Re purposed Fishing Game

The weather today is lovely and hot, a bit too hot for the beach until this afternoon so this morning there was only place the girls wanted to be; the paddling pool. The usual pool toys didn't seem to be cutting it though so we made a quick and easy fishing game using some re purposed empty fish shaped soy sauce containers saved from our sushi takeaways (I knew they'd come in handy for something!).
The little fish were a hit with both girls, although only Bubble was interested in catching them with the rod. Squeak was much more interested in grabbing them in her hands and has been carrying them around like little treasures almost all day.

WE USED:

* clean empty soy sauce containers (the fish shaped ones)
* coloured pipe cleaners
* scissors
* strong magnet
(not your average craft variety magnet, it needs to be one with some serious power!)
* twine/string/wool
* small plastic bag or square of cloth
* rubber bands
* stick or ruler
* water - bathtub, bucket, bowl, pool, puddle etc...

First I cut some pipe cleaners into short lengths the same size as the fish containers.

Bubble then pushed each length of pipe cleaner into the fish and screwed the lids on tightly (great fine motor activity).

We made lots of pretty coloured fish!

Our super strong magnet had no loop to enable us to tie it to the rod, so I secured it into the bottom of a plastic bag with an elastic band and we tied it to our twine that way. I think a small square of pretty fabric would be even nicer and environmentally friendly!

We didn't have a long stick so used a ruler for the handle of our fishing rod. We then had our fish and rod and were ready for the paddling pool!

The fish float really well and are water tight. Because of the strips of pipe cleaner inside each one they are also able to be picked up by the magnetic rod.

Bubble loved going fishing for the 'sushi fish' :-)

Squeak wasn't interested in the rod at all, she preferred the hands on approach!