Fun Day Sunday!

I usually do my Fun Day Sunday post on Wednesday, but am doing it a couple days early this week. These posts provide simple craft activities to go with wonderful children's books...or at least that's the impression we want to give the kiddos. The ulterior real motive is to help those children acquire great literacy skills and a love of reading.

Children LOVE this week's book, with its beautiful illustrations of Rainbow Fish's shimmering, sparkling rainbow scales.

I am all about sneaking in a character lesson whenever possible, and this book does a great job of that. Because of his lovely scales, Rainbow Fish starts off the story as the most beautiful fish in the sea. However, Rainbow Fish KNOWS he's gorgeous...he's quite conceited about his good looks and is extremely rude to the other (plain-looking) fish. It doesn't take long before none of the other fish will play with him. Through the help of a wise octopus, Rainbow Fish learns to share and ends the book with only one shimmering scale, but with a boatload of friends (couldn't resist the bad pun. Sorry.)

So, as you read the book, remember to ask our comprehension questions: "Oooh, what do you think will happen next??", "Why do you think the other fish won't play with Rainbow Fish?", etc. You can also have your child retell the story, focusing on the beginning, middle and end of the story.

The craft is simple enough! Cut a wedge out of a paper plate (a wedge that's less than 1/4 of the plate works great), staple it to the other end of the plate, then have your child draw an eye above the mouth. Allow your child to decorate the fish by gluing on pieces of tissue paper and ONE piece of aluminum foil for Rainbow Fish's remaining glittering scale.

That's it! You and your child can finish the activity by enjoying a snack of some goldfish crackers or Swedish fish candies together.

I hope you enjoyed this week's book and activity. Thanks for stopping by!