Beach Treasures and Treasure Beaches

Today is World Oceans Day!  Unofficially celebrated every June 8th since it was proposed by the Canadian government in 1992, World Oceans Day was officially recognized by the United Nations in 2008. According to the World Oceans Day website, “On World Oceans Day people around the planet celebrate and honor the body of water which links us all, for what it provides humans and what it represents.”

This year’s theme is Youth: the Next Wave for Change.

“Youth: the Next Wave for Change”

Learning about the ocean is nothing but fun! It doesn’t have to be a preachy-teachy experience.  Just have a good time while getting the kids pondering about what the world’s oceans mean to all of us.

Here are some simple ideas:

• Take a walk on the beach.
• Read a book with the little ones. My choices for beginning readers? One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss, Albert the Albatross by Syd Hoff, and Sailing off to Sleep by Linda Ashman. So many books are available to get even the  littlest ones thinking about life in the sea. The Beach Chair Scientist has a great list of ocean themed children’s books to help get started!
• Visit the aquarium.
• Watch an ocean themed documentary. Netflix has several to choose from. OK, so it’s not a documentary, but Finding Nemo is a favorite with children of all ages.

“This one has a little star. This one has a little car. Say! what a lot of fish there are!” ~Dr. Suess

Happy World Oceans Day!