Make Monday: Gone Fishing!

During spring break earlier this year, Judah has so much fun fishing at the local Botanical Center. Judah would fish using a fishing pole with a magnet on the end in a kids pool full of magnetized bright, colored fish.

This weekend being indoors from the heat, we tried to replicate our fishing experience. We have to practice you know for our big fishing trip to Canada this summer.

There are two ways to make fishing fun, with water or without water (if you are indoors and not using the tub). Here are the supplies and directions for each from our own play experiences.

Outdoors Fishing Supplies

Kids pool or alternative
Toddler fishing pole or alternative
Paper clips
Colored foam shaped like fish
String
Magnets
Bucket
Hole punch
Glue

Outdoors Fishing Fun

Cut the crafting foam (buy at craft store) into large fish shapes, using different colors. Put large paper clips onto the mouth area of the fish. Meanwhile, hole punch a magnet rectangle (again you can find at a craft store or recycled off of a pad of paper) on both ends. Folding the magnet in half, use glue to seal the magnet together for maxium usable surface. Tie the magnet to the end of the fishing pole. The bucket is for the fish you catch.

Indoors Fishing Supplies

Bucket
Sturdy paper towel roll (rolls from kitchen wraps work best)
Paper clips
Colored paper
String
Magnets
Hole punch
Glue

Indoors Fishing Fun

Cut colored paper (buy at craft store) into fish, using different colors, or use a die cut machine to make fish shapes. Put large paper clips onto the mouth area of the fish. Meanwhile, hole punch a magnet rectangle (again you can find at a craft store or recycled off a pad of paper) on both ends. Folding the magnet in half, use glue to seal the magnet together for maxium usable surface. Tie the magnet to the one end of string with the other end attached to the paper towel roll. Fish from a bucket.

Both times, Judah had lots of fun fishing. Not only did he tone his gross motor skills catching and releasing fish, but he learned about his colors, numbers, and the science of magnets. And for me, it certainly kept him happy and entertained for a while.

Happy Fishing for we have Gone Fishing!