Fun Learning at the Beach!

We are headed to the beach this weekend and it is the perfect place to incorporate learning with fun.  The sights, sounds, and feel of the sand make it a perfect multisensory experience.  Here are just a few ideas that come to mind…I will definitely try some of these with my daughters.

Younger ones:

Opposites- Big/little (shells, buckets, sandcastles, holes you dig, handprints & footprints),  short/tall (sandcastles, shadows), wet/dry (sand, people, towels, buckets), hot/cold (sand in sun and shade, sun/water, cool drinks, hot skin).

Hide objects in the sand (like shells or her toes!) and see if she can find them.  Show her how a shovel, rake, and sifter can be helpful with this task.

Show her how her hands and feet make prints in the sand.  You step on her footprints, and have her follow in your footprints and step on yours.

Writing:

Have your child spell her name in the sand using her fingers or a stick.

Practice writing ABCs in the sand.

Practice spelling words in the sand.

Have her write a poem or create a song about the beach.

Have your child write a letter to a friend or grandparent telling about her trip to the beach.

Math:

Have your child write numbers in sand using her fingers or a stick.

Practice counting objects- the number of shells you have collected, the number of waves you jump over, birds or beach umbrellas you see, etc.

Have your child do addition, subtraction, or any other math problem written in the sand.  She can use shells or other beach objects to help with solving the problem.

History:

Research a specific castle and try to make a sand castle replica.

Discuss the purpose a moat serves for a castle, and other protective strategies that were used.  Seeing a moat around a sand castle visually will help your child see how an invader would have a hard time getting in.  Even have her use a shell or other object to represent an “invader” and try to get into the castle with the drawbridge up and moat around it.  Can she come up with another creative way in?

Science:

Research sea birds at home and draw pictures of them.  Use these pictures to identify birds you may see at the beach.  What do these birds eat?  Observe them and see…what are they busy doing while you are there?  Write what you observe down and do even more research when you get home.

See how many different examples of sea life you can find- jellyfish, crabs, sand fleas, starfish, fish, shellfish, etc.

Discuss how the moon’s gravity affects the water level/tides.

Do sea turtles nest on the beach?  If so, research the type of sea turtle you might see, how the turtle migrates, why the turtle is protected by law, etc.

Discuss how salt is in the ocean water.  Scoop up a cup of sea water and let water evaporate (also another good topic to discuss!) until only salt is left.

Compare specific gravity of sea water versus tap water (why does a certain object float better in sea water compared to regular tap water?).  Use different objects and try to guess what will happen before testing your prediction.

Do you have some ideas to share?  I look forward to reading them…