Book review: Sailor bear & Message in a bottle game ..

[Ruthierhyme]

Book reviews for Pre school, Early years and Home ..

Sailor Bear is a really nice book written by Martin Waddell and Illustrated by Virginia Austin.



Small bear is a bear in a Sailor Suit. He is lost and has no one to play with - but he knows what to do .. ' I'll be a sailor and sail the seas' he decides - but how can he do that ?

After thinking for a moment he 'knows what to do ..

With self sufficiency he is able to find his own items to make a bear sized boat that leads him to the sea .. a very large sea .. a sea that is perhaps too large for small boats and small bears.

He decides to finds a 'sea which is perfect in size and one that he can sail in - by the light of the moon. But the sea grows rough, too rough and sinks poor bears boat causing him to swim, shivering and cold to the shore.

Sad and disappointed he sighs at the moon, curls up by a rock and rues to give in.

But only for the night .. in the daylight a small girl and her dog find Small bear curled up and sad by the rock and she decides to take him home ..

Happy at last and glad to be found he knows what he'll do next .. and that is to stay where he is, cuddle up, and enjoy his new friend

There is a slightly poignant ending to the book as the last sentence states bear never went back to the sea .. but that is a great opportunity for the Children to explore just why they and he should ...

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Good keywords that can be used to look at the coast and sailing communities are - Sailor, harbour, Shore, Sea, barrel, rough ..

Sizing, mathmatical language and problem solving runs throughout the book and can be extended on to look at Ocean liners & passenger numbers, sailing boats and dinghies - Floating and sinking, weights - heavy & light, Crafting activities with boat making and waterproofing ..

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10 green bottles rhyme & Game - message game with plastic bottles

The traditional text & illustrated rhyme can be found on Under5's: Ten Green Bottles and this is our printable sheet of bottle messages that you can add to your game .. message in a bottle printables.


Use identical waterproof pots or containers and together write the Children's names on individual pieces of paper. Fold the pieces in half / quater and place securely into separate pots/bottles - replace the lid firmly.

Once all the names have been included put the pots into a bag - jumble up and take out xx number at a time. Place them into your water tray - or balance on the edge so that they can 'fall in.

Use large straws or empty / dry squirty bottles to puff them across to the opposite side - take them out as they reach the side and position them in order - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10.

Take off the lids and see who came in ... in which order.

If the game continues allow the 'winners to select someone elses name - ask their permission and then to pop it inside their pot to race again.

If the game is finishing use the winners names to present 'helpful jobs / 'well dones to them. Where possible see if they would like to ask another Child to help ..

Ideas could include:
Adding a smiley happy sticker / star to a Mood Chart.
Tidy up time:
Collect and dry off the bottles with a towel.
Take out the messages and pack the bottles away for the next time.
Help with emptying the water tray - collecting the bucket & positioning it.
Take the plug out of the watertray & watch the water catch in the bucket ..hopefully mopping up the floor and putting everything in for the wash !
Have the camera ready for the Children to take their own photo of their 'winning bottle and where time allows stick the photo to a piece of paper with or without a drawn bottle outline on & have materials available for cut and paste collage activities...


Have fun
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