Sebastian is ALL about ‘under the sea’ at the moment – thanks to both a recent trip to Kelly Tarltons and Finding Nemo (he is super excited about Finding Dory too). And with winter arriving here in full force, our days have become more indoor based than outdoors; I thought it was time to come up with some ways to pass our time when we can’t be outside.I have wanted to make this game up for Sebastian for a while however, have not quite got around to it (something I can imagine all you Mums can relate too)! I figure it is better late than never though and to be honest he will probably enjoy it much more now as he is a bit older.
This DIY Fishing Game is one I fondly remember playing as a little girl. My mum originally made one for us and still to this day I remember the hours and hours of fun my brother and I had playing with it. It is really simple to put together (perfect for whipping up in front of the tv one evening) and I am sure will provide hours of endless fun for your family – it already has in our household.
What I love about this game is aside from being hours of fun, it opens the doors to so many different conversations and learnings about counting numbers through to identifying colours. It is brilliant for practicing hand eye coordination and all of this is while you’re having fun!
To create your DIY Fishing Game, you will need:
- Cardstock in a variety of colours
- Scissors
- Under the Sea Images (you can either freehand, or find some which you can trace around)
- Permanent marker
- Laminator and laminating pouches (optional)
- Magnets / magnetic tape
- Paper clips
- Bamboo stake or doweling (for fishing poles)
- String
- Washi Tape
To create your ‘Under the Sea’ creatures – Start by tracing your chosen images on to coloured cardstock. Inspired by Allen’s new Sea Stretchies, I chose 4 sea creatures (stingray, fish, turtle, seahorse) and made 6 of each – one in each colour.
Cut out and trace around with permanent marker, filling in all the features at the same time. Laminate if you wish; note – your fishing game will last longer if laminated.
Next cut and attach magnets to the front. I originally wanted to attach the magnets to the back however found that the magnetic tape I had got wasn’t strong enough to work through the laminating #planB 😉 Note: when working with magnets, it is important to insure they are kept out of reach of little ones, and used when supervised
To create your fishing poles – take your chosen medium (dowelling or bamboo steak) and chop to desired lengths. I wanted to get two poles out of one bamboo stake so it was easy peasy – just cut in half!
Once cut, I wrapped in washi tape purely to jazz them up a bit, after all they were being played with by pre-schoolers. Attach string around the top, secure with more washi tape. To the other end of the string attach a paper clip or two (this will all depend on how strong your magnets are).
That’s it – GO Fish!
Allen’s has recently launched new sea creature themed lollies and sent us some to try. As far as our household is concerned their arrival is perfectly timed with our current love of ‘Under the Sea’.
As a Mum I love that they are the perfect sized fun treat with ‘1 piece = 1 portion’. That’s their secret – one of Allen’s new Sea Stretchies is all you need for some sweet stretchy fun. Why? Because with Allen’s Sea Stretchies it is perfectly acceptable to ‘play with your food’. They are made to be stretched, rolled, twisted and pulled; the idea being that after having all that fun with them you won’t need to have another one 😉
Allen’s Sea Stretchies come in four fun creatures – turtle, seahorse, stingray and a saw shark. As much fun will be had choosing which Sea Stretchie to have as will be had enjoying it and they come in lots of fun flavours like juicy orange, crisp apple, tasty pineapple, luscious mixed berry, zesty strawberry and tangy grapefruit there is a flavour combination to suit all taste buds.
When I was putting together the above fishing game I thought I might have been able to use the Sea Stretchies. I had visions of attaching one to the back of one of the cards and Sebastian would be able to have one as a treat. However, those plans were thwarted because a) they were too heavy for the magnets to pick up and b) and I could see said treat becoming a hindrance / expectation when playing. So plans changed and we used them as a treat / surprise when playing sometimes and other times not.
Want to try Allen’s Sea Stretchies for yourself, they are avaliable at New World and Pak n Save supermarkets 🙂
Enjoy, having some sweet stretchy fun and… Enjoy, fishing with your little ones.
**I teamed up with Allen’s to bring you this post; all words, thoughts and opinions are my own**
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