Get your little bathing beauties ready for a trip to the beach. Before reading At the Beach by Anne and Harlow Rockwell, pack a beach bag with items you might take to the beach, such as sunglasses, sunscreen, a pail, a shovel, a towel, a book, a juice box, and a bag of pretzels. Make sure you have one item in the bag for each child. After enjoying the story together, tell the class you are going on an imaginary trip to the beach. Pass the beach bag around your group as they sit in a circle, and have each child select one item to hold. Next, sing the poem:
Let’s go to the beach
Let’s pack up right away.
Let’s bring everything we need
Fore the perfect beach day.
Now give a child the empty beach bag and have her say, “I will pack (item).” She then places her object in the bag and passes it to the next child. That child says, “I will pack (the previous item) and (his item),” as he puts his item in the bag. Continue in this manner until every child has a turn. Encourage youngsters to name the items in the same order as they were placed in the bag. If a child has difficulty remembering the items, solicit help from the class.
Source: 2002. Busy Kids Busy Days Themes Organized for the Way you Plan. Prek-K: The Mailbox. The Education Center, Inc., http://www.themailbox.com/.
