This year's Summer Reading Program theme (for kids) is Make a Splash!
Chapter 3 - Wow! The Wonders of Water:
The Science of Water -
- Sink or Float - this activity can be two activities in one. First you need to make (or buy) a "stage" for a puppet, and then make (or buy) a puppet. The puppet is a game show host for the game show Sink or Float, which is basically a science experiment where you gather random items and drop them into a tub of water to see if they will sink or float. If you have a large group, it may help to divide the group into two and randomly select team captains who can ask their group whether they think the item will sink or float, but ultimately the team captains have the final say.
- Lumpy Liquids/Squishy Solids - these are science experiments that can by found on the FLYP Wiki but basically any experiment where you turn a liquid into a solid would work for this title.
- Book Suggestion(s): Can it Really Rain Frogs by Spencer Christian and Bathtub Science by Shar Levine
Water Conservation -
How Much Water Matching Game - The SRP Manual has a matching game called "How Much Water", where you must attempt to match how much water is used to certain activities (brushing teeth, flushing toilet, producing a car and its four tires, etc.). If you want the exact worksheet, you can contact me, but this is easily reproducible if you make your own sheet with facts you've looked up.
Book Suggestion(s): Flush by Carl Hiassen
It's Raining -
The Umbrella - There is a draw and tell story called The Umbrella. The exact story can be found in the SRP Manual, but the premise is basic enough that you probably don't need it - A boy (a dot) is stuck inside because his mom won't let him go out in the rain. When it finally stops, he goes outside and up a hill, then down the hill (the top curve of the umbrella), once he gets to the bottom (a dot opposite the first), he starts going home but runs into puddles which he must jump over (forming the mini bottom arches of an umbrella); when he is almost back to the original dot, it starts raining again but luckily the boy has remembered his umbrella (finish connecting to the original dot and add the handle).
Weather Mobile - A basic version of the weather mobile craft presented can be found at Crayola's website, here. The one presented at the workshop had the sun on one side, and a rain cloud (backed with blue paper) on the other. Also, the pieces hanging included suns and clouds instead of just rain.
The Rain Came Down - Read the book The Rain Came Down by David Shannon and let the kids make the noise of the rain by either snapping, clapping, or rubbing their hands together, and make the noises for other parts of the book (i.e. sirens wailing and the ice cream truck - it should be interesting to see the different interpretations of each sound).
Other Book Suggestion(s): It's Raining, It's Pouring by Kin Eagle and Rob Gilbert, Move Over, Rover by Karen Beaumont (similar to Jan Brett's The Mitten), and Just Add Water: Science Projects You Can Sink, Squirt, Splash, Sail.
Chapter 4 - An Ocean of Fun:
Life's a Beach -
Musical Beach Ball Hot Potato - This game is exactly the same as hot potato except a beach ball is used, and is set to music so that when the music stops, the person holding the beach ball is out.
Crab Walk Relay - A group is divided into teams and compete against each other in a relay race where they must run to a bucket containing soft items (it doesn't really matter what you use - a beanbag would work well). At the bucket, they must pull out an item, balance it on their stomach, and crab walk back to their teammates, where the next person would repeat these actions until the race is complete.
Shell Art - A very simple craft using clean shells (or rocks) - just paint a design on them!
Sand Art & Sandpaper Art - Those who do not know what sand art is need to stop living under a rock, and sandpaper art was just a suggestion of a different texture to use when creating art - use crayons and color on the rough side of sandpaper. The specific example shown at the workshop was a treasure map - colored on and then cut out and pasted on white paper.
Over in the Ocean - First, get a copy of the book Over in the Ocean by Marianne Berkes. Make copies of the creatures on each page, then hand out the creatures to different children during a storytime. All of the children can help by saying "over in the ocean" and the number of creatures on the page, but those with pictures of the creatures must "swim" up and hand in their picture when their part is read, however they think best goes with the story (i.e. the pufferfish that must "puff" might puff out their cheeks and float up like a balloon).
The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark - Instead of just reading The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark by Ken Geist, if you can get your hands on either fish and shark cut-outs or hats, you may want to let the children act out the book. It's the same premise as The Three Little Pigs, so it shouldn't be difficult even for young children to remember "little fish, little fish, let me come in" or the reply "not by the skin of my finny fin fin" - even those who are not one of the main characters can join in these lines.
Octopus' Garden -
Ship to Shore - This game can be complicated, so you can change the rules depending on your group. Put a sign that says "ship" on one wall of the room you are in (or on a tree if you are outside), and on the opposite wall put up a sign that says "shore". Start out by telling your group that when you say "ship" they must walk towards the sign that says "ship" ("shore" obviously means go towards the "shore" sign), then start adding in the different commands you can find here. The extra commands vary from "hit the deck!" (lay down on your stomach) to "peg leg" (hop on one foot).
I'm Wrestling with an Octopus - If it is possible for you to get a helper, you might consider reading Jack Prelutsky's poem I'm Wrestling with an Octopus (you can find the poem in the book A Pizza the Size of the Sun), with your helper standing behind you doing the motions of the octopus.
Clam Craft - Using a small to-go container, color the container, stick on googly eyes, draw a pearl inside (or use a marble), and voila, you have a clam.
Jellyfish Craft - Turn a bowl upside down and color the bowl. Glue strips of bubble wrap or other plastic (or fabric, if you have nothing else) from the bottom of the bowl to make a jellyfish.
Sock-to-pus - Take an old, long sock and stuff beans or rice in the toes. Rubberband (or tie a ribbon) around the beans, then cut the remaining part of the socks into eight strips. Decorate the strips and add eyes to the round part, and you have an octopus. Click here for more detailed directions and a picture.
Starfish Craft - I was very unimpressed with this craft. You just take an egg carton and cut the bottom of the cup part into a star shape. After seeing the FLYP Wiki picture, it looks cuter than the one presented. Click here to see it.
Fish Mobile - This is the same craft as the Weather Mobile mentioned earlier, only using fish. I have patterns for the fish, if anyone is interested.
Coffee Filter Fish - Color a coffee filter with markers, then spray with water. When it dries, wrap the coffee filter around a smaller wad of paper, and rubberband. There should be enough of the coffee filter sticking out of the rubber band to make a fish tail. Add googly eyes, or just draw them on and you have a very tiny fish.
Book Suggestion(s): Seashells by the Seashore by Marianne Berkes and Out of the Ocean by Debra Frasier
Chapter 5 - High Seas:
Island Adventure -
Pirate Chant - I don't know any way to describe this except as a full body fingerplay. You can find the "fingerplay" in this Vermont library's document here under "Pirates" - "Captain of the Pirates"
Hula Hoop Games - Two possible hula hoop games are to see who can hula the longest, and see who can roll their hoop the farthest (you'll have to get prior attempts out of the way before others can take their turns for this one).
Tacky Tourist Relay - Everyone has probably played some version of this relay. Divide a group into teams and they race to one end where a bag of clothes are waiting for them to put on. In this case the clothes were sunglasses, a hat, a lei and a tropical looking shirt, and the bag was a beach bag. This specific version was designed for 5 people on each team, but it can always be modified to include more or less. The first person had to run down, grab one item out of the bag, put it on, run back to their team and put their item on the next person. The second person would then run down to the bag with one item already on, grab another item, and put both items on the third person. The last person would have to be wearing everything and run down and bring the beach bag back.
Do Pirates Take Baths? - If your group is old enough to read, you might consider having them use this activitiy to "interview" a pirate. Grab a copy of the book Do Pirates Take Baths by Kathy Tucker. Write or type out the questions found in the book and pass them out to your group, then let them take turns asking you (or someone else dressed as a pirate) the questions, while you find the answers in your handy dandy pirate notebook.
Grass Skirt - I'm not entirely sure who the presenters intended this to fit, but if you take a large brown paper bag and either "hem" over the sides or just wrap on several layers of tape, then cut the bottom into strips, you can make [very small] grass skirts.
"Flowered" Leis - Using cupcake wrappers, string, and straws, string together the cupcake wrappers back-to-back with straws in between the pairs to keep them seperated. Ta-da, Leis!
Pirate Face Craft - This is like a paper doll pirate version of the classic Mr. Potato Head. I have access to the "official" pieces you're welcome to, but I'm sure if you use your imagination and creativity you can come up with one just as good.
Pirates Parrot - Very simple - using cardstock (or use regular paper and glue it onto cardboard), print out two pictures of a parrot, then glue them to either side of a clothespin so you can attach the clothespin parrot to the shoulder of your shirt.
Pirate Hat - Like the pirate face, I have the original document, but you can probably make one just as good. Take a piece of black posterboard and cut it into the shape of a pirate hat; cut a slit in the hat so that it fits over your head, and add a skull and crossbones.
Book Suggestion(s): Edward and the Pirates by David McPhail, The Ballad of the Pirate Queens by Jane Yolen, How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long, Island of the Aunts by Eva Ibbotson, and Pippi in the South Seas by Astrid Lindgren
Recycled Regatta -
Knot Tying - Self-explanatory - have a Boy Scout leader, sailor, or anyone familiar with tying knots come in and do a presentation on how to tie some lesser-known knots. Good luck making this one sound fun.
Write Your Name in Flag - Use the Nautical Flags found here to write your name or messages in "Flag".
Chapter 6 - Splish Splash Summer:
Baths, Bubbles & Rubber Ducks -
Rubber Duck Balance Tag Game - Teams must make their way from a starting line to a finish line while balancing a rubber duck on their heads. If someone's rubber duck falls off their head, they must freeze. Their teammate must bend down without dropping their duck, retrieve the fallen duck, and put it back on their teammates head. The first team to have all of its members cross the finish line wins. The game can also end if everyone on a team has dropped their duck.
No Spill Bubble Blower - Take an old plastic margarine tub and punch a hole (big enough for a straw) in the side towards the top. Punch another hole in the lid. Fill with bubble solution and blow in the straw. Bubbles (should) come out of the hole in the lid.
Make Your Own Soap Critters - Use ivory soap to create your own sea-critter shaped soap. Instructions for this project can be found here.
Soap Bubble Art - First, cover all tables and floors you will be near. Combine bubble solution and a few drops of tempera paint in a bowl. Stick a straw or a thinner paper towel/toilet paper roll into the solution covering the open end with your hand. When you remove the straw, a film of the colored bubble solution should be visible on the opposite end (just like on a bubble wand coming out of bubble solution). Blow (on the non-paint-covered end, obviously) and spray onto paper for very iteresting art.
Paper Plate Rubber Ducky - Take a paper plate and fold it in half; color the plate whatever color you want your duck to be; using construction paper of the same color, cut out a circle for the head and attach it to one (pointed) end; trace and cut out one of your hands twice and attach them to the other end for the tail "feathers".
Wash Cloth Fish - For this craft you will need ribbon, a washcloth, and a bar of soap. Like the coffee filter fish mentioned earlier, wrap the washcloth around the soap and tie with the ribbon. You should now have a fish shape. If you want kids to be able to use the soap in the bathtub, limit the decorations you put on the fish. Gluing on sequins, as was shown to us at the workshop, would make the washcloth scratchy and uncomfortable to use.
Another Coffee Filter Fish - This coffee filter fish is two crafts in one. Using a large coffee filter, cut out the shape of a fish. Place the coffee filter on a paper plate and color with markers, then spray with water. When the coffee filter and plate dry, you can remove the coffee filter and an imprint of the fish's design will be left on the paper plate. You can then use the coffee filter to glue onto a blue piece of construction paper and decorate an aquarium scene.
Marvelous Manatees -
Scar Charts - Sadly, manatees are identified by their scars. If you can get an outline of a manatee printed out for your group, you can show them pictures of manatees who have scars, and they can try to draw the scars on the manatee outline.
Talk Like a Manatee Obstacle Course - This race requires teams of two - one person will be blindfolded. The teammate not blindfolded must guide the blindfolded teammate around cones or other obstacles using sounds they come up with before the race. Each team should come up with four different sounds (forward, left, right, back) and they cannot be words. It should be very interesting to hear all of the different sounds. Non-blindfolded teammates can walk next to their blindfolded partner, but may not touch them. First team over the finish line is the winner.
Manatee Bag Puppet - Make a paper bag puppet with a paper bag and the pieces found here.
Manatee Sock Critter - Stuff a long gray sock with beans, rice, or another filler. Rubberband the sock towards the toe for a head, and towards the end for the tail (look at a picture of a manatee for further inspiration). Draw a face, and using gray construction paper cut out and glue manatees fins/"arms" to the side.
Book Suggestion(s): I'm a Manatee by John Lithgow
Chapter 7 - Squish Squash:
Frogs & Turtles -
The Biggest Frog in Australia - A creative way of telling the story The Biggest Frog in Australia by Susan Roth is to get a helper (or just have a good set of lungs) to blow up a red balloon as the frog drinks all the water, then release the balloon when the frog laughs it all out.
Alligators in the Everglades -
Mama Don't Allow - Tell the story Mama Don't Allow by Thacher Hurd (with or without the book) and let the children make the motions and sounds of the different instruments.
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