Busy Siblings Corner: Seashell Magnets

By Heather Kempskie and Lisa Hanson

Collect seashells to create magnets that you can enjoy season after season!

Seashells (from beach or local craft store) 
Empty egg carton   
Quick-drying glue   
Paint and paintbrush   
Old toothbrushes   
Mineral or baby oil   
Magnetic tape  
Plastic eyes (optional)
Construction paper (school-age child)

To remove odors and preserve beach seashells, show your children how to gently clean the shells with water and a sponge or old toothbrush. When the shells are dry, your children can decorate their shells with paint. If your kids prefer a natural look, they can wipe the shells with mineral or baby oil to make them shine. When the shells are ready, affix magnetic tape to the back of each.

Baby
Your baby can enjoy the feel and sound of seashells. Seashells have many different textures, which make them attractive to a curious baby's hands. For safe exploration, first use quick-drying glue to affix clean seashells without jagged edges in each cup of an empty egg carton. For an auditory experience, hold a large seashell to your baby's ear. Does she react to the sound?

Toddler
Your toddler will also enjoy exploring large seashells (smaller ones pose a choking hazard). Can he hear noise when he holds a shell to his ear? Have him describe what each shells feels like. Is it bumpy or smooth? What color is it? He may want to paint his entire shell.
Preschooler and School-Age Child
Your preschooler and school-age child can create their own family of seashell animals by: painting on eyes or gluing on some plastic ones; using a small piece of red yarn to create a smile and pieces of construction paper for other facial or bodily features. For instance, to make a dog, paint on the eyes and glue on a mouth. Cut a small pair of brown triangles and glue to the top as ears and cut a small brown strip and glue on base for the tail.

Parent Tip
To learn more about shells, read with your kids the delightful picture book "Shells! Shells! Shells!" by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace.

Excerpted from The Siblings' Busy Book. Copyright 2008 by Heather Kempskie and Lisa Hanson. Reprinted with permission of Meadowbrook Press, www.meadowbrookpress.com. Available in bookstores nationwide August 2008. For more information, visit www.busybookseries.wordpress.com