Messy Kids: fish

Showing posts with label fish. Show all posts

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Mommy and Me Book Club: Ocean Theme

It's been a long while since I've posted something other then It's Playtime. It's not that we haven't done anything, but between preschool, being pregnant, and the other things that life tends to throw at me, I've been a bit absent. So I'm going to try and go back to some of our favorite activities over the past couple of months and blog about them. Then, hopefully, I can start working on some newer ideas.

Last month (June) we had our monthly Mommy & Me Book Club at the house. It seems to be a popular activity with my regular moms which pleases me. The theme in June was The Ocean. Here are the activities I made available.

I made some Sand Playdough inspired by Timeless Adventures. I provided some shells and floral stones (both purchased at the dollar store) along with some ocean characters. The kids enjoyed creating different scenes and and experiencing the variety of textures.

We also created Octopuses from T.P. tubes like those found at Mommy with Selective Memory. All you do is cut 8 strips, leaving room at the top for the "head". I'm running low on paint, plus I have a lot of little guys, so we used markers to decorate the tubes. Then the kids glued on google eyes.

For snack I used the recipe for Cinnamon Snowflakes I found on Come Together Kids but made a slight variation. I used a fish cookie cutter create little tortilla fish. Then I followed the directions on the original recipe, creating crispy, yummy, cinnamon fish. These went fast!

And what's a book club without books?! We all came together and read:

Would you like to start a Mommy & Me Book Club with your friends? Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

It's Playtime: Oceans of Fun

It's summer time in California which means swimming, the beach (although we often go to the beach in February), and lot's of water play. In honor of that, this week on It's Playtime, I'm focusing on the ocean and the fun you can have even if you don't have the deep blue nearby.

Check out this fantastic and simple recipe for Sand Playdough from Timeless Adventures. Great for a day at the beach without the sand in your pants!

Make your own stamps for this Sea Life Stamped Art from Make and Takes and B-inspired Mama.

Although this was a Father's Day Fish, what kid wouldn't enjoy a cute fish shaped sandwich complete with fruit sun and baby fishies? Shared by JDaniel4's Mom.

You don't need to take a trip to the ocean to swim with fishes. Be like Familylicious and create your own Ocean Swimming Pool in the back yard!

If you were featured this week, don't forget to grab your special "featured button."

Now, on to this weeks play date!

It's Playtime is a community and Thursday link-up hosted by:

* Rachele : Messy Kids (That's me!)
* Anna : The Imagination Tree
* Rachel : Quirky Momma
* Jamie : hands on : as we grow
* Jenny : Let the Children Play

How to Play :

* Link up a post about a playful learning experience enjoyed by kids.

* Give us love and pop a button into your post/blog. Invite your readers to the weekly play date!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

It's Playtime: Under the Sea

I don't know about you, but I love sea life! If I could visit an aquarium everyday, I'd never grow tired of it. It's peaceful and I find sea creatures amazing. I also love ocean themed preschool activities. They tend to be as colorful and unique as the sea animals themselves. Last week on It's Playtime, there were numerous underwater creations shared by bloggers, so I've picked my favorites and here they are!

At Home with Ali created this lovely Marine Sensory Tub using colored rice. The mixture of the greens and blues is outstanding!

Chicken Babies celebrated a birthday with a Dolphin Themed Birthday Party. They played some great party games perfect for a crowd or a rainy day indoors. I love the kids jumping through the hoops!

Mommy with Selective Memory shared these Easy Octopuses From Paper Towel Holders.

Sea Creatures Ice-Cubes from Make Do & Friend are great for sensory tub or bath tub play. Kids will work hard to get these frozen treasures out of the ice!

If you were featured this week, don't forget to grab your special "featured button."

Now, on to this weeks play date!

It's Playtime is a community and Thursday link-up hosted by:

* Rachele : Messy Kids (That's me!)
* Anna : The Imagination Tree
* Rachel : Quirky Momma
* Jamie : hands on : as we grow
* Jenny : Let the Children Play

How to Play :

* Link up a post about a playful learning experience enjoyed by kids.

* Give us love and pop a button into your post/blog. Invite your readers to the weekly play date!

Saturday, September 3, 2011

F is for Fishing-A Teach Preschool Celebration

Today's post is in celebration of Deborah Stewart and the 20,000 likes her wonderful Teach Preschool Facebook page reached the other day. Deborah is a talented teacher and blogger and her 20,000 likes have inspired all of us other early childhood bloggers to reach for the stars. I am proud to be a part of her network and her celebration of The ABC's of Teaching Preschool.

F is for Fishing

My friends daughter celebrated her 5th birthday with a fishing party at Crystal Pier in San Diego. The kids fished, chased birds (and each other), ate snacks, and enjoyed front row seats to the capture of some interesting sea creatures (although none by us!)

We could hear and feel the waves crashing below the pier. Michael decided to take a better look.

The owner of the bait and tackle shop on the pier helped us place the proper weights and hooks onto our poles. He also gave us some tips for pier fishing. The chosen bait was shrimp. The price for hooks, bait, and weights was only $6 for 4 poles! No charge for the 3 min. pier fishing lesson.

Ariel had fished before with my mom but this was Michael's first time. He liked trying it out but didn't have the patience to stay with it for long.

Finally Ariel caught something! The seaweed quickly became a plaything.

Then one of the other kids found some loooooonnnngggg seaweed, which was a lot more fun!

The guy next to us caught a lobster! The youngest of our group said, "look mom, a spider!" We loved watching it crawl backwards after it was set down. Then the fisherman returned it to the ocean. My daughter asked him why and he said, "it was too small". Didn't look small to me!

Then he caught a crab! This he kept.

After successfully loosing all 4 hooks, it was time to venture under the pier. Lucky for us the tide was low revealing sea creatures like sand fleas (or sand crabs)....

mussels...

sea stars...

and this squishy thing attached to seaweed (limpet?). If you know what it is, please tell me!

What a wonderful adventure!

Don't forget to check out the other letters of the alphabet celebrating Teach Preschool! Just go to her site and scroll down to the link party!

Also share on:

Sunday, June 19, 2011

What My Father Taught Me About Exploration & Art

This is my dad with my kids at Balboa Park in San Diego. Notice how he's not worried about the kids falling in or the parasites living in the pond? That was my childhood. My dad and I were often "reckless" outdoors. Never afraid to explore, never afraid to try something different. This is a legacy I hope to pass onto my children.

Climbing on rocks, trees, and balconies- Ok, maybe that last one only applies to me, but isn't that what rocks and trees are there for...for us to climb on? My earliest memories of my dad involve us climbing something or jumping from rock to rock some where. I, in turn, do the same with my kids. Some balance comes naturally (my son has proven that since the moment he stood on a Sit-n-Spin, one legged, Karate Kid style, at 18 months!), but the rest is learned. What better way to learn balance then to climb on rocks or straddle tree branches! As for the balcony, when I was about 4 my dad was trying to impress a girl (his future bride). He invited her and another family member over for dinner. For some reason we had to run out and get something, leaving the two ladies at our apartment alone. When we returned, my dad decided to surprise the two women by coming in through the 2nd story balcony window rather then the front door. He lifted me and climbed, which was much easier said then done. Finally we reached the balcony to discover the sliding door was locked. Of course, rather then surprise the women, we scared them to death by pounding on the door to be let in. I suppose overall, my dad's antics worked because I gained a new mom from it all.

Water- Whether it be fountain, creek, river, ocean, or stream, or puddle, water is there for swimming and exploring. I've had the pleasure of fishing in lakes, swimming in green rivers, frog hunting, walking along creeks, and enjoying hot springs. Never once did we think about parasites, germs, or other microscopic creatures that may be residing there. Despite my husband's pleas, I do the same for my kids. One of our favorite activities is playing along a creek at our local park. We've caught tadpoles, hopped on rocks, and yes, sometimes, fallen in. But that's a part of the whole experience is it not? At another park, I've been known to let my kids play in the water...and I have the blog posting to prove it!

"Reckless" Experiences- What one person considers "reckless," I consider a learning experience. Life is full of experiences and you can either take them or miss them. I try to encourage my children in experiences (i.e. jumping from some rocks into a creek). My father used to do the same. I remember being allowed to walk into the woods near our campsite (at the Grand Canyon) with my compass and my new found knowledge of survival learned at 6th grade camp. I felt so grown-up exploring those woods on my own...until I ran into a fence alongside the RV camp. One of the most "reckless" experiences my father and I was involved in included a tube shoot in New Braunfels, Texas. Families rent inner tubes (or bring their own), float down the river, then are shot through an old cemented waterway into small rapids. You can then continue to float down river or you can swim rapidly to one of the stair cases along the far side of the river and take another run on the shoot. Shoes are recommended due to the rocks underwater, inner tubes for safety, and even life jackets are suggested. My dad and I didn't like any of those suggestions! Going shoeless meant putting your feet down at the right moment and sliding down the mossy bottom of the shoot, gaining a bit of speed. Inner tubes and life jackets also slowed one down. The video below will give you a good idea of how much reckless fun we had!

Of course, if you didn't push yourself to the right at the bottom of the shoot, you were sucked into a whirlpool and usually had to be rescued by the life guard (yes, I know this from experience). BUT.....it was something you only did once! Once you made that mistake, you didn't make it again. That's a learning experience!

Nature- We did a lot of camping when I was a kid. I fished, hunted for bugs, watched wildlife, hiked, and trampled through the underbrush with nothing but a compass. One of my other favorite activities was tide-pooling. Of course this involved a lot of what I've already mentioned: rock climbing (and learning about black moss!), water, and experiencing all that was around me. My dad and I explored every nook and cranny we could find along the tide pools, hunting for small creatures and rare finds. Now, I do the same with my kids. We always get wet (especially me and my son) but we always have a good time outdoors. We haven't done much camping, which I hope to change, but we do hunt for bugs, watch for wildlife when we hike, and trample through the underbrush (barley escaping poison oak recently). Most of my love for the outdoors and nature comes from my father, and I hope to instill that into my children as well.

Art- I remember my dad carving foam with an electric knife. I remember him glueing fangs onto one of my Cabbage Patch Kids and transforming her into a cannibal for a poem I recited in 8th grade. And I remember the countless hours he worked on the set designs for the plays we performed at church. My dad can sew puppets, create magic tricks, and change the look of a Sunday school classroom with a bit of fabric and some cardboard. Artistically he is amazing and never afraid to take risks with new materials. I may not create elaborate sets for plays, but I love to try new materials with my kids when it comes to art. We've created egg shell sculptures and painted with toilet plungers. I want my kids to realize that painting can be done with more then brushes and art can come from anything. I want them to take artistic risks and be OK with making mistakes. That's how we learn in art and that's how we learn in life.

I love my daddy very much. I love that I can share what he's taught me with my children. I'm proud to be a parent that allows my children to explore rather then standing over them every step of the way. I love seeing them climb trees, walk across creeks on a rock path, and gently touch a sea anemone to watch it close. I love the wonder on their faces when they discover something new or find the simple joy of splashing in a puddle. I suppose, it's how my dad felt watching me.