Beach Fun

>Today we learned more about ocean and beach. I brought a DVD to play in the quiet room while we were playing today. It is the IMAX Under the Sea DVD. The kids loved it It shows real ocean creatures-squid, sharks, sea otters, crabs, lots of different fish, sea snakes, eels, sea dragons, and more. We got to see how they hide on the ocean floor, how they camouflage into their surroundings, and how they hunt for food. We saw a crab wearing a jellyfish as a hat! It was amazing to see how colorful the coral and other ocean plants are. This movie is done beautifully.

Mrs. Jodie did a small group at the table today with sand art. First, the children could use a magnifying glass to study sand. Then, the got to make a design on a paper plate with glue, and sprinkle sand on top of the glue-either brown or purple sand. Then the excess sand was dumped off the paper plate to reveal a beautiful sand creation. The kids loved doing this so much, they were asking to have more than one turn. Mrs. Jodie was a trooper keeping up with all the sandy fun.

This morning, some of us looked at a really big book Mrs. Debbie left for us. It is all about ocean creatures, and is filled with amazing pictures. A few of the children took turns turning the pages and Mrs. Beth would talk about the ocean animals that each page revealed. They looked at every page, and we saw alot of creatures, both familiar and unique.

In circle time, we played a game or beach ball hot potato, and looked at pictures of things we would and wouldn’t find on a beach. A lifeguard? Yes! A chicken? No! It was good practice at sorting, and we got to further explain beach vocabulary. We all know now what a surfer does, and that you can use an umbrella on the beach to protect yourself from the sun.

We got to play outside today! It was cloudy, but the rain has stopped. The worm farm and garden were too muddy to explore, but we enjoyed fresh air and time outdoors.