Footprints in the Sand
lay
out a piece of butcher paper. Put some glue in a pan and have the child
step
in it and then walk across the paper. Then sprinkle some colored sand on
the footprints.
Drawing on Sand
Paper
Set
out crayons and pieces of sandpaper and construction
paper. Let your children use
the crayons to draw on
the sandpaper and construction paper. As they are
drawing, ask
them questions such as these:
"Which paper is easier to draw on? Which paper
makes
the bumpiest lines? What happens if you put
the construction paper over the sandpaper?"
Sand Pails
Draw a sand
pail shape onto orange paper and cut out. Then using sea animal sponges,
or
tag board with paint, dab on painted shape. Then use colored sand to sprinkle over
the painted
impression. Finally, if desired, add glue dots to the middle of each
shape/impression, and sprinkle on colored glitter. Then
attach a yarn handle.
Sand
Painting
Mix
small amounts of sand with different color of liquid tempera
paint.
Give each of your children a spoon and a piece
of finger-paint paper
or butcher paper. Put a spoonful
of paint on each child's paper. Let the
children push
their paint around with the spoons. Add more paint as
needed.
Sand Play
Dough
Mix
together 2 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 1 cup water and a few
drops
vegetable oil. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup sand until the
dough is the desired
texture. Let your children
play with the sand dough. Encourage
them to
describe how the play dough feels as they work with it.
~ or ~
Mix 2 cups of sand, 1 cup of cornstarch and 1 cup of water, heat
mixture while stirring.
When thick, remove from heat and cool.
Sand Castings
Fill cardboard
boxes or plastic dishpans with damps sand. Have your
children use fingers,
craft sticks, or unsharpened pencils
to draw designs in the sand. Be sure the children
etch their designs deeply. When the children are
finished, pour wet plaster of paris over the
designs. Allow the plaster to dry. Write the
children's names on the back of their castings
with a
permanent marker. Carefully remove the castings from
the sand to reveal the
children's designs. Brush or
rinse off excess sand and let the children paint their
castings.
Variation: Instead of having children draw
designs, press each child's barefoot firmly
in the sand
(the imprint must be at least one inch deep) and then
carefully lift it straight up.
Then fill with
plaster of paris as described above.
Seashell Magnet Art
Materials Needed:
Seashells
Magnet strips
Small dried or silk flowers
Low temperature glue gun
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Directions:
In the seashell's opening, arrange the small flowers. An adult can then
use
a low temp. glue gun to secure these. The magnet can be glued on the
back.
Sunglasses
Cut sunglasses shape out of cardboard. Glue on colored saran
wrap to make lenses.
Sun
Visor
Cut a sun visor
shape from poster board or a light weight cardboard.
Provide crayons, markers,
stickers, or other materials for your child to use to decorate the visor.
Use a hole punch to
make a hole in each end of the visor. Thread elastic string through
the holes and tie securely.
Shell Art
Invite your children to do one or more of these
activities.
Make sculptures by gluing shells onto small rocks or pieces of
wood.
Trace around shells with crayons or markers to make designs on
paper.
Create beach scenes by gluing sand and small shells on blue
paper.
Colored Shells
Glue colored shells
on a clip art beach picture
Star Fish
Cut out starfish shapes. Give the children glue, sand
(sensory-texture) and
some sequins (visual) to decorate the starfish. Hang them around the room.
Colored Sand and Salt Shakers
Gather several salt shakers and fill each with a mixture of equal parts of
clean
sand and powdered tempera paint. Set the salt shakers, along with
construction
paper and glue, on a table. Allow the kids to use the glue to make
ocean animal
designs on their papers and then cover them with different salt
shaker mixtures.
~ or
~
Sand Jars
Use sand (or salt- its cheaper) mixed with dry tempera (add a
tablespoon at a
time to the salt/sand to achieve the color you want.)
Use clear jars and make sand
pictures by layering the colors. Use
pencils to create points around the edges.
Fill in top with glue to keep
sand from shifting when done. Let dry and put lid on.
Sandy
Footprints
Dip a
child's foot in glue, then print onto paper. (Have a bucket of warm, soapy
water and
towels on hand). After a quick cleanup, the child can sprinkle sand
on the glue. Allow to dry.
Egg Carton
Crabs
Use egg cartons. Cut them
individually. Let the children paint them. Hole punch
around the bottoms. Attach pipe cleaners for legs and antennas if
you wish.
Permanent Sand Castle
Combine
6 cups sand with 1 cup Wheat paste (Recipe follows.)
Add water until
the mixture feels slightly sticky and
packs firmly into shapes. Set out plastic
containers
for molds and a large wooden board or a piece of
cardboard. Let your
children work together to create
a large sand castle. Allow the castle to dry
overnight.
Variation: Give each of your children a small
wooden board or a piece of cardboard for
building an
individual sand castle. Put all of the sand castles
together to create a sand city.
Wheat Paste Recipe: Combine 1/3 cup flour and
2 tablespoons sugar in a saucepan.
Slowly pour in 1
cup water and mix well. Cook over low heat,
stirring
constantly, until thickened. Makes 1 cup.
Sand Pictures
Let
your children use glue to paint pictures or designs on
pieces of construction
paper. Then have them
sprinkle pinches of sand over the glue. Let the
glue
dry a bit before having the children shake off the excess
sand.
Beach In A
Bottle
Last year I did Beach in a
Bottle with my group at daycare. We used a small
plastic soda bottle filled it part way with sand then added small
seashells
and little stones. We glued on the lid, set the bottle on it's side and
there you have it.....beach in a bottle.
Beach Scene
Using
watercolor paints, encourage your children to paint a beach scene.
Beach
Color
rock salt by soaking in alcohol and food coloring. I made blue, green,
and brown. Children make a collage using blue or green for the ocean,
brown
for the sand and some uncolored rock salt for shells. My class loved
doing
this because the rock salt looks like gemstones.
Beach Box
Turn
old shoe boxes into special reminders of the ocean. Ask your
children to cut out
small fish that you can hang from the top of the boxes with thread.
Use bits of green
streamer or ribbon for seaweed. Children can paint glue on the
bottom of the boxes
and sprinkle real sand on them. If you are planning an actual beach
trip, do this project
when you return and decorate your boxes with your ocean treasures -
sea glass, pretty rocks, and sea shells!
Beach Wreaths
Cut
wreath shapes out of heavy white paper or tag board. Have children paint
or color the wreath shape yellow. Let dry. Dribble glue all over wreath,
then
sprinkle on sand, let dry. Glue on shells, pebbles, seaweed, bay leaves,
etc. When dry, tie yarn in a loop through a hole at the top for hanging.
Sandpaper Print Beach Bag
Materials
Needed:
Canvas beach bag (or any fabric - even construction paper works!)
Sandpaper (any grade)
Crayons
Iron (Always have an adult present when using)
Ironing board
Wax paper and old towel
Directions:
Draw on the sandpaper with the crayons. The drawing must be on the grainy
side of the
paper. You must press really hard with the crayon on the sandpaper.
Set the iron to high and remember to always have an adult present when working
with the iron.
Lay an old towel on the ironing board. Put your canvas bag on top of it.
Put the sandpaper,
with the crayoned side down, on top of the bag. Iron the back side
of the
sandpaper. You have to iron until you see a waxy print on the sandpaper.
Lift the sandpaper! Your sandpaper should have left a print.
While the bag is still
warm you can color on it with crayons. This is great for touch ups or just
black-lining your design. Lay wax paper on top of the design. Lay the
towel on top of that and iron one last time.
Sand
Dough Art
Bring
a bit of the beach home and use it to make play dough that hardens in the
sun.
Work together as you shape the play dough into summertime sculptures.
Materials / Ingredients Needed::
• measuring cup • 1 cup sand • saucepan • bowl • 1/2 cup cornstarch •
3/4 cup water • cookie sheet or tray • shells or pebbles • leaves
Directions:
Let your child help you pour the ingredients into a saucepan. Cook
until very thick.
Let mixture cool and then put it into a bowl. Let your child knead
the cooled mixture for
a few minutes. Together with your child form the dough into shapes
or free form "sculptures."
Press in shells or pebbles, if you wish. Carefully lift the finished
sculptures onto a tray
or cookie sheet. Place the tray of sculptures out in the sun to bake
for 1-2 days until hard.
Cover any remaining mixture in bowl with plastic wrap for later use.
Ideas to Explore Together.
How does the dough feel when it is soft? When it is hard?
Tell me about your sculpture.
While you are having fun together, this activity helps your child develop
eye/hand
coordination, small muscle skills, and an understanding of cause and
effect.
Shell Photo
Frame
Family Dollar has a white square picture frame with seashells on it.
It's great for a beach photo and only $1.00. A child could make a design
on it with glue and sprinkle sand on the wet glue to make it more their
own.
Pasta Shell Art
Set out several colors of paint along with uncooked
pasta shells. Have your children
paint the shells and allow them to dry. Then let them glue the colored
shells onto
heavy paper any way they wish to make collages. To extend the activity,
encourage the children to use some of the shells to create color patterns.
Seashell
Bracelet
Materials Needed:
Beads
Fishing line
Sea shells
Scissors
Directions:
Have the children string beads and/or sea shells on fishing line.
Tie the bracelet around
the child's wrist, making sure that it is loose enough for the child to
slip on and off.
Starfish
Give children a
starfish pattern cut from construction paper or tag board and some sand.
Have them put some glue on the cutout and sprinkle sand over it and then
let it dry.
Sand Drizzles
A simple project children of all ages can do. Drip,
drizzle and swirl white craft glue on heavy construction paper or
cardboard.
Then sprinkle sand over the top, shake off the excess and let dry.
Beach Ball
Painting
Set up a small round
baby pool. Cut white bulletin board paper into a class supply
of circles sized to fit the bottom of your pool. To try this jumbo
painting experience,
a child puts on an art smock and picks up a beach ball. Using either
squeeze
bottles or paintbrushes dipped in washable paint, he puts some paint on
the ball.
Then he places the ball in the pool. With the help of an adult
helper, he moves
the ball around by gently tilting and moving the pool. Remove the
paper and lay
it flat to dry. When everyone has done some beach ball painting,
you'll have
a collection of colorful beach balls do display throughout your classroom.
Beach In A
Baggie
Materials Needed:
Ziploc® bag for each child
sand
shaving cream
blue food coloring
seashells
small plastic crabs, fish, seagulls, or any other beach inhabitant
Directions:
Allow each child to pour enough sand (but not too much) to cover the
bottom of the Ziploc® bag. Add seashells and beach inhabitants
so that they can be seen from the outside of the bag. Squirt some
shaving cream into the bag. Add a few drops of blue food coloring.
Close the bag. Allow the children to rub their fingers over the
outside
of the bag to mix the food coloring and shaving cream to create
foamy
waves. The bag can then be reopened to add fish and other sea creatures
into the "water," if desired. I would suggest sealing the bag with
blue
or clear packing tape so the children cannot get into the shaving
cream.
Sand Sculptures
Materials Needed:
3 cups play sand
1 old big cooking pot
add 1 1/2 cups cornstarch to the sand in the pot
add 1 1/2 cups water to the mixture
Directions:
Cook over low heat stirring constantly until it thickens. (about 2
minutes) then take off to cool.
Once completely cooled - gives the kids a wad of it on newspaper to mold
and
make what they like. It should dry hard - but didn't say how long it
would take.
Beach Wreaths
Cut
wreath shapes out of heavy white paper or tag board.
Have children paint or color the wreath shape yellow. Let dry.
Dribble glue all over wreath, then sprinkle on sand, let dry.
Glue on shells, pebbles, seaweed, bay leaves, etc.
When dry, tie yarn in a loop through a hole at the top for hanging.
Sandy Beaches
Materials Needed:
Paper, sand, white glue, glue brushes, pie tins,
precut sun, beach balls, buckets, etc.
Directions:
Assemble materials and pour glue into pie tins. Invite the children to
paint
pictures using white glue for paint. Then let them sprinkle pinches of
sand
over the glue. Wait a few minutes until the material has had a chance
to stick, then shake of excess. Have the children make beaches by
brushing glue across the bottom of light blue construction paper
and sprinkling sand on the glue. When their papers are dry, let them
paste on precut sun and boat shapes to create summer beach scenes.