We’re making edible beach sand and shells. Also, you’ll love more ideas on my Oceans Unit Study and Lapbook and free Seashore Watching Unit Study and Beach Lapbook.
It’s a fun snack that is a great way to end or even begin a beach unit.
It is almost as fun to make it as it is to eat it, but not quite.
You can do this project just for a fun beach theme.
Also, it makes a great starter for discussions on different colors of ocean water, the different colors and types of sand and what creates that sand.
In addition, you can learn about all the different varieties of seashells.
If you are lucky enough to live near a beach, you can incorporate a field trip to study beach sand up close.
Sigh, it’s a tough job but someone must do it.
Next, look at some of these books about the beach and ocean.
Books About the Beach and Ocean
16 Ocean Books for Kids Who Love to Read and Be Read To
Choose a few of these ocean themed books to go along with your study of the Oceans. Whether you're looking for a spine for a unit study or literature, you'll love this roundup.
Join Danny Meadow Mouse, Jimmy Skunk, and Reddy Fox as they explore the seashore and take a closer look at the habits and habitats of the creatures they find. Discover the Seahorse, Shrimp, Crab, Anemone, Gull, and so many more.
The Burgess Seashore Book for Children is a wonderful way to introduce young ones to the fascinating world beneath us and is a perfect compliment to earlier books in this series, the Bird, Animal, and Flower books.
This edition is complete and unabridged with all of the beautiful illustrations by W.H. Southwick and George Sutton
Seaside Naturalist is an illustrated guide to marine plants and animals includes the characteristics of protozoa, arthropods, sponges, mollusks, reptiles, birds, fish, and mammals.
The book opens by explaining how different types of animals are able to breathe and survive underwater, and the different families to which they belong. Subsequent pages are dedicated to specific creatures, including sea turtles, whales, sharks, stingrays, and seahorses, and show varied life in specific habitats, such as a coral reef or deep sea bed. The Big Book of the Blue also explores the underwater world thematically, looking at animals in danger, learning how to spot creatures at the beach, and discovering how to do our part to save sea life. Beautiful and filled with fascinating facts, young, curious readers won’t be able to tear their eyes away from the page.
Island of the Blue Dolphins begins with a young girl named Karana who is living on the Island of the Blue Dolphins (fancy name, right?) with her younger brother, Ramo, and sister, Ulape. One day, a group of Russian hunters (Aleutians) land on the island to hunt for otter. This is when the trouble really begins.
Once upon a time in France, a baby was born under the summer sun. His parents named him Jacques. As he grew, Jacques fell in love with the sea. He dreamed of breathing beneath the waves and swimming as gracefully as a fish. In fact, he longed to become a manfish. Jacques Cousteau grew up to become a champion of the seas and one of the best-known oceanographers in the world. In this lovely biography, now in paperback, poetic text and gorgeous paintings come together to create a portrait of Cousteau that is as magical as it is inspiring.
A beautiful edition with 110 images from the 1875 English edition. Use Amazon's Look inside feature to compare this edition with others. You'll be impressed by the differences. Don't be fooled by other versions that have no illustrations or contain very small print. Reading our edition will make you feel that you are traveling the seas with Captain Nemo himself.
More than 100 original illustrations by Louis Rhead. You want to read this book with illustrations.
An introduction by W. D. Howells.
Nicely formatted text in an easy-to-read font.
A beautiful cover from the 1891 edition.
Embark on a captivating tour of the waters that cover 70 percent of our planet! See our oceans come to life in mind-blowing detail. This is the ultimate children’s visual encyclopedia about the awe-inspiring blue planet!
How did a nineteenth-century dressmaker revolutionize science? Jeanne Power was creative: she wanted to learn about the creatures that swim beneath the ocean waves, so she built glass tanks and changed the way we study underwater life forever. Jeanne Power was groundbreaking: she solved mysteries of sea animals and published her findings at a time when few of women’s contributions to science were acknowledged. Jeanne Power was persistent: when records of her research were lost, she set to work repeating her studies. And when men tried to take credit for her achievements, she stood firm and insisted on the recognition due to her.
Follow Rothman’s inquisitive mind and perceptive eye along shorelines, across the open ocean, and below the waves for an artistic exploration of the watery universe. Through her drawings, discover how the world’s oceans formed, why the sea is salty, and the forces behind oceanic phenomena such as rogue waves. Colorful anatomical profiles of sea creatures from crustacean to cetacean, surveys of seafaring vessels and lighthouses, and the impact of plastic and warming water temperatures are just part of this compendium of curiosities that will entertain and educate readers of all ages.
Do you know a kid who’s captivated by what goes on beneath the ocean’s surface? This amazing entry into ocean books for kids is packed with hundreds of incredible facts for hours of underwater exploration. Pages of full-color pictures feature life in and around the sea including fish, dolphins, and shipwrecks!
Dive into the mesmerizing world of bioluminescence with "All About Bioluminescence." In this captivating book, readers embark on a journey through the depths of the ocean to discover the extraordinary glow-in-the-dark creatures that inhabit its mysterious realm. From the enchanting sea angel to the infamous anglerfish, each page is filled with stunning illustrations and fascinating facts about these luminous beings.With a focus on deep-sea dwellers, readers will uncover the secrets behind bioluminescence and learn how these creatures use light to communicate, camouflage, and lure prey. But the adventure doesn't stop there! "All About Bioluminescence" also includes hands-on activities like a glow stick experiment, allowing readers to experience the magic of bioluminescence firsthand.
One of the most enduringly popular adventure tales, Treasure Island began in 1881 as a serialized adventure entitled "The Sea-Cook"in the periodical Young Folks. Completed during a stay at Davos, Switzerland, where Stevenson had gone for his health, it was published in 1883 in the form we know today.Set in the eighteenth century, Treasure Island spins a heady tale of piracy, a mysterious treasure map, and a host of sinister characters charged with diabolical intentions. Seen through the eyes of Jim Hawkins, the cabin boy of the Hispaniola, the action-packed adventure tells of a perilous sea journey across the Spanish Main, a mutiny led by the infamous Long John Silver, and a lethal scramble for buried treasure on an exotic isle.
In Oceans and Seas! With 25 Science Projects for Kids readers ages 7 though 10 dive into the underwater world of some of the most amazing landscapes on Earth. On this amazing underwater adventure, kids experience the ocean’s tropical reefs and spot crabs, sea sponges, and thousands of kinds of fish darting in its crags and folds. They’ll meet a giant squid with eyes the size of dinner plates and an mbrella-like bioluminescent jellyfish.
From both a historical and scientific point of view, above and below the surface, this engaging guide brings the world’s oceans to life through fun facts, illustrations, and in-depth information. Interactive activities appear throughout, ranging from making solar stills and simple fishing spears to experimenting with a homemade diving bell and figuring out how much water it really takes to survive. With the oceans being the least explored environment on Earth, this reference illuminates some of the most incredible and surprising plants and animals as well as how to survive and navigate these vast expanses.
An intricate study of tide pool life is presented in text and pictures through the story of Pagoo, a her-mit crab.
Next, look at these facts about beach sand.
Colors of Ocean Water
Because most white pudding still has a yellow tint it is going to make your ocean more green than blue.
This is a great opportunity to understand why oceans run the gamut from blue to green and all shades in between.
- The oceans are often blue because water absorbs those colors in the red part of the light spectrum. Much as a filter does this leaves behind colors in the blue part of the light spectrum for us to see, showing them as light to brilliant shades of jewel blue.
- Some oceans appear greener due to the presence of algae and plant life. Photosynthetic organisms contain chlorophyll which looks green. Depending on the type of phytoplankton the ocean may look anywhere from blue green to emerald green.
Also, look at these facts about beach sand.
5 Fascinating Facts about Beach Sand
- Sand is often made from silica but is not a single mineral, rather it is made up of multiple minerals like quartz, feldspar, mica, magnetite, etc. This composition of minerals varies with the region that it is found in.
- Sand comes in a rainbow of colors. The variety of colors is because of the composition of minerals and ph levels with other components. Black sand is rich in volcanic ash, white is full of quartz, pink is due to the single-celled organisms called foraminifera.
- It takes thousands of years for a single grain of sand to form as larger minerals like quartz go through decomposition and erosion into small fragments.
- The Sand Sea, located in the heart of the rich Sahara Desert, is the oldest desert in the world.
- The World’s Tallest Sandcastle was Made in Germany and stood almost 70 feet tall.
Next, look at these other beach activities.
Hands-on Beach, Ocean and Sea Shells Activities
- 5 Tide Pool Facts and Create An Edible Tide Pool Diorama Ideas
- How do Fish Breathe Underwater Fun Activity & Animal Science Homeschool Curriculum
- 22 Hands-on Fun Ocean Sea Shell Activities For Teens
- Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity
- 10 Edible Beach Crafts For Teens and Make Edible Beach Glass
- How to Dissolve a Seashell – Beach Hands-on Fun Activity
- Oceans Unit Study and Lapbook
- Edible Ocean Layers
- Egg to Sea Turtle Lesson Plans & Lapbook
- Quick Unit Study & Easy Salt water Density Ocean Science Experiment
Finally, look at how to make your own edible beach sand and shells.
How To Make Your Own Edible Beach Sand And Shells
You will need:
- White melting chocolate
- Seashell silicone mold
- One package of graham crackers
- Vanilla pudding
- Blue raspberry drink packet
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- Food coloring – optional
- Small paintbrush
First, prepare pudding according to package directions and then stir in as much or little flavoring/color you like.
Now, even though the vanilla pudding is white it does have a bit of a yellow tint to it so when you add the blue, it’s going to turn it a pretty green/teal.
It’s just another discussion on how bodies of water are colored differently and why.
Remember that mistakes or near misses are just great opportunities for discussion.
This gave us an intro to talk about how the ocean water in different parts of the world are very different colors.
Place pudding in the refrigerator to set.
Add graham crackers and brown sugar to either a powerful blender or a food processor.
Pulse until very fine, like beach sand then set aside.
Finally, on to the seashells- you can leave them white or you can buy various colors of chocolate melts, we decided to give them a little bit of color by brushing a small amount of food coloring onto the mold.
Next place your desired amount of melted chocolate in a microwave safe container and heat for one minute ,stir, and then heat in 30 second increments each time until it is completely melted.
Carefully spoon melted chocolate into the seashell molds. You can pop it in the refrigerator if you like to harden it quicker.
Carefully remove each from the mold.
Now all that’s left is assembling your edible beach, grab a shallow bowl and spoon half of your ocean water/pudding on it.
Sprinkle your graham cracker mixture on the other half for beach sand, slightly overlapping area and then with your edible seashells.
