Summer

Crafts

Make sunglasses: cut out frontal shape of glasses from bristle board cutting out the center, colour with markers and decorate with stickers, yape coloured celophane to the front frame to look out of, punch one hole on either side of the frame and insert pipecleaners for the arms of the glasses, bend the arms to go around ears
please note: these glasses are for fun and also work great when talking about colours (make them in the 3 primary colours and overlap to discover how to make secondary colours!), but will not protect eyes from the rays of the sun
Personalized beach towels: draw a beach scene or other picture on a piece of paper the same size as your towel, when you are happy with the picture, transfer it to the towel in very light pencil, go over your picture with fabric paints and allow to dry
Homemade chalk: Mix 1/2 cup water, and 3 tablespoons of plaster of Paris together and add the colour of dry tempera paint that you wish your chalk to be, pour mixture into dixie cups and let stand until hard (may take a few hours)
Sun collage: make a collage using construction paper shapes, do not glue the collage down, place collage out in the sun and allow the sun to fade the paper, the picture will show darker when the shapes are removed
Coloured sand pictures
Suns: cut out a circle and strips from yellow construction paper, glue the strips around the circle to make a sun

Science

Shadows
Sun experiments: make real iced tea, evaporation
Make a thermometer and see what happens when the temperature rises

Dramatic Play

Set up a beach - picnic baskets, pails and shovels, blankets, sunglasses, hats

Circle Time

Songs:

Oh, Mr Sun
You are my Sunshine
Swimming, Swimming

Stories:

Little Froggie Learns to Swim
Barney's Sandcastle

Games:

Sea shell game: hide an object under the shells and have children find it

Water & Sand Play

Place shells in the sandbox

Outdoor Play

Skipping
Hopscotch
Paint with water

Field Trips / Special Days

Have a water day
Go on a picnic

Songs

Oh, Mr. Sun

Oh, Mr. Sun, sun, Mr. Golden sun
Won't you please shine down on me
Oh, Mr. Sun, sun, Mr. Golden sun
Hiding behind the tree
These little children are asking you
To please come out so they can play with you
Oh, Mr. Sun, sun, Mr. Golden sun
Won't you please shine down on,
Please shine down on, please shine down on me-e-e!

You Are My Sunshine

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know dear how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away

So let the sun shine in
Face it with a grin
Smilers never lose and frowners never win
So let the sun shine in
Face it with a grin
Open up your heart and let the sun shine in!