Written by: Michelle Goodwin, LPC – Therapist – San Marcos location
The days are getting warmer and we are still in lock down. Why not plan a day at the beach…COVID-19 style? There are inside and outside activities. The weather has been in the 80’s so it may be just the time for out-door water activities. There will be some preparation for activities to happen. Better to decide what activities you can do and then do the preparation for each activity before you tell the kids what you are doing. You may need time to figure out how to adapt to your space. Part one of the blog is to do the inside activity for day at the beach
Activity 1: Collect Seashells –
Collect seashells is a two-part activity: 1st part is coloring shell shells from printable coloring sheets or drawing them freehand and then 2nd part is a collecting shells.
Creating Seashells:
Materials needed printable coloring sheets of seashells from internet. (Free printable coloring sheets: (Pinterest – Coloring Home or Color Pages for Mom) ; 1 sheet with several shells printed on the paper (any where from 6-12 )for each child; crayons; construction paper; scissors and glue sticks.
If kids are young or not crafty, you can have them color and you cut out the shells on the paper and have them glue on construction paper (after coloring) or you can glue it.
Collecting Seashells: There are several ways to do this depending on age and number of kids; space and time.
A) You can collect shells by scotch taping paper shells to one section of a window. Parent provides the tape and each child gets to tape up one shell at a time until a section of the windowpane is covered. Have kids count how many shells they collected together. Have them stand around the window, take picture and post it.
Alternative: If you’d rather not have sticky stuff on window, you can take construction paper and staple together to make a good display sheet and do the activity, or if you have a poster board use that. Another way to display is to cut construction paper to fit on the side of a bookshelf. You can tape the panels on the bookshelf when done. This is especially good if you only have one child or two. Once again have kids count and gather round the shells, take pictures and post.
B) Scavenger hunt – If you have a lot of real seashells at home, one parent or adult could be hiding seashells in other rooms or outside while the coloring is going on in a different room. When they are done with the craft each child gets a plastic bowl (small Tupperware) and searches for seashells. At the end gather kids and take pictures.
At the end of the activity, treats for all. (ice cream, popsicles or whatever you can get in the store.)
