CHARLIE OVER THE WATER - The players are in a circle formation and hands arejoined. One player is Charlie and he stands in the center of the circle. The
players walk to the left or right around the circle chanting: Charlie over the water,
Charlie over the sea,Charlie caught a blackbird But he can't catch me!
As they say "me" the players squat quickly. Charlie tries to tag a player
before the player gets into a squatting position. If h is successful, the
child whom he tagged changes places with him and the game is repeated with
the new Charlie in the center

CROSS THE OCEAN - Cut out large Island shapes out of brown paper bags and
have kids cross the ocean by jumping only on the islands.

WATER POLLUTION - Fill a wadding pool with some garbage and sing the song
"There's Something Polluting Our Water.

JUMPING WAVES - Refine your youngsters' muscle control and create a wave of
giggles with this lively game. Hold one end of a jump rope and have another
adult hold the opposite end so that the rope is stretched out between you
and is close to the ground. Make waves by?gently shaking the rope up and
down. Next challenge each child, in turn, to jump over the waves, being
careful not to "wipe out" by touching the rope. After each child has had a
turn, raise the rope slightly higher than before. This game is sure to have
your little ones jumping with joy!
Lori Kent Hood River, OR

IN AND OUT WITH THE TIDE - Explain to your children that when the tide comes
in, the animals in the tide pools are busy eating and collecting food. When
the tide goes out. The animals keep still to conserve energy. Have the kids
pretend they are animals in the tide pools. Might be able to use a blue
sheet as the tide comes in and out.

PRETEND SNORKELING - When the mural is completed, let students make
snorkels, masks, and flippers out of construction paper. Then they can "go
diving" to see their coral reef.

CORAL BUILDING - Pretend that you are building up (with blocks).

WHALES ECHO - Demonstrate how whales use echoes under water. Pick one child
to be the whale. Blindfold the child. Everybody else is whale food. The
whale must make sounds like a whale, and the whale food must repeat the
sound like an echo. The whale keeps making noises and food keeps echoing
until the whale is able to find food. The child who is the food that is
found then becomes the whale.

HUNTING SHARKS - Explain to your children that a shark has excellent sense
of hearing, sight and smell. Set a timer that ticks and hide it somewhere in
your room while the children are not looking. Then have the children use
their hearing to find the timer before it goes off. (think of something to
do with smell)

SEA STAR COLORS - Cut a sea star shape out of tag board. Color each arm of
the sea star one of the following colors: yellow, orange, pink, red, and
purple. Paint five clothespins the same colors and have the kids match them
up.

SWIMMING OCTOPUS - Here's a great game for summer fun outdoors. One person
is the Octopus and stands in the middle of the yard. The kids stand at one
end of the yard and the Octopus says "William, William (or whomever), swim
across the ocean". "William" runs across the yard and the Octopus tries to
tag him. If he gets tagged, he becomes a frozen sea creature and tries to
block the path of another "swimmer". Those who make it across the yard "win"
(although we don't make a big deal of this) and we give everyone a turn
being the Octopus.

OCTOPUS TAG - Mark a goal line at each end of playing field. Attach
crepe-paper streamers to a length of yarn. Select one of your children to be
the Octopus and tie the streamer-covered yarn around the waist for
tentacles, the rest of the children are fish. The object is for the octopus
to catch the fish by tagging them with a sponge ball. If a child gets hit
they must freeze and become an octopus tentacle. The tentacle may help the
octopus by using their hands outstretched to tag fish. Only the octopus may
move however. To begin playing, all fish line up at one goal line. The
octopus calls out, "Fish, fish, swim in my ocean." At this command the fish
must try to cross the ocean without getting caught. The last one to be
tagged is the next octopus.

OCTOPUS TAG II - Mark a goal line at each end of playing field. Attach
crepe-paper streamers to a length of yarn. Select one of your children to be
the Octopus and tie the streamer-covered yarn around the waist for
tentacles, the rest of the children are the fish. If you have a large class
more than one child could be an octopus. Have the octopus chase the fish and
try to touch them with his or her tentacles. When the octopus catches a
fish, they have been stunned and must stand still. The last fish touched is
the next octopus.

OCTOPUS CHILDREN - Children lay down. Make the tentacles of the octopus and
take a
picture of them, so they can see what it looks like. Make sure you use all
the children.

OCTOPUS GAME -The adult is the octopus. S/he kneels in the middle of a rope
circle. All of the children are a school of fish and must swim to their
mother on the other side of the ocean. The octopus says" Come little fish.
Swim to the other side. I won't hurt you. The fish must swim through the
rope circle and past the octopus. If a fish makes it past the octopus
without being touched, he is safe. If he is touched, he must become one of
the octopus tentacles and join with the octopus in his quest to eat the
fish. The octopus must stay on his knees. All of the fish can swim by at
once or they can swim by one by one. Play until all of the children have
been touched.

PIN THE LEGS ON THE OCTOPUS - Play pin the legs on the octopus. EVERYONE
pretty much WINS!

OCTOPUS MOVEMENTS - Four kids sit back to back with their 8 legs swishing
around. (sing song 8 tentacles )

DANCING WITH AN OCTOPUS - give each child a crepe paper octopus made from
eight streamers knotted together. Let each child dance around the room with
an octopus partner while you play music.

DANCING WITH A JELLYFISH - give each child a crepe paper jellyfish made
from eight streamers knotted together. Let each child dance around the room
with an octopus partner while you play music.

CATCH OF FISH - Two groups on opposite goals. Players at one end of playing area form a "net" by joining hands and standing in a line. Players in the opposite goal are fish. At a given signal, players change goals. The ?net? tries to catch as many fish as possible. The fish can escape only through the opening between the ends of the net and cannot go under arms of players. When the ends close together all within are caught and must join that side.

BATH TUB FISHING - Fill tub with water and dye it blue. Make sponge fishes. Put paper clips in for mouths. Put magnet on end of pole string to hook them with or make a hook using another paper clip.

SARDINES - Choose one person to be it. Stand together in one place and count to fifty out loud. While everyone else is counting, "it" should go to a large place and hide. Search for it when fifty is reached. When a player finds it, hide with it in the same place. Hide together until all the children are hiding with it, and they will feel like sardines jammed in a can.

NETTING FISH - You could pretend to fish out of a small wadding pool. For the fish cut out different colored fish out of construction paper and laminate. Tell kids to get a certain color fish or have them tell you what color fish they caught.

GOLD FISH GOLF - Remove the rim off of gallon ice cream bucket. Invert and cut out large mouth from the edge. Cut tail from a piece of cardboard and attach to body. Spray gold. Glue two large eyes on fish. Use a hollow plastic ball with holes. Hit the ball into the fish's mouth with a yardstick.

CRAB WALKING - sit, place hands on floor behind body. Raise body off floor
and walk on all fours, backward and forwards.

CRAB RACES - Have children practice walking like crabs. Once they are able
to move in that position, they are ready to race. The children may have
individual races or team races. Children may race forward or backwards.

DIRECTIONS GAME - Cut out a crab shape or other sea life shape and have the
children practice following directions by telling them what to do with the
crab. Get them to describe to you what they did with the crab.

DIVER DRESS UP - Put diving stuff in dress up, or make diving gear. Pretend
to go on an ocean dive.

BEACH BALL FUN - Place two beach balls of different sizes on a small blanket
while several children hold the sides of the blanket and make the beach
balls move up and down like popcorn popping or roll them from side to side
by moving their arms.

A DAY AT THE BEACH - Provide beach bags, beach towels, sand pails, sand
shovels, toy boats, sea shells and empty suntan oil bottles in the
housekeeping area.

PRETEND SNORKELING - When the mural is completed, let students make
snorkels, masks, and flippers out of construction paper. Then they can "go
diving" to see their coral reef.

CORAL BUILDING - Pretend that you are building up (with blocks).