Fishing lines, tackle boxes, and small fry

Browsing the new book shelf at the library is sometimes the best way for me to think up new art projects. One day I found this book by James Prosek with lovely watercolor illustrations of fish and fishing gear. There's not much of a story, but it fit in with lines, hats, and watercolors, all themes we've been exploring in preschool classes. I like the punch line of the book. What the child really needs for "a good day's fishing" is a hat. Hats are good things. They keep the sun off our faces and ears, and shade our eyes so we can see where the fish are hiding under water.

When my kids were five, two, and newborn, we went fishing at Aunt Phyl and Uncle Bob's cabin. I still laugh remembering Uncle Bob's pronouncement about little Michael, age two and a half: "I like Mike. He eats fish. He wears hats. And he's ornery!"

The first week of this project we did crayon line drawings of ourselves fishing. We glued coffee stir straws for poles and buttons for bobbers. We practiced cutting some metallic ribbon to make the shiny fish under water, and then painted our pictures with liquid watercolors. We pantomimed a fishing trip with casting, watching the bobber, reeling in the line, and even releasing the fish carefully back into the pond. Might as well teach some fishing etiquette while I have everybody's attention!

The second week each child made a can of worms and a tackle box. Most of the tackle boxes were egg carton halves, but some were boxes from the Raytheon W.A.S.T.E. give-away. The worms were cut of soft foam. The bobbers were mismatched plastic Easter eggs that so many people have donated. We cut "fishing nets" from the plastic nets that held the eggs or fresh cherry tomatoes. We made hooks from donated bright-colored wire. The kids' little fingers were working on all kinds of fine motor skills, but they didn't know it. They were too into the pretending. It was time to make spinner lures for catching perch. We threaded buttons, and pieces cut from clear plastic report covers and from mylar packaging (again W.A.S.T.E.) onto wires, and twisted the wire ends together. Threading and twisting are tricky. You have to concentrate and persevere!

Fly lures for catching brook trout were the best. The kids poked small feathers into pony beads. Talk about your steady eye-hand coordination practice! I hope someday these kids will be tying real flies!

Next week we'll read Curious George Goes Fishing. Then we will make little frying pans out of clay for a teeny tiny fish fry. If you ask real nice and bring homemade cookies, we will invite you to the picnic.

I was sad this afternoon. An eight-year-old told me he couldn't tie anything. He said his mom and dad always tie his shoes. Good golly! He's got a tv in his room, all the video games on earth, and a limo ride for his birthday. Please parents! Give your child the time and the need to develop basic competencies for himself! If you always tie the shoes or zip the jacket because you are in a hurry, how will your child ever gain the skills?

Now excuse me. I've got to put a new worm on my hook.