I’m one of those people. One of the ones who loves Shark Week. It’s a fantastic week when I can tune the television to one single channel and just leave it there. All. Week. Long.
Shark Week can be a little bit scary but it can also be a super informative and provide a whole lot of entertainment and inspiration. Here’s some fun ways you can sink your jaws into Shark Week with the kids this summer!
Eat Sharks
Theme meals and snacks are always a fun way to celebrate any occasion. Eating up shark week is just as fun.
For you crafty baking types, making a shark themed cupcake is a no-brainer this week. Search online and you’ll find dozens of shark themed cupcake ideas – but these shark fin cupcakes seem easiest. Just take a bite out of an Oreo cookie and add to the top of blue-iced cupcakes and you have these super easy – and very convincing – shark fin cupcakes.
We found “Organic Ocean Pasta” on Amazon. Not sure how to make a blue tomato sauce so I may just have to color the Parmesan blue, add some spinach and serve it up simple with olive oil.
Check out Publix or Target for Shark Bites fruit snacks. Talk about easy faux-fruit snacking.
And, of course, the most obvious snack for Shark Week are goldfish. They’re not quite sharks but they can get your little ones in the sea life spirit.
Play Sharks
Get ready to have a REEL-y good time! Place the fun and colorful sea creatures into the game unit with a snap and grab your friends to start playing. Players take turns rolling the die and fishing for the sea creatures using the fishing rods.
But watch out – you never know when the shark is going to bite! This battery-free game will have kids hooked at first bite!
- Unique gameplay that does not need batteries. Easy set up – just snap the sea creatures into the game unit and start fishing
- Comes with BONUS Let’s Go Fishing Card Game
- For 2-4 players, ages 4 and up
- On sale at Amazon with over 5K positive reviews
Wear Sharks
Just like wearing your favorite team jersey when you visit that infamous sports venue, Shark Week gives you the chance to embrace your shark wardrobe.
A couple of years ago, before our son could even watch Shark Week, he wanted to dress up as a shark for Halloween. We still have this costume and it still sort-of fits him… and it definitely fits his litter sister. This is when keeping old costumes around really pays off. Get a shark costume on Amazon or toddler hooded shark zip up and play a rousing game of hide-and-seek with the “seeker” dressed as shark AND bonus, Halloween costume already done!
Dig through that pajama drawer and I’m sure somebody in the house has shark pajamas hiding somewhere. These classics came from the Disney Store and even though my son’s going into 2nd grade in the fall, he was still the first one to put on his shark jammies on Sunday night when Shark Week premiered. We found some 2 packs of shark jammies on Amazon.
Finally don’t forget about that shark-tooth necklace you bought at spring break oh-so-many years ago. I know we should have thrown it away but it just seemed wrong to toss it. This week is a great time to dig through your old jewelry box and wear your shark-tooth necklace.. for old time’s sake. If you don’t have one, you can get one here for less than $10 bucks!
We got our son these super cute “Grumpy Shark” slippers and we got the little one this adorable “Grumpy Shark” plushie toy! We couldn’t resist his eyes!
Read Sharks
Finally all those years of Scholastic Book Fair purchases have paid off! We have our own private library of shark-themed books. This is the best week of summer to bust them out and re-read them.
Don’t have any on hand? Pop by your local library or your local Little Free Library and you’re sure to find a few shark inspired stories to wet your fancy once the TV finally turns off. We love the Ultimate Book of Sharks by Nat Geo Kids!
Have little ones who are too scared to embrace all the sharks? Have no fear! Just look for books about other smaller, less intimidating sea life. We have a handful of Octonauts titles to spark the imagination of our 3 year old daughter without any nightmare side-effects.
See Sharks
After watching sharks on TV, eating them in your food, playing them in the pool and wearing them at bedtime, now it’s time to get out there and actually see some sharks in real life! Fortunately for us Orlando Moms there’s a lot of options to make possible.
COVID UPDATE – Please check with theme parks to see if the following attractions are opening back up!
Disney World invites you to see sharks at EPCOT at the The Seas with Nemo & Friends. You can also eat at the Coral Reef Restaurant where you’ll watch sharks swimming while you dine. If you want something more immersive, head over to the Shark Reef at Typhoon Lagoon where you can snorkel with all kind of sea life, including sharks. You can also book a shark dive at EPCOT’s DiveQuest if you really want to sink your teeth – and the rest of your body – in to the world of sharks.
SeaWorld is the other great place to see sharks in the Orlando area. You can dine with the sharks at Shark’s Underwater Grill. See lots of sharks at SeaWorld’s Shark Encounter, an underwater viewing tunnel. If you didn’t already have stuffed sharks, shark toys or shark clothes, their gift shops have you covered too.
Don’t forget SEA LIFE Aquarium Orlando has a slew of sharks on display, including Grey Reef Sharks, Sandbar Sharks, Black Tip Reef Sharks and Zebra Sharks. That’s enough sharks for the entire family!
I hope these playful ideas have inspired you to dive into Shark Week this year. Just remember to keep your eyes peeled. You never know where or when your next Shark Week inspiration might bite!
