Under the Sea Activities to do at  home
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UNDER THE SEA: Activities to do at home
Submitted by Sue Davies, Resource Connection for Kids

Bubble Wrap Fish
Draw a fish to use as a pattern and cut out from an old file folder or cardboard. An
empty cereal box will also work. Fold a piece of bubble wrap in half so you will be
cutting out 2 identical fish at the same time. Place the fish pattern on top and trace
around with a dark marker. Cut out the fish. Staple around the edge of the fish,
leaving an opening for stuffing. Next take 2 or 3 different colors of tissue paper
and stuff the fish. Staple closed the last opening. Now you have a colorful fish you
can hang in your room.

Bubble Print Fish
Cut out a fish from white paper. Smear some washable paint onto a piece of
bubble wrap just like you were finger-painting ( be careful not to pop the bubbles).
Then carefully lay the paper on top of the bubble wrap, gently pressing down.
When you lift the paper you have a fish with scales. You can rinse the wrap with
water and reuse.

Paper Plate Jellyfish
Cut a large paper plate in half and decorate as you like with crayons or markers.
Glue on some wiggly eyes. Cut several strips of crepe paper (the kind you use to
decorate with) and tape or staple these to the straight side of the plate to be the
tentacles. You can also make a cute bubble wrap jelly fish by following the
directions above, but by cutting the wrap into a semicircle rather than a fish shape.

Paper Plate Crab
Color the outside of a paper plate blue. Then fold in half. Cut 8 strips of blue paper
about 1 inch by 8 inches long. Fan fold these strips and glue or staple 4 to each
side of the plate to make the crab. Cut some ovals for eyes and glue on the top
middle part of the plate (the straight edge).

Ocean Wave Bottle
Materials:
water  
16 oz. clear soda bottles  
blue food coloring  
vegetable oil  
funnels

Directions:
Fill a soda bottle halfway with water. Then add about four drops of blue food
coloring. Using a funnel, fill the bottle the rest of the way with vegetable oil and
then tightly cap the bottle. Tip and tilt the bottles to make "waves."  


Waterscapes
Use empty plastic bottles with screw on lids. First, put in sand (from out sandbox),
then water and color it blue with food coloring. To this, add small shells and little
plastic fish. Finally put the lids back on and tape them shut. Enjoy tipping the
bottles back and forth to see the fish and shells! More exciting if you add some
sparkles.

Starfish
Cut a large starfish shape from white paper. Paint shape with watercolors, then
sprinkle coarse salt on top. Dry flat, brush off dried salt. Salt leaves beautiful
marks on the paint.

Fish Bowl
Take a paper plate and cut a scoop out of the top (so it looks like a fish bowl!).
Have the child color the plate blue and glue on Pepperidge Farm fish crackers!


Aquarium  
Take 2 paper plates & cut out the inner circle.  Tape blue cellophane or  
clear plastic on to the inside of each plate.  Glue fish, shells, sand &  
"seaweed" to the inside & then glue paper plate together to make an  
aquarium


Sea Sun Catcher
Use a square piece of contact paper with half of the backing paper pulled down so
that the sticky side is available. Let the child sprinkle aquarium rocks, torn green
strips of paper (seaweed) and either precut fish or fish snacks on to the contact
paper. When done fold the other side of contact paper over the creation and seal
all sides. Now you have a sea sun catcher.

Ocean Snack
Make blue Jell-O and add the new Dole* pineapple Sea Creatures shapes (or use
gummy fish). Pour into individual plastic dessert cups.

Ocean In A Bag
Materials:
2 ziplock bags
Blue Hair Gel (dollar store)
Small plastic fish or other sea creatures.
Glitter (optional)

Directions:

Fill a ziplock bag about ¾ full with blue hair gel. Next add some small plastic sea
creatures and some glitter if you like. Close the bag to seal. Turn the bag upside
down and put into the second ziplock bag and seal. This prevents leakage when
the you squish the bag to see the sea life inside. This is a great sensory activity
and kids love to squish the bag and move around the things inside.


For More Fun Ideas

To make a cute crab from a paper plate (older children) go to
http://www.ridleyturtles.org/crabcraft.html

A fish from old CDs go to
http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/fishcrafts/l/blcdfish