Toddler and Preschooler Activities for a Rainy Day: Gone Fishin'

I apologize. Even though I don't think that you all are chomping at the bit for a new post on my blog, I do have a standard I've set for myself as far as posting goes, and I've let it slip this past week. We took a last minute family trip to Coronado, which has been WONDERFUL, but I have a ton of activities to share with you. So I'm staying up extra late to post about one of my favorite winter activities: fishing!

Materials:
Blue fabric or a sheet
wooden dowels
yarn
clothes pins
hot glue
construction paper
marker
tape


As we all know, winter can DRAG ON, so this activity is one that will entertain as well as teach--fishing in the winter time! You can mold it to your child's needs. I focused on numbers for my preschooler and colors for my toddler.

Step One:
Cover a small table (I used our piano bench) with your blue fabric (mine was a shower curtain) for the "water." Make sure there's room behind the table for you to sit since you'll be clipping the fish onto their fishing rods "under water."

Step Two:
Cut out the number of fish you want from your construction paper. I added eyes and numbers.


Step Three:
Cut a piece of yarn and glue one end onto the dowel. Tie the other end onto the clothes pin (our clothes pins were decorated from a previous activity).

I put a small line of hot glue at the end of the dowel and then wrapped the yard around it a few times.





Step Four:
At the other end of my living room, I taped colored squares that matched the colors of the fish. My goal was to have my toddler match the fish to the corresponding square, thus helping her learn her colors. Then I asked my preschooler to identify the number on the fish's belly and write it herself on the tail. You could also do letters, shapes, spelling words, etc.

My preschooler wanted to help clip the fish to the pole while my toddler (and her one surviving pigtail) was content being the fisherwoman. Barbie and the princess crown were just decoration.

Here is my toddler matching the white fish to the white square.

And my preschooler writing the number four on the tail.
She still uses her number rhymes to remember her numbers.








Once we caught all of our "fish," my girls continued fishing for small toys from out of their homemade "pond." This activity is the gift that keeps on giving and I hope it will help you get through these wintery days (I say this as I'm basking in 75 degree weather out here in California).

Please do check back with me for Valentine's Day activities. Don't forget to check your local JoAnne's for all their deals right now on pink and red EVERYTHING. Pick up 1/4 of a yard of red fleece while you're there for my next post!