One of my favorite books to read at the beginning of the school year is The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister.
Since young students beginning pre-k or kindergarten can sometimes have a hard time with sharing, I like to talk about sharing and getting along with others during the first weeks of school. The Rainbow Fish is a cute story that the students can understand.
After reading the story I ask the students whether they think the Rainbow Fish made the right decision to share his scales and why. We discuss the importance of sharing with others and how sharing makes both the giver and receiver feel.
We then do the following craftivity that requires students to share art materials and create a shiny scale to share with a friend.
Materials Needed:
Paint, markers, or crayons (you can choose how you want students to decorate their fish)
Glue
Scissors
Rainbow fish pattern (you can find a pattern at Coloring Home)
Bubbles pattern (optional)
Pencil or marker
Directions for Rainbow Fish Craftivity:
Divide students into pairs.
Give each pair of students one set of paints, markers, or crayons to share to color their fish patterns as well as one piece of aluminum foil to share to make beautiful shiny scales, one pair of scissors, and glue (one bottle or one glue stick to share).
Students share the paints, markers, or crayons and color their fish patterns.
They decide whether to divide the aluminum foil piece in half and each take a piece to make a scale OR take turns cutting scales from the larger piece.
Students each make one special, shiny scale from the aluminum foil and share it with their partner. In return, their partner gives them the scale they created.
Students glue the shiny scale they received from their partner onto their rainbow fish.
Students write the name of the student with which they shared on a bubble pattern (students can help one another with the spelling of their names). They then write their name on the fin of their fish or on the back.
Display the fish with the title “We get along swimmingly”.
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