Colorful Sand Bottles, Treasure Hunt in a Bottle (Polly's Seeds), 12 Little Spy Bottles
Colorful Sand Bottles, Treasure Hunt in a Bottle (Polly's Seeds) 12 Little Spy Bottles
On the Beach - COLORFUL Sand Bottles
It is best to do this event outdoors...or place plastic tarps under the sand area. You will thank me later!
Basis Needs:
2-3 folding tables with COLORFUL table cloths
Sand - Several different containers filled with brightly colored sand. If you are on a budget, 2-3 colors will work as the children can alternate color layers.
A (completely dry) water bottle with lid (one per child)
A few plastic funnels
A few scoops, plastic spoons, or anything to dip the sand with.
On a budget? Here's how to make your own colored sand (start working on this project several days or weeks before you need it. You may want to solicit the kids' help with the squish, squish, squishing at the end of class! Have your sifted sand ready and in bags before adding the paint and handing them to the children to squish.
How to make your own colored sand!
Purchase a bag of play sand (Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. It is only a few dollars for a big bag.) Sand is rather heavy, so you may want to take someone with you or ask someone to load and unload it.
Using a fine sifter, sift the sand to remove any large chunks, sticks, etc. (This is quick and easy)
Fill a 1-gallon-sized ziplock bag 1/2 to 2/3 full...leaving room for squishing.
Add a couple of squirts of poster paint and a tsp or two of water.
Squish, squish, squish...adding more poster paint and a few drops of water until you get the desired color.
Pour the colored sand onto a paper plate, bowl, etc, and allow to dry.
Put the dried sand through the sifter once again, removing any clumps.
Event:
Pour the sand into "easy-to-dip-from" bowls or containers. Use one bowl per sand color.
Place one scoop or spoon inside each bowl.
Children will set their bottle on the table, place a small funnel on top, hold the bottle securely (don't shake it), and layer the sand into their bottle until they are completely full. Place the cap onto the bottle and tighten.
Extra Fun Ideas:
Limbo
A kiddie pool with sand, sand castles, shovels, and little trinkets, the children can dig for when they have finished their bottle.
Paul's Shipwreck is a great lesson/devotion.
Fruity drinks with little umbrellas, watermelon, or fruits are perfect beach treats!
Don't forget those silly pics! Even if you don't share them on social media, the kids LOVE seeing themselves on the screen on Sunday morning!
Treasure Hunt in a Bottle - Paul's Shipwreck
Very versatile craft...use when teaching on Paul's shipwreck, Rahab, spying out Canaan or any beach/sea lesson.
You can even use it as a VBS beach craft.
Hours of fun. Can you find all 20 items?
Treasure Hunt in a Bottle
Some pirates got it all mixed up and did things the wrong way around. They put the treasure in a bottle, and buried the map in the ground!
Their treasure was some silly stuff like nuts and screws and beads.
Then dear old Polly Parrot added all her extra seeds!
So, find the twenty items here: no two are quite the same.
Don’t open up the bottle, though, as that would spoil the game.
Before class:
1. Print off the poem tags (1 per child) and punch a hole in the upper left-hand corner.
2. Gather water bottles (1 per child)
3. Gather 20 trinkets per child. This can be anything from a paper clip to a penny. From a toothpick to a bead. ANYTHING! Items do not have to be the same for each bottle. Simply gather the number of bottles you need and multiply that number by 20. This is the number of items you will need. Toss the items in a treasure box. You can get creative by making a treasure box...if you choose.
4. Gather a roll of twine, a piece of fish netting (or any netting that you can find), a bag of bird seed, a pair of scissors, a large tote, 2-3 small funnels, and a scoop or spoon for dipping the seeds.
5. Cut the netting into small 6" squares. Cut the twine into 12" pieces (1 Per Child)
Activity:
1. Have the children pick out their 20 small items from the trinket box.
2. Give each child a water bottle.
3. Have the children fill their water bottles (3/4 full) with bird seed. Note: It is a good idea to birdseed in a large tote or cardboard box. Children will place their bottle inside the tote to fill with seeds.
4. Have the children drop the 20 trinkets inside the bottle.
5. Have the children put the lid on top of their bottles and shake them.
6. Have the children re-open their bottles and fill (seeds) to within 3" from the top of the bottle.
7. Have the children screw the lids on tightly. You may even want to add some hot glue around the top so the bottles are not opened.
8. Have the children place a square piece of netting over the top of their bottle and tie a piece of twine around the the neck of the bottle. Tie in a knot.
9. Have the children run the end of thetwine through the hole in the poem and tie in a knot.
Treasure Hunt in a Bottle - 12 Little Spies
Very versatile craft...use when teaching on Rahab and the 12 Spies - Spying out Canaan, Paul's Shipwreck or any beach/sea lesson.
You can even use it as a VBS beach craft.
Hours of fun. Can you find all 20 items?
The 12 Little Spies
12 little Spies went out one day,
over the hill and far away.
Some spies shouted “run, run, run”.
Others said “This can’t be done.”
“We can’t do it, we can’t win”
and then they all went home again.
But two little spies said “yes we can.”
“We will go search out the land”
So they looked far and they looked wide.
Then up on the roof top they did hide.
Can you find them? Can you see?
Hidden inside this bottle...where can they be?
There are 20 items hidden inside this bottle
Can you find all 20 items?
Before class:
1. Print off the poem tags (1 per child) and punch a hole in the upper left-hand corner.
2. Gather water bottles (1 per child)
3. Gather 20 trinkets per child. This can be anything from a paper clip to a penny. From a toothpick to a bead. ANYTHING! Items do not have to be the same for each bottle. Simply gather the number of bottles you need and multiply that number by 20. This is the number of items you will need. Toss the items in a treasure box. You can get creative by making a treasure box...if you choose.
4. Gather a roll of red ribbon, a bag of bird seed, a pair of scissors, a large tote, 2-3 small funnels, and a scoop or spoon for dipping the seeds.
Activity:
1. Have the children pick out their 20 small items from the trinket box.
2. Give each child a water bottle.
3. Have the children fill their water bottles (3/4 full) with bird seed. Note: It is a good idea to birdseed in a large tote or cardboard box. Children will place their bottle inside the tote to fill with seeds.
4. Have the children drop the 20 trinkets inside the bottle.
5. Have the children put the lid on top of their bottles and shake them.
6. Have the children re-open their bottles and fill (seeds) to within 3" from the top of the bottle.
7. Have the children screw the lids on tightly. You may even want to add some hot glue around the top so the bottles are not opened.
8. Have the children tie a piece of RED yarn around the neck of the bottle and tie a knot
9. Have the children run the end of the yarn through the hole in the poem and tie in a knot.