If you are looking for exciting Swiss Family Robinson activities, you have landed in the right place. Also, you’ll love more ideas on my post Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study.
There are so many great little rabbit trails you can take while doing a read-aloud of the Swiss Family Robinson.
For example, you can learn about the flora and fauna of the island, the journey to the island, how they survived and thrived, and what they ate.
Oysters were a plentiful delicacy that they found on the island and provided the family protein to help keep them strong and give them energy.
They are still enjoyed today, steamed, grilled, fried, and in many recipes.
Naturally, I thought that it would be a great subtopic to chase down.
This might make a fantastic field trip to a restaurant to give them a try or perhaps make a recipe at home.
We are going to cover the journey from how an oyster turns pearl and how these beauties are formed inside the unassuming rough-looking shell.
I have directions for making your cute oyster craft as well as a few resources and other oyster and pearl ideas that give you plenty of fun to work on.
More The Swiss Family Robinson Activities
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- How to Create Swiss Family Treehouse Blueprints With Kids
- What is the Swiss Family Robinson About | Simple Jeopardy Style Game
- How to Make Adorable Swiss Family Robinson Book Characters Bookmarks
- Exciting Swiss Family Robinson Activities | From Oyster To Pearl
- The Swiss Family Robinson Fun and Easy Movie Night Ideas
- Embrace Island Life: How To Eat A Coconut Like Swiss Family Robinson
- Animals in The Swiss Family Robinson Book | Parrot Craft
- Lost In Adventure: 10 Books Like Swiss Family Robinson
- How to Build a LEGO Swiss Family Robinson STEM Challenge Treehouse
- Survival to Inspiration The Swiss Family Robinson Book | Brick Book
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- DIY Easy Compass Activity and Survival Ideas
- Simple Candle
- Hunting Deer
- How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids
In addition, look at these resources to go with the Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study.
8 Books & Resources for Learning About The Swiss Family Robinson
Add some of these books to your unit study of The Swiss Family Robinson and their adventures on a deserted island.
More than 100 original illustrations by Louis Rhead. You want to read this book with illustrations.
See the world in a whole new way! Acclaimed illustrator Julia Rothman combines art and science in this exciting and educational guide to the structure, function, and personality of the natural world.
Explore the anatomy of a jellyfish, the inside of a volcano, monarch butterfly migration, how sunsets work, and much more. Rothman’s whimsical illustrations are paired with interactive activities that encourage curiosity and inspire you to look more closely at the world all around you.
Become a nature detective with this illustrative, engaging and fun Take-Along-Guide. You may not know where to look, or what to look for, but animal signs are everywhere and this guide will help you learn how to read them. You'll learn how to spot and identify common clues that 17 wildlife species leave behind in the woods, in the fields and along ponds.
The heroic tale of the courageous exploits of the Robinson family after they are shipwrecked on a deserted island. Using teamwork and ingenuity, they overcome the obstacles of nature and transform their new home into a "civilized" community.
From treating a bee sting to building an overnight shelter, kids will gain the knowledge and confidence they need to survive outdoors.
Bear Grylls The Complete Adventures Collection 12 Books Set: Titles In This Set: The Blizzard Challenge The Desert Challenge The Jungle Challenge The Sea Challenge The River Challenge The Earthquake Challenge The Volcano Challenge The Safari Challenge The Cave Challenge The Mountain Challenge The Arctic Challenge The Sailing Challenge
By Pro-Knot, the number one trusted name in Knots with over 7,000 5 Star reviews! This complete knot tying KIT includes everything you need to learn and practice how to tie 23 essential rope knots. The six card/twelve page waterproof plastic card set contains 23 best all purpose rope knots
clearly illustrated and described, bound together with a no-rust brass grommet in the corner!
Edible wild plants are nature’s natural food source, growing along roadsides, sprouting in backyards, and blooming in country fields. North America’s diverse geography overflows with edible plant species.
Oyster Formation Facts
- First, oysters are often found in groups, called “reefs” or “beds”. They create these by growing on top of as well as next to each other, creating their own ecosystem.
- Oyster reefs can occur naturally or be created by oyster farmers.
- Within just 12 hours of birth, they begin to build their shells. This process is done by pulling calcium out of the water and depositing it as calcium carbonate on the outside of their bodies.
- Once they reach approximately 3 weeks old they are heavy and attach themselves to the reef or bed made by the other oysters.
- The inside of an oyster shell is usually white or pearl colored. But the outer shell takes on a variety of different colors. A lot are dark gray, but the Pacific oyster can have purple, brown, and white coloring while Cornish Native Oysters are blue.
- Not only do they create an ecosystem for themselves but also many other fish and creatures. Because they do not move they eat what passes by and act as a filtration system, creating cleaner water.
- Inside the oyster is the edible part, or the adductor muscle which is a creamy beige color.
Next, look at these facts about pearls.
Pearl Formation Facts
- Pearls are the result of a grain of sand or other irritant getting under the “skin” or mantle.
- When the irritant is present the oyster secretes a mucus with a mineral calcium carbonate in it that is called the nacre and it envelopes the irritant.
- Over time this material hardens and becomes a pearl. This process can take six months. to four years to develop. Larger pearls take longer and are more valuable.
- Perfectly round pearls are not naturally occurring, pearls in the wild are usually small and irregularly shaped.
- Pearls can come in a wide variety of colors, most commonly white, cream, pink, and purple but they can also be champagne, chocolate, blue, gold, silver, and lavender.
Moreover, look at these other activities.
Swiss Family Robinson Activities – From Oyster To Pearl
Before we jump into our oyster with a pearl craft today here are a few more hands-on activities I think that you will enjoy.
- These Oyster Cookies are adorable and look so yummy. I know they would make a fun hands-on project to go along with your study.
- Learn How to Draw an Oyster With a Pearl for a little art study that fits perfectly.
- Grab a batch of these oysters with a pearl inside and let everyone in the family pop one or two open to see what they get, what a fun keepsake!
- I thought that this Decoupage Oyster Shell Trinket Dish would be perfect for middle and high school teens if you have or want to grab some clean oyster shells.
- Not only can something like artificial pearls be used for pretty and usable crafts but they can also be used as manipulatives for math, in sensory bins, or dramatic play making them very versatile and worth the small investment.
Finally, Ocean Anatomy proved once again to be a fantastic resource for a nature lesson. While they did not go over oyster shells there is a wonderful section on pearls.
Paper Plate Oyster
You will need:
- Paper plate
- Foam craft ball
- Pink craft foam
- gray/tan craft paint
- Pearlescent craft paint
- Sponge
- Hot glue
First, turn your paper plate upside down so that the “bowl” is facing down and sponge paint some color and texture on it.
You can skip this part if you like but it provides a great opportunity to talk about how the shell is formed and the variety of colors they might be.
Paint a craft foam ball a pretty pearly color and set it aside to dry.
Allow the paint to dry completely then fold the plate in half, trim the outside a bit if you like to create a more elongated shape like a real oyster.
Use paint or a marker and add a little bit of color around the edges on the inside of your oyster to create the fringe.
Cut a piece of cream craft foam or felt (or construction paper) slightly smaller than the inside of your plate and glue it into place as the adductor muscle.
Hot glue the “pearl” to the center.
For older students, you can also have them label the parts of an oyster as well using the model that they just made.
