State and Model the Objective

Tell the children that they will bring a big beach bag and a beach ball to the beach and will listen for words that start with the /b/ sound, such as big, bag, ball, and beach.

Literacy Activities 

Pack a bag to take to the beach

• Read Not the Piano, Mrs. Medley, a story about a lady who packs everything to take to the beach (optional)
• Put things or pictures of things that begin with /b/ in a big bag (e.g., Bs, banana, bun, ball, blocks, bell, baseball bat, bracelet, button, book, beads).
• Use gestures to represent other items to put in the bag (e.g., sweep to stand for a broom, pretend to put on boot, make a brushing gesture, open an imaginary box, look through curled fingers to be binoculars)
• Comment on the beach bag being big and bulky.

Take a bus or bike to the beach

• Tell the children that they will take a big beach bag to a beach.
• Make comments and ask questions about getting to the beach:
  • Take a bike or a bus to the beach?
  • Take a bumpy bike or bouncy bus to the beach?
  • Better get to the beach on a bus or a bike?
  • Be a bumpy bike biking to the beach.
  • Be on a bouncy bus bringing us to the beach.
  • The bus (or bike) better be bringing us to the beach.

Bring a Blanket and the Big Beach Bag to the Beach

• State that you are at a breezy beach.
• Brag about bringing a blanket and bag to the beach on a bike or bus.
• Comment on bringing a big beach bag (with blue, black, or brown on it) to the beach:
  • What a bother to bring this big, bulky beach bag to the beach on the bus (or bike).
  • I brought belongings in this big bulky beach bag to the beach.
  • I borrowed and bought things to bring to the beach in the big beach bag.
  • The big bulky beach bag has some brown (or blue or black).

Unpack the beach bag at the beach 

• Tell the children they will see what belongings you borrowed, bought, and brought to the beach in the big beach bag.
• Name items that you believe you brought in the bag (e.g., brush, box, bowl, basket, book, etc.).
• Pull out the items or produce gestures of items brought in the big beach bag:
  • A basket, a backpack, and a broken bracelet with beads.
  • My best bell, binoculars, Bs, banana, bun, ball, block, bell, button, boot, basket, broom, and box.
• Comment on being at the bottom of the bag and  gesture what is there:
  • At the bottom of the big beach bag, I brought a broom and a brush.

Balance and bat balls and break bubbles at the beach

• Pretend to do things on the beach blanket at the beach:
  • Blow and break bubbles
  • Balance, bat, and bounce bouncy balls
  • Build with blocks
  • Eat pretend bananas, baked beans, a bit of bread, and a burger on a buttered bun with bits of bacon

Re-pack items that begin with /b/ in the big beach bag

• Ask the children what they will bring back from the beach on the bus or bike in the big beach bag.
• Let gestures stand for items and put /b/ things back in the big beach bag.
• Make the comment, “Better not bring back bugs or bees in the big beach bag.”

 
Blend sounds into words

• Have children blend word parts into whole words (e.g., “b (tap head) + at (touch toes) = bat (clap hands)”).
  • b + ag = bag
  • b + ook = book
  • b + all = ball
  • b + ug = bug