Seashells
The beach is a great place to get items for creating an art project. The children will love collecting the items just as much as they will enjoy making the art project. You will want to have the children each get a bucket and fill it with different types of shells--shells of different colors, smooth rocks or stones, and even some beach sand. Then head back home or to the classroom, and get busy creating something new.
Sand Art
Many fairs and carnivals have a booth for children to make sand art. You can do this yourself. Just get each of the children a fun-shaped jar such as the bear ones that are sold filled with honey. Separate the beach sand into four containers. Make sure that you leave room for some water. Add water and 15 drops of food coloring. Use one color for each container. Mix the sand and colored water together, and let it sit for half an hour. Then pour out any excess water. Lay your sand out on a paper plate until it dries. Layer the sand in your fun-shaped bottle any way that you choose. You can keep switching back colors, use one solid color or mix all the colors together. Fill the bottle all the way to the top so that your sand art stays intact.
Beach in a Bottle
Children can arrange a beach scene in an empty bottle. They can use a baby food jar or an empty pickle jar. It just depends on how much sand and how many items they collected. Tell the children to first put in a layer of sand. It doesn't have to be much, just enough to cover the bottom of the jar. Then instruct the children to place some shells, stones or seaweed in the jar on top of the sand. They can use anything they picked up at the beach. They should then replace the lid and make sure it is tight.
Optional: Students can paint the back side of the jar blue to simulate the ocean.
Seashell Mobile
Children can enjoy their seashell collection all year long by making a mobile. Each student will need a clothes hanger. Plastic ones are better for the smaller children because they don't have sharp edges. Cut out one piece of yarn for each seashell, but make them different lengths. Use a hot-glue gun to attach the bottom piece of yarn to the back side of the seashell. When the hot glue dries (about two to five minutes), tie the top end of the string to the clothes hanger. Repeat until all of your seashells have been tied to the clothes hanger.
Optional: The seashells can be painted ahead of time. Children can also choose to place some glue on the seashells and then add some glitter to the glue. This will make the seashells sparkle.
Tags: clothes hanger, back side, beach sand, bottle that, piece yarn