Practicing letters and sounds with a fish theme is fun and engaging, and it is great for early learners. This hands-on DIY fishing for letters center activity is perfect for reviewing letters and sounds, or it can be used as a reward after introducing all the letters and/or sounds. Also, be sure to grab the FREE "You're O "fish" ally awesome!" printable tag that can be perfectly paired with some Fish Hard Candy Fun Packs.
If you are fishing for new ways to review letters or sounds in your classroom, then this classroom transformation is the perfect activity for your students! Plus, children will want to play this game forever! The first thing I did was transform the back of my classroom into a bright, colorful and fun environment. You can easily adapt this classroom transformation to your needs or liking, but the excitement of my students when they saw the transformation was priceless!
I used the Under the Sea VBS Design-a-Room Background as the backdrop for my transformation. Simply tape or staple the backdrop to a wall or bulletin board to give your classroom an underwater vibe. I covered two tables with a Blue Plastic Tablecloth and added an Under the Sea Table Skirt with Cutouts to the larger table. I love adding cardboard stand-ups to a classroom themed activity. This is a great way to make your students feel like they are truly about to go fishing. The Little Fisherman Directional Sign and 3D Seaweed Cardboard Stand-Ups add a special touch to the classroom!
Finish transforming your classroom by adding some last-minute details. I added a Little Fisherman Fish Paper Pennant Banner onto the ocean backdrop, along with some Little Fisherman Cutouts. After you finish setting up your classroom, it's time to start thinking about the activity. Every student who is going fishing for letters will need a fishing rod! I love the magnetic fishing poles from the Bright Color Magnetic Fishing Game. These fishing poles have a strong magnet that makes it easy for your students to pick up your DIY letter fish cutouts.
Making your own DIY letter fish cutouts is easy! Simple write letters onto Fish Bulletin Board Cutouts with a Sharpie® Fine Point Permanent Marker. Place a Self-Adhesive Dot Magnet onto the fish cutout. Place your fish into a Blue Gingham Inflatable Buffet Cooler. Next, take the fish from your Bright Color Magnetic Fishing Game and write the following phrases onto some of the fish: Splash!, Lose a turn, or Steal a fish!
To play the game, students use their fishing rods to pick up your DIY letter fish cutouts. They must identify the letter and the sound and place them into a Little Fisherman Pails with Lids.
After identifying the letter and the sound, students must record their answer on these FREE recording sheets. You can download the recording sheet here!
However, there's a twist! If a student decides to pick up a plastic fish, he/she might be in for a surprise! If the student picks up a fish that says, "Splash!", then he/she must put all of the earned fish back into the ocean (the gingham cooler). On the other hand, if the child picks up a plastic fish that says, "Steal a fish!", he or she may take a fish from their teammate.
This activity can easily be differentiated and used to reinforce or review a variety of skills throughout the entire school year. To change the activity, simply modify the Fish Bulletin Board Cutouts to have the desired concept on them. Some examples of concepts may include: CVC words, CVCe, addition problems, subtraction problems, and much more! Happy fishing!
