- Nene Bilingüe Mami
Bilingual Thematic Activities: Under the Sea Sensory Bin

Nene Bilingüe has been hosting Spanish Playdates (prior to Covid-19) with a group of friends in our home. Since they have been put on hold for the time being, we thought we could share the ideas with you. These playdates have been named "Nido" to represent the value of learning new languages in the home along with family; just like the chicks living and learning in their nests. I would love to share the songs, activities, crafts, and books we use so that you too can partake in our playdates from the confort of your home. In each post, we will focus on one activity - so expect a few posts for the same theme. Enjoy!
Nido Spanish Playdate: Debajo del Mar
Who doesn't love learning about the deep blue see and the many creatures in it? Get ready to explore the great ocean with the following books, songs, and featured activities while promoting language and vocabulary learning in Spanish.

Los Libros
Bilingual Books
El Pez Arco Iris / The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
10 Little Fish / 10 Pececitos by Harriet Ziefert
Spanish Books
10 Alegres Piratas by Rebecca Weerasekera (English: 10 Pesky Pirates)
Contando en el Aquario By Hola Amigo Inc.
Atlas de los Animales by Cristina Banfi, Rita Mabel Schiavo, and Christina Peraboni
1001 Cosas para Buscar en el Mar (Usborne)
English Books
Dolphins By Melissa Stewart (National Geographic Kids)
Good Night Ocean by Adam Gamble and Mark Jasper

La Música
-Little Hermit Crab by Nathalia in "En la Radio"
Song with a storyline
-Emi y el Pulpo by Natalia in "En la Radio"
Song with a storyline
-El Patito by Bert & Ernie in "C es para Cantar Seseme Street"
Perfect for bath time
-Un Pulpito by Charlotte Diamond in "Soy una Pizza"
Spanish version of "Slippery Fish"
-Al Agua Pato in "Cantaré"
Bath time song
-En la Playa by Clara Luna in "Luces, Cámara, Acción
Christmas themed song
-El Barquito by José-Luis Orozco in "De Colores"
A version of a traditional children's song
-Cuatro Camaroncitos by José-Luis Orozco in "De Colores"
Fun song and story
-Prescado Asustado by Lucky Diaz and the Family Band in "Adelante"
Great family jam
Activity: Ocean Sensory Bin/Tray

Materials Needed:
Cookie sheets, low profile tray, or plastic bin
Water Beads
Small Rocks
Ocean Animal Figures
Suggested Language Practice:
¿Donde esta el/la _____?
-Where is the ___?
¿Que es esto?
-What is this animal?
El/la ___ vive en el agua.
-The ___ lives in the water.
El/la ____ vive en tierra.
-The ___ lives on land.
Common Sea Animals:
Sting ray - Mantarraya
Octopus - Pulpo
Fish - Pez
Jelly Fish - Medusa
Whale - Ballena
Shark - Tiburón
Seahorse - Caballo de Mar
Seal - Foca
Penguin - Pinguino
Crab - Cangrejo
Turtle - Tortuga

Instructions:
Prepare the water beads as instructed. This may take 1-24 hours depending on the type of beads you have or purchase.
Pour rocks evenly on 1/3 of the shallow container or sheet. Because there was more than one sensory station set up we used recyclable aluminum shallow cooking trays. (Nothing happened to the trays so we were able to reuse them multiple times before recycling)
Pour water beads on the remaining 2/3 of the tray.
You can place a variety of sea animals into the bin, or provide the sea animals in a separate container so the child can place how they'd like.
Extension: You can play a search and find game by calling out the name of the sea creature to look for. "Yo veo una ___" (I see a __) "Aquí está el/la __!" (Here is the __.)
*As always, parental supervision and play is highly encouraged and suggested.
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