A Trip to the Beach

Our local schools are on "Spring Break" beginning today! Some of us are just happy to be staying home and slowing down a bit. Others are taking off to the beach for a week of sand and sun. Even if you're not going to the beach yourself, you can enjoy some great books about that favorite vacation spot.

Today's selection, How Will We Get to the Beach? by Brigitte Luciani, is an engaging story that is also a guessing game. Roxanne packs up for a day at the beach.  She takes "the turtle, the umbrella, the thick book of stories, the ball, and of course, her baby." However, when her car won't start and she has to try another type of transportation, something won't fit and must be left behind. Can you guess what it is? This happens again and again until Roxanne finally finds a way to the beach that lets her take all five items along.
The lovely watercolor illustrations by Eve Tharlet  provide the visual clues that help young readers play along with the guessing game as each page is turned. The concepts of color and counting are also included in this delightful read aloud.


Math Extension Idea:
Materials: Paper, markers, pre-cut pictures or scissors and a selection of magazines, glue
Procedure: Using numbered paper from 1 to 5 (or if children are able, ask them to write the numerals).
Cut pictures from magazines and catalogs that you might pack for a trip to the beach (swimsuits, sunglasses, sand pails and shovels, snacks, etc).
Ask each child to choose five items and glue them to the numbered paper. 
Share them at group time to see who chose the same type of item.
Graph the results in a simple bar graph.
Talk about those numbers and the terms "more" and "less".

5 Little Monkeys

Five Little Monkeys Play Hide and Seek by Eileen Christelow is one in a series of books about the antics of five brothers and sisters and their mama.
In this story, the fun-loving siblings work together to stay up past their bedtime playing just one more game. Sound familiar?

The rhyming, repetitive text encourages the audience to join in and read along. Expressive illustrations show the silliness of the monkeys and their cooperative sitter. Counting together is just another bonus of this engaging book. It begs to be read aloud to one, five, or a whole room full of "monkeys".


Game Extension Idea:
Hide and Seek is an easy game to play outside or inside, with a couple children or a whole class.
Math skills are practiced as the person designated as "it" counts from 1 to 10 or higher. To add some challenge for older children, you can count backwards from a chosen number, or count by 2s, 5s, or 10s.
To add another element to the game try one of these ideas:
Hide a music box and and have the children try to locate it by listening.
Hide several objects with a common characteristic (color, shape, size) and have the children look for something that fits that description.

Counting

Grey Rabbit's 1,2,3  by Alan Baker is a counting book that introduces the numbers 1 to 10.  It does so with softly drawn illustrations and a surprise at the turn of each page as we guess what it is that Grey Rabbit has made out of clay.

I like the connection of the rabbit making things to be counted. Math skills can be introduced and supported with physical activities.
Young children need to touch the items they are counting to understand what the numbers mean. It's a different skill than simply memorizing the sequence from 1 to 10, or even recognizing the written numerals.

Check out additional concept books by Alan Baker at your local independent bookseller or your local library.


Art/Fine Motor Extension Idea:
This is the best playdough recipe hands down. Make some today.
Use it to create "things" to count together as you touch them.

Playdough from the book, Mudworks, by MaryAnn Kohl

Ingredients
1 Cup flour
1/2 Cup salt
2 Tablespoon cream of tartar
1 Cup water
1 Tablespoon oil, don't need it but it can make the dough nice
Food coloring, optional

Directions
Mix all ingredients except color in a saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring until mixed and stiff.
Let it sit and cool, but it is fun to work with slightly warm playdough.
Store new playdough in the fridge in an air tight container.

Optional Steps:
Divide dough into balls and knead color into dough.