School is in full swing, but Thanksgiving break is right around the corner. What do you do with your kids with their time off? There’s not enough snow to build snowmen, but the park is too chilly. So make your home a beach, of course! Pretend the air hasn’t cooled as you kick your sandals off and dive under the sea with some simple tricks to pass the time.
Make a Seascape Bottle
Supervise your little ones with small objects, but the textures of sand and shells make for great sensory development. Start out with a bin of sand and shells, and transition into Seascape Bottles to remember the fun by.
Learn About Plastic in the Ocean
Mimic a jellyfish and teach your kids about the danger of littering with a plastic bottle jellyfish. Just like this plastic jellyfish looks real, animals like birds confuse plastic garbage in the ocean for real jellyfish, too, which makes them extremely sick and potentially die.
Pour Sand Candles
If you have leftover sand from making Seascape Bottles, use a large container for make your own sand candles. This activity is great for middle schoolers, as the hot wax can be a little dangerous.
Make Beachy Snacks
This snack assortment is adorable and easy. Flip flop cookies are just Nutter Butter cookies with licorice lace glued on with icing. Lifesaver Gummies are perfect floaties, and Goldfish with a little blue ocean frosting are so yummy. Of course, lots of fruit, too. Bonus points for papaya with lime, starfruit, or mangoes.
Watch a Movie
Break out the parasols and put beach towels on the floor to watch a movie. Though The Little Mermaid seems obvious, there are two additional Mermaid movies available in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack tomorrow, November 19, 2013 that are great alternatives and available in a combo pack!
The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea
All of your favorite characters from The Little Mermaid continue their adventures in this enchanting sequel to one of the most celebrated animated films of all time. Even though her parents tell her merpeople and Atlantica are just “old fish tales,” Ariel’s daughter, Melody, dreams of being part of that magical world. In an unforgettable story that will take your breath away, all the good creatures on the land and under the sea must join forces to show Melody that both her worlds can live in perfect harmony.
The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning
One of Disney’s most beloved characters reveals the extraordinary events that led up to her transformation into a princess! Long before Ariel walked on land and into Prince Eric’s heart, she was one of seven beloved daughters of powerful King Triton. But times were troubled in the underwater kingdom – and music was banned! In this magical adventure, Ariel, her fun-loving sisters, and her loyal friends Sebastian and Flounder strive to bring music and friendship back to Atlantica. Featuring breathtaking animation – and some thrilling surprises – The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning is an enchanting tale you’ll share with your family again and again!
Thank you to Disney Home Entertainment for providing an advance copy of these films.
With it being cold, we are always thinking about sun, sand, and beach. Thanks for these ideas.
I love all of these ideas! I saw something on DIY channel with a table with lights, sand, and shells inside of it and a glass top so you look down and see it all. I drooled over it and beg my fiance to make one for me!