A beach party is a perfect theme for an end-of-the-year celebration. Have the children each bring a beach blanket from home, and invite them to perform their daily activities on their towels. Decorate the classroom like a Hawaiian luau. You can also select various fun games for the party, including "Fish, Fish, Shark" (a variation of the popular "Duck, Duck, Goose" game) and Shark Tooth Hunt. The hunt is a game where children sift through a sand box to find either real or fake shark teeth.
On a warm sunny day, invite the class to go outside and participate in a bubble blowing contest. For this exercise you need bubble wands and solution, either store bought or created by mixing dish soap and water. See who can make the biggest bubble or the most bubbles in a given time. Another game you could play is "Who's Under the Bubble?" Before, instruct one of your students to hide under layers of packaging bubble paper. Next, have the other students pop the bubble paper to safely release the person underneath.
Create a beach atmosphere by making up different songs that help the children understand the beach as a habitat. For example, "Pretty Shells" can be sung to the tune of "Jingle Bells," and the song describes the various shells one could collect during a stroll on the beach. Your preschool pupils will already know the melody, and they will enjoy getting to learn about the different shells on the sea shore.
Preschoolers can still enjoy a sandy arts and craft without having to deal with the usual mess that sand presents. To make keepsake sandcastles, take a cup of sand and mix it with a 1/2 cup cornstarch and a teaspoon of cream of tartar. Add 3/4 cup hot water, and then cook the concoction over medium heat. Be sure to stir occasionally and continue until the substance is too thick to stir. Cool. Finally, allow your class to mold and manipulate the sand mixture into different shapes. A few ideas for decorations include colored pipe cleaners, fake or real sea shells and glitter. The sand sculptures may take up to two days to dry, but afterward, the preschoolers will have a neat little arts and crafts project to take home.