Make a Shell Craft Treasure Box

What You Need:

• Plain wood box with lid (available at craft stores in lots of sizes)
• Bag of clean seashells (either from a craft store or a beach)
• Craft glue
• Shell book to identify different shells (optional)

What You Do:

1. Start by pouring the shells onto a clean surface. Invite your kindergartener to sort them, and enjoy the process. They may sort by size, by type of shell, or by color. Any of these will work just fine; just talk about it as you go.
2. Keep a shell book handy. How many kinds of shells can you identify?
3. Now pull out a craft box and craft glue (if you have one, you might also want to use a hot glue gun, but be prepared, as an adult, to help extensively).
4. Invite your child to lay out a mosaic pattern with the shells. They'll need to pull from the “like” piles to create a pattern. When they have the pattern all arranged, help glue it down.
5. Ask your child to describe the pattern they created, what makes it a pattern?

This activity helps your child practice key beginning science skills with a bonus: next time you find a new shell, you'll have a lovely place to put it, too!