Seaweek Wanders
Seaweek starts soon and this is a wonderful week to connect with and celebrate the Sea.
I love the theme of Seaweek this year - Connecting with the Sea - and the whakatauki, Ko au te moana, ko te moana ko au. I am the Sea, the Sea is me.
I personally feel very connected to the Sea, and I know many of my Nature Kids do too. It is a place where we find calm, clarity, do lots of learning and have heaps of fun!
Our sea is super special and no matter how far you live from it, it supports us all - body, mind and soul. Did you know...70% of the oxygen we breathe comes from plants in the Sea?! And, the negative ions in sand lowers blood pressure and reduces inflammation?! Plus, being in and around the Sea is super fun and fascinating!
To celebrate and connect with the Sea we wanted to share some sea-themed experiences for you to enjoy this Sea Week (and beyond). These experiences have been tried and test by the Nature Kids, so your kids (and you) will love them!
Seaweek Wanders - approved by the Nature Kids!
Paddle in a rock pool - find a rock pool, and at low to mid tide paddle and explore, there is so much life to be found!
Get a shrimp-i-cure - in your rock pool, stand with bare feet, stay still and be patient…wait for the tiny shrimp to swim out and start cleaning your feet, so fun and tickly!
Bird watch at the beach - grab your binoculars, find a sit spot in the sand and patiently wait for some feathered friends to fly or walk by. Sea birds are so cool and have some awesome adaptations to make them suited for life at Sea. Find out more: Seabirds of NZ
Wave Race - as the waves crash on the beach and the tide goes in and out, chase the water out and try not to get wet as it chases you back in!
Love the Sea - wander along the beach with a bucket and collect any rubbish you find, the Sea will love you for it!
Gaze out to Sea - what is the water doing? Is it flat, smooth, bumpy, wavy, rough? What can you see on the surface of the water? Wonder, what is beneath the surface?
Go on a Shell-Safari - wander along the shore and collect shells, pick one of each of the different type of shell you see. Photo graph them or take them home and find out what sea creature the sea came from.
Learn something about the Sea - get a Sea-themed book from the library, or check out the Young Ocean Explorers Website for lots of interactive experiences.
Make a Nature Necklace - find a shell, small piece of driftwood or other Sea treasure with a natural hole in it. Thread string through the hole and tie it together, viola, you have a nature necklace you can wear.
Make a Sand Angel - lay on your back in the sand, move your arms and legs out from your body 5 or 6 times, brushing the sand with them as you do. Stand up carefully and look back at the Sand Angel you’ve created.
Tell the Tide - find a stick and dig it deep into the sand where the water line is on the shore. Wait for 10 minutes, is your stick wet or dry? If it’s wet the tide is coming in, if it’s dry it’s going out.
For more Seaweek Shenanigans check out the the Seaweek Website.
Click this link for more about Nature Kids - Weekday Nature School and Holiday Programme
Have a super Seaweek, and remember you don’t need a special week to connect with and celebrate the Sea.
Ko au te moana, ko te moana ko au. I am the Sea, the Sea is me.
