With fishing season so close we can practically smell the worms here in western PA, our kids are itching to get a line wet. Unfortunately they still have a few days until then - so we put together a very easy activity that combined both fishing and learning that kept the kids happy and giggling for an afternoon.

INDOOR MAGNETIC FISHING

Supplies:

Pipe cleaners (various colors)
Popsicle sticks
String/Ribbon
Magnetic clips
Tape
Post-it notes (if applicable)

Tape a small amount of ribbon to the end of a Popsicle stick and tie the magnetic clip to the other end. Bend the pipe cleaners into the shape of a fish. If age-appropriate, attach post-it notes with letters, words, or numbers.

For an educational boost, you can have students search for our call out specific types of fish. For young kids, the focus can be on the color of the fish or, I had my four year old tell me the first letter sound of the color of fish. So he would say, /b/, /b/, "blue" when he caught the blue fish while my 2 year old called out the color of the fish she caught.

For older kids, you can use the post-it notes to attach words, letters, or numbers to the fish, based on their ability level. They can read the sight word, find the letter or number, or even decide whether a number is bigger or smaller than their previous fish size. There are lots of possibilities to keep the game both fun and an opportunity for practicing literacy or math.

So if you're impatiently awaiting fishing season (or it's a rainy day), craft up this easy, fun, and educational (!), game to keep your outdoor kids thinking about the creek.