• Travel
  • Reading
  • Math
  • Science
  • Writing
  • Recipes

The Educators' Spin On It

Learning Games and Activities

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Deals
  • Shop
  • Contact

By Kim Vij

A House for Hermit Crab Activities

A House for Hermit Crab Activities

Looking for A House for Hermit Crab Activities? Explore these adorable watercolor puppets and ocean themed movement game inspired by Eric Carle’s book.

A House for Hermit Crab Activities

A Summer is not complete without some fun in the Ocean! One of our favorite books to read about the ocean is A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle. I love the various sea creatures that it introduces to children. 

Let’s have some fun with these special Ocean Animals from the book!

A House for Hermit Crab Activities

This post contains affiliate links to Amazon. Click here to view our full disclosure. 

A House for Hermit Crab Puppet Movement Activity

Materials Needed

  • Water Color
  • Paint Brush
  • Printables Puppets & Movement Game 
  • Popsicle Sticks
  • Tape or glue
  • Book: A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle

Directions for A House for Hermit Crab Puppet Activity 

Print out The Ocean Creatures from 3 Dinsosaurs.   {You’ll find it under Crab Coloring}

Print the Movement Card Game from The Educators’ Spin On It before we begin!

A House for Hermit Crab Activities

Let’s start with our watercolors. If your child has never painted with watercolors before allowing them to experiment a little bit before you use the printables. One suggestion is to encourage them to create the ocean for all of the ocean animals to swim in.

Discuss the watercolors and also the types of things that would be at the bottom of the ocean. This story has some great illustration to look at for inspiration.

A House for Hermit Crab Activities

Have your camper paint each of the images on the page as creatively as they want to. For bigger kids, you can print out separate pages for each.  

For younger children, you can just make them all on one page to keep their attention. I love this activity because it works for so many ages!

A House for Hermit Crab Activities

Then once they are dry you can cut out the images. If you want to attach them to popsicle sticks to create puppets to retell the story.

A House for Hermit Crab Activities

Directions for A House for Hermit Crab Movement Game 

Let’s get moving!  Using inspiration from our little sea creatures let’s retell the story on a big scale level with our bodies.  Have your child act out the animals as they are drawn from the pile.

Print your own Movement Cards

Print Your Own Beach Inspired Kids Yoga Poses from Kids Yoga Stories Too!

Build Literacy into this Activity

Have your child match the cards to the puppets! You could also introduce beginning letter sounds or word cards too. 3 Dinosaurs has some great printables to go with this idea!

Make it a Science Lesson

Here’s a quick video of a hermit crab changing shells! Take a visit to your local pet shop for an up closer tour too! Or better yet be on the lookout on your beach trip this summer!

Buy Now: A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle

Follow Up Activities with A House for Hermit Crab 

3 Dinosaurs has created several Printable Packets for a House for Hermit Crab. They consist of a number of varying packets for specific ages, trust me PRINT NOW! I promise you’ll use it this summer with your kids!

Thank you so much Cassie for making these special Coloring Pages just for the Virtual Book Club for Kids Summer Camp!

For more Ocean Themed Activities try these…

  • Ocean in a Tub + 37 more Ocean Inspired Activities for Kids
  • Tot School at the Beach
  • Ocean Animal Busy Bag
  • Shark Themed Activities for Kids
  • Writing in the Sand
  • Shell Water Color Craft
  • Ocean Books for Kids
Play and Learn Oceans: 38 Activities for Kids
sight words written in sand by copying sight word on seashell
20 Shark Themes Activities for Kids featured at The Educators' Spin On It for Shark Week

Like this idea? Pin for later or share now with a friend!

  • Twitter7
  • Facebook38

Filed Under: Kids Activities Tagged With: beach, Book Activities, Eric Carle, Fish, grade school, Ocean, Ocean Theme, Preschool, Summer, VBC Summer Camp

About Kim Vij

Early childhood teacher, author, speaker and mom of 3. Kim shares ways to make learning fun and parenting an adventure by sharing developmentally appropriate activities.

« Beach Fun and Learning, Make and Play this Summer Muffin Tin Syllable Counting Game
Open Ended Fish Art and Science Project for Creative Kids to Make and Do »

Comments

  1. Raising a Happy Child says

    July 10, 2013 at 2:08 pm

    We love that book as well – it also goes well with Kermit the Hermit for older kids.

  2. JDaniel4's Mom says

    July 11, 2013 at 6:35 am

    I love that you used watercolors for a water animal themed unit. What great fun. Thank you for sharing this post on Read.Explore.Learn. I will be sharing it.

  3. Sara says

    August 10, 2015 at 6:38 am

    Thank you so much for this wonderfully designed unit! I love it. You put so much work into it! đŸ™‚

Subscribe to our Newsletter!


For ages…

Grade School
Preschool
Toddler
Baby

Search for an Activity

POPULAR POSTS

winter virtual field trips for kids featuring sledding, snow covered mountains and evergreen trees and ice castles
Kindness elves that include free printable notes for christmas with your child
mom reading christmas book to children with santa hats on
fingerprint christmas ornaments for kids featuring mouse, reindeer, train and gingerbread man.
Christmas Movies for Family Movie Night this Holiday Season
30+ Ideas for Family Travel Destinations
December Activity Calendar for Kids

GRAB OUR BOOK!

100 fun and Easy Learning Games for Kids Book Cover Standing

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

You Might Also Like

Easy Christmas Recipes for Kids

Christmas Recipes for Kids to Make

school children in santa hats working on christmas activities and crafts

50+ Christmas Activities for School Aged Kids

24 Random Acts for Christmas Kindness Advent Calendar for Kids

24 Random Acts of Christmas Kindness Advent Calendar

Children reading christmas books in santa hats with Dad.

100 Christmas Books Every Child Should Read Before They Turn 10

Kindness Elves in front of Christmas tree lit with lights sharing kindness elves letters for child

Kindness Elves Free Printables for Busy Parents

Let’s Connect!

Kim Vij

Early childhood teacher, author, speaker and mom of 3. Kim Vij shares ways to make learning fun and parenting an adventure by sharing all kinds of easy kid crafts, activities, recipes and even travel ideas for families!
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Shop
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023