Living Under Water

© Anna Fort

Animals have unique characteristics and behaviors that help them survive in their environment. Explore animals that live in and around the water with your child.

If possible, plan a trip to the ocean, a stream, or an aquarium. Take pictures of the animals in their environment. Or visit your local library where you can find DVDs and nonfiction books about animals and their environments to read with your child.

• Look at pictures and talk about how the animals are able to live in the water environment. How does the shape of a fish’s body help it move around in the water? How does a duck’s feet help it swim?
• Lay a blanket on the floor. Pretend it is a water environment you have visited or read about. Together, pretend to be animals that live in the environment, such as a frog in a pond or a seagull by the ocean. Make your animal sounds and move like your animals in or around the water.
• Make up a pretend water adventure, and talk about what it might be like if your family lived under the water. What would you eat? What would you do for fun? What would your house look like?

Write down the water adventure story and have your child illustrate it and share it with family members.