Hobbies And Interests
Hand and Footprint Lobsters
Make lobsters from the kids' hand and foot prints. Have the kids press their hands into paint and then onto heavy paper. Repeat with their bare feet. Cut out the two hand and two foot prints. Lay out the two foot prints to make a long lobster body. The heel of the second foot should slightly overlap the toes of the first foot in line. Push a paper fastener through both layers of footprints where they connect, to form a lobster body. The body should have a heel print for the head and a toes print for a tail. Place the palm of a hand print onto each side of the head end of the lobster and push a paper fastener through the end of each palm and the top edge of the lobster head to form pinchers. Tape two brown chenille stems on the top edge of the lobster head, just between the hand print pinchers. Draw eyes on the head.
Pincher Claws
Have kids color or paint two paper plates red or brown on both sides. Fold each plate in half. Cut a 1/2 by three inch "slot" above the fold and a 1-inch hole below the fold. Show the kids how to place their fingers through the slot and thumb through the holes from the outside of the plate pinchers. Kids can try to pick up objects with their pincher claws.
Lobster Races
Show the kids a picture of a lobster. Point out the four walking legs under the body. Have the kids lie face-down on the floor. Instruct them to only use their arms and hands to move their body across the floor. Mark out a racing area for lobster races.
Lobster Posters
Show a textbook picture of a lobster with the parts labeled, or print a copy of the picture and labeled parts from the Lobster Institute web site. Have kids draw a lobster on a large piece of poster board or newsprint paper. Help the kids draw lines from the parts of the lobster and write the names of the parts on the lines. Display the posters in the classroom or a hallway.
Ocean Creature Game
Have the kids play a revised version of duck, duck, goose. Arrange the group in a seated circle. Have one child walk around the outside of the circle and touch each child's head, saying the names of ocean creatures like crab, seahorse, fish, shark and lobster. When the child touches a head and says lobster, that person gets up and races around the circle back to the spot where the seated person was. Use only crab and lobster for younger children.