Beach Day- Submitted by Sherry

Have the children come in their bathing suits. Set up a beach area and a sand area. Use a balloon or beach ball to play volleyball. Set up beach ball painting (very messy so have the sprinkler ready!). Enjoy a picnic in the sun. Hide shells and plastic creatures such as crabs, starfish, etc. around the yard and have the children go on a hunt for them.

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Dramatic Play- Submitted by Sherry

Have beach towels, buckets, shovels, beach umbrella, beach chairs, empty sunscreen bottles, picnic basket or cooler.

Make dress-up bathing suits by using a large t-shirt, sew front of bathing suit to front of t-shirt, back of suit to back. Children can just put on t-shirt to play dress-up.

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Dramatic Play- Submitted by Sherry

We set up lounge chairs and put out bathing suits to dress up in along with large hats.

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Beach Party- Submitted by Sherry

everyone come in bathing suits, have water play, play beach music, do your activities outside

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A Day At The Beach- Submitted by Sherry

Provide beach bags, beach towels, sand pails, sand shovels, toy boats, sea shells and empty suntan oil bottles in the housekeeping area.

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Beach Prop Box- Submitted by Sherry

Use a small durable plastic cooler, and put inside, two beach towels, two or more children's swim suits, an empty sun-screen bottle, sun glasses, a bright colored hat, two or more empty plastic soda bottles (glue lids on for younger age children), & sand toys. The children in my class played with this both indoors and outdoors in the sand box.

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Clothing/Dress Up- Submitted by Sherry

Set out a variety of beach hats, sun visors, beach towels, thongs, summer sandals, sunglasses, swim fins. Talk about the types of clothing we wear in the summer because it is warm/hot outside.

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Sand Castles- Submitted by Sherry

If you have a sandbox, wet down the sand and build sand castles.

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Swimming- Submitted by Sherry

Pretend to be swimming in the ocean. Jump over imaginary waves, pretend to surf, listen to Beach Boys while doing this. Don't forget the sunblock!!

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Dramatic Play- Submitted by Sherry

Bring a small wading pool into the classroom, and add lounge chairs (kid-size, preferably), empty sun screen bottles, a cooler with cups for pretend drinks, life preservers or "floaties", and a beach umbrella, stuck in sand in a 5-gallon bucket. Add sea shells to the top of the sand in the bucket. The children can pretend to be at the beach, and swim in the "ocean", with life jackets on, of course!

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Beach Party- Submitted by Sherry

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

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Beach Party- Submitted by Sherry

Towels, Swimsuits, Sunglasses, Fruit, Sand, Shells, Small wading pool

Have each child bring their own towel, swimsuit and sunglasses to school.

The children can help you cut up fruit to make a fruit salad.

Make separate areas for each of the following: sand with shells, pool with water, towels and picnic.

After changing into their swimsuits, the children spread out their towels. They may nor may not choose to wear their sunglasses.

Each child can choose between various activities that are available at the beach - looking for shells in the sand, taking a swim, resting on their towels or having a refreshing snack.

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Day at the Beach- Submitted by Sherry

We also had a day at the beach. We brought a golf umbrella, set it in the sand box, gave all the kids pails and shovels, filled a small wading pool with water and spread a blanket on the ground. Fun in the sun.

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Summer Prop Box Ideas- Submitted by Patrisha

Beach:

blanket, sunglasses, thongs, radio, swim suits, beach ball, towels, ice chest, pictures of the beach, summer tapes (like the Beach Boys), buckets, pails, sand tools/scoops, sand moulds, beach chairs, umbrella, empty suntan lotion bottles, books about the beach, colored sand for sand art, pictures of people at the beach, a sun for decoration, tapes with ocean sounds, sarongs/cover-ups for bathing suits., beach bags, swim fins, face mask, snorkel tubes, beach hats and visors, sea shells, plastic fish, wading pool (outdoor).

Camping:

sleeping bags, pillows, camp stove (cardboard box), wood, hiking maps, back packs, flash lights or lanterns, tent and cooking utensils.

Farm:

overalls, pail, straw, animal brush, empty feed bag, stuffed animals, plastic animal sets, paint a large cardboard box red for a barn.

Fishing:

fishing poles (with bobber & magnet for a hook), plastic worms, plastic fish (with magnets), bucket, fishing net, old clothes, sun hat, gum boots/galoshes, sunglasses, lunch box, lake maps, fish pictures.

Garden:

Large tub (sand/water table), dirt, gardening gloves, seeds or bulbs, gardening tools, paper, markers and craft sticks to make little "signs" to tell what you planted, watering can, plastic pots, artificial plants & flowers.

Hawaiian Isle:

Hawaiian dresses (moomoos), leis (make them from wads of colored tissue paper on a string), grass skirts (made out of green crepe paper - a one time use prop!), tapes/CDs of Hawaiian music, silk/plastic flowers, (see Beach Theme). To make a moomoo: With brightly flower print material cut out two pieces (30"x20") for each moomoo. Sew up the (30") side seams to within 12 inches from the top. Separate the material and fold over the salvage edges of the ((12 inches) side seams and sew each piece to finish the edges of the last 12 inches. Hem the top and bottom edges. (it should now resemble a large tube) Lay the dress down with side seams to outside and tie the ends to form knots at each shoulder leaving room for little arms to go through.

Ice Cream Truck:

Paint a large box (with a lid that can be opened like a freezer door) white and attach to the inside of a child size wheelbarrow. Attach a bell to the handle - to create the sound of the ice cream truck. As a project for the kids have them make "Popsicle's & fudge-sicles" out of heavy cardboard and paint and attach to a Popsicle stick! Make cones out of heavy paper or use the dispenser type cone shaped paper cups. For "scoops" of ice cream purchase colorful large pompoms. Other items to include: ice cream scoop, money, white jacket, hat/visor, coin changer/fanny pack.

Picnic:

blanket, picnic basket, dishes, food, plastic ants and pictures of people picnicking.

Travel:

maps, travel books and pictures, car keys, tickets, money, suitcase, clothes, grooming items, pajamas and sunglasses, travel brochures from local travel agent

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Gardener Play- Submitted by Patrisha

Supply your child with plastic gardening tools, hats, gloves, seeds, flower pots, flower packets and watering cans to pretend to be a gardener.

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Creative Movement- Submitted by Sherry

Wiggle across the floor, using no arms-pretend to swim like a whale.

Using wading pool swim like a fish.

Imitate blow hole of whales using sprinkler, run through before he spays again.

Using props made by children, wiggle an eel from the corals back to home.

Inside a pillow case, squirm like an eel.

Act out ocean poems.

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Lemonade for Sale!- Submitted by Cindy

Your little ones will have some fun on hot days when pretending to sell lemonade. To turn your dramatic-play center or an outside picnic table into a lemonade stand, have children draw posters to advertise the stand. Have a few volunteers help you stir up a pitcher or two of lemonade. During center time or playground time, invite children to take turns being the drink vendors. For added fun, provide play money and a toy cash register to complete the transactions. Are there any budding entrepreneurs in your class?

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Virtual Vacation- Submitted by Cheryl

Who says your kids can't spend their school break on a tropical island or at a snowy ski resort? Let their imaginations take them away. Have the kids select a dream destination (Disney World, anyone?), then help them get some travel books or go online to learn about the location. Choose a "departure" date and let the acting begin: They can put on bathing suits and sunglasses, turn up the Beach Boys tunes, lie out on towels in the living room and sip frozen drinks. Be sure to take pictures of the gang so they can make an album of what they did on their "holiday vacation."

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