As a former Floridian, summer is in my blood. I love sunshine, and my husband says I wilt in the winter. So, like a sunflower, when summer rolls around, I’m ready to soak it all in!
And one of my favorite places to do that is at the beach.
If you and your kids are in the mood for some true summertime reads, check out these 3 sandcastle stories that are worth bringing along for a day at the beach!
- How to Code a Sandcastle – Josh Funk and Sara Palacios: A sandy STEM read that teaches the basic elements of coding in kid-friendly form.
- When a Dragon Moves In – Jodi Moore and Howard McWilliam: Dragons always move into my sandcastles. What about yours?
- The Sandcastle that Lola Built – Megan Maynor and Kate Berube: Written to the rhythm of The House that Jack Built, this fun read-aloud begs to be read again, and again, and again as we follow Lola through the process of building a sandcastle and making friends along the way.
But let’s say you can’t make it to the beach… Why not host an indoor (or backyard) beach party?
What You Need:
- A few towels or a blanket
- Beachy snacks: Think sandwich triangles or hot dogs, carrot sticks, popsicles + smoothies, lemonade, or juice boxes (Bonus: Buy some paper umbrellas to jazz up your drinks!)
- Play sand: Buy it or try making your own (We tried an even simpler recipe using the ratio of 1 cup of flour to 2 tbsp of vegetable/canola oil, and it was a huge hit! To make sure the flour is germ-free before playtime, spread it on a cookie sheet and bake it for 5 minutes at 350 degrees BEFORE mixing it with oil.).*Note: You can definitely use this indoors, but I would suggest putting down a large, plastic tablecloth or planning to sweep or vacuum when you finish playing.
- Sand toys (Improvise with measuring cups, plastic cups and spoons if you don’t have any “real” toys lying around.)
- Sounds of the sea (Download a track or look up a video on Youtube.)
- Ingredients for a salt water experiment!
Now what?
Spread out those towels, break out the snacks, play in the sand and water, and read a book or two together. Don’t forget to take some pictures to share with me!
Your Turn! What are your favorite summertime picture books? Did you host an indoor beach party? Send me some pictures if you did!