clams, mussels, oysters, crab, lobster, dried seaweeds/kelp/dulse, sushi

Clothing:  Clothing with starfish, crabs, shells etc. on it, temporary tattoos, sunhats, sunglasses, flip flops, swimsuits, wraps

Music:  Beach Boys 

Movies:
Documentaries: 
        Eyewitness - Seashore

Entertainment: 

Outings:  visit the beach, attend a naturalist tour, visit a museum exhibit or ocean centre, have dinner at a seafood restaurant

Supplies to keep available:  paper and envelopes in green, blue, turquoise, white, navy, and brown, starfish/crab/shell pencils, erasers, notepads, rubber stamps and ink pads, stickers and embellishments, stencils, temporary tattoos, bookmarks, paper die cuts, glue, scissors, tape, baskets of shells and googly eyes, colouring and activity sheets

Butterflies - link up

**one more butterfly Link Up before we move on to the Beach theme...!

from:  crafty moms share

Carrie from Crafty Moms Share has shared some of her favourite butterfly books as well as several crafts that she has made with her daughter at home.

Thanks for Linking Up Carrie!

~ joey ~

------------------------------------------------------

If you would like to have your related links included in one of my themes, click here.

Beach Theme is next!

I am busy planning our next theme - The Beach!

I'll be back in a day or two with my Planning Ideas, Learning and Play Ideas (with printables!) and our Booklist.

Here are some of the fun ideas I have pinned on my Pinterest Beach board to get you started.

If you have a beach theme blog post about learning ideas, craft ideas or a Pinterest board that you'd like to Link Up, I'd love to include it!

You can contact me here.

"Sea you soon!"

~ joey ~

Butterflies - visiting a butterfly house

Julia

To wrap up our butterfly theme we visited a butterfly house yesterday.

(I tried to identify all of the species, if a photo is not labelled and you know what it is please leave a comment)

White Tree Nymph

Pink Cattleheart

White Tree Nymph

The butterflies were magical, the greenhouse was warm and humid, and the plants colourful and fragrant.

Koi fish

Our tour guide gave an informative (and humourous) tour which included various other species that reside in the garden as well.

Tortoise

Emerging Cabinet

The kids had a great time observing up close all that we have "studied" about butterflies and their life cycle.  They looked at butterfly and insect parts under microscopes, found eggs, caterpillars, cocoons, and butterflies in the plants growing in the gardens and enjoyed seeing the reptiles and birds.

Flamingos

Poison Dart Frog

Poison Dart Frog

"Leo" the 16 year old parrot

Chameleon

Nesting Ringneck Dove

Tortoise

Brown Clipper

If you have a Butterfly House in your area it's a great opportunity for children to see butterflies up close and add a 'visual' to what they have learned from books and worksheets.

~ joey ~

-----------------------------------------------------

If you have a butterfly, moth or caterpillar related post and would like to Link Up please click here.

Linking up to: