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SHARK WEEK 2023 starts July 23 on the Discovery Channel!
Whether you are a homeschool mom who tries to never let a learning opportunity pass, a public school dad looking for ways to get your kids to stop staring at their electronic devices or a grandma trying to entertain the littles for a week away, SHARK WEEK is the answer to your problem!
Revered in entertainment circles due to its THIRTY-FIVE years on the air, SHARK WEEK is also considered a staple among many average households. Chores are put on hold, beach vacations are avoided and memes abound as boatloads of families gather around the TV to enjoy viewing multiple hours of shark-infested waters together.
If your family is not one of them, you need to put your aversions to sharp teeth and killer jaws aside and jump in! “But why,” you might ask, “What can SHARK WEEK do for my family?”
Read on to find out!
ONE: SHARK WEEK Is FUN for the Whole Family!
Even if you don’t consider watching Great Whites and Hammerheads to be a FUN way to spend an evening, there are loads of other ways to turn SHARK WEEK into FUN for everyone!
Singing songs doo-doo-doo-doo-doo!
Break out an old version of the campfire song or find a hip new video version on You Tube! Either way, the song Baby Shark is not only about an entire family of sharks, it is FUN for the Whole Family and will surely make everybody want to dance and sing! Click HERE to sing a song doo-doo-doo-doo!
Making shark-shaped quesadillas!
If you were crafty prior to the advent of Pinterest, you can probably come up with some awesome ways to eat your way through SHARK WEEK without any help. But if you’re not naturally crafty {like me}, you can find these uber cute shark quesadillas over at Food Network. You can also find shark cookies, shark pudding cups, shark banana pops, shark cupcakes and a fruit & cheese display with a shark-shaped watermelon. That sure sounds like some yummy FUN for the Whole Family to me!
Wearing shark-themed jammies!
Nothing says FUN for the Whole Family quite like a pajama party! But, not just any pajama party; it needs to be a shark-themed pajama party! Whether you get a classic set from Lands End or a set of full-on shark themed onesie pajamas, there’s a size and style for everyone! Sleep not required!
Having a family game night!
And, while you’re hanging in your shark-themed jammies, break out a shark-themed game like Sharkopoly! It’s based on the classic Monopoly-style game but includes loads of interesting shark facts. Or for a quicker game, try Shark Uno!
TWO: SHARK WEEK Is EDUCATIONAL for All Ages!
Some families send their kids to educational camps and academic tutors because they worry about the “summer slide” causing their kids to lose whatever skills they acquired during the school year. Other families aren’t quite as regimented and like to “sneak in” learning opportunities by making available clever toys and games and hoping their kids take the bait. And some families don’t even think twice about learning over the summer and believe that a simple read aloud at night fits the bill. Whatever style of parenting you rock, you should know that SHARK WEEK offers an amazing variety of opportunities that are EDUCATIONAL for All Ages!
Creating shark art projects!
Pinterest abounds with ideas for shark-themed art projects. From rock painting and flip flop wreaths to paper plate pictures and sensory bottles, there truly is something for everyone that I would file under “art EDUCATION“. You can fairly easily paint, draw, cut out and mold sharks because their body form is so simple in design. But, if you have family members that are more advanced and adventurous, Pinterest has loads of ideas including paper mache, watercolor, nail art and more that you can find here. And, if you have chubby-handed little ones who want to get in on the fun, you can even make shark slime!
Building shark models!
As is practically mandatory with all boy households, we have a gazillion Legos in our home that we use for several EDUCATIONAL purposes. I’m sure we’d be able to construct a shark fairly easily with those fun, colorful bricks but making a 3D model that includes an awesome view of a shark’s inner workings brings that EDUCATIONAL benefit to a whole new level! This particular Great White Shark Anatomy Model includes more than 20 separate, easily identifiable body parts and is way less expensive than your typical Lego set.
Learning the science of sharks!
Learning about the science of sharks is not only EDUCATIONAL, it is also fun! Sharks are super cool creatures with really interesting features as this Super Sharks Fact Pack explains.
You can also snag a free Super Sharks Coloring Pack that’s perfect for little ones!
If informational text, writing prompts and coloring pages isn’t your idea of EDUCATIONAL fun, you can also find several science projects online including how to make your very own Sharknado and learning how sharks float. And this Free Sharks Unit Study has dozens of ideas!
Between those three options, there is something EDUCATIONAL for All Ages and abilities!
THREE: SHARK WEEK Is a BONDING Experience!
BONDING over sharp toothed eating machines might seem like an odd suggestion but research shows that the average family spends less than 40 minutes participating in any sort of BONDING EXPERIENCE together each day. So, if cartilage-infused predators is what brings the whole family together, go for it! Your kids won’t forget it and they’ll learn a thing or two along the way.
Reading shark books together!
Just a quick glance over at Amazon will show you that there are hundreds of shark books from which to choose, but when it comes to BONDING with kids, a book that combines facts AND humor is the way to go. We can always depend on The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library to teach our kids some amazing non-fiction facts through humor and rhyme. Where else can you read…
“We never find bones
because sharks don’t have those.
Sharks are made up of cartilage
just like your nose!
Cartilage helps sharks
to turn and to bend
and to move through the water
much faster, my friend!”
You can find Hark! A Shark! here on Amazon along with hundreds of other options. In addition to Amazon, Usborne and More carries several great non-fiction titles about sharks. And, not only does this Shark Unit Study have several suggestions of books, it also includes a couple of free printable pages to go along with your favorite shark books!
Visiting an aquarium together!
This BONDING EXPERIENCE obviously requires more time, money and energy than most of our other suggestions. But visiting an aquarium can be a wonderful BONDING EXPERIENCE for all ages. A few years ago, we visited the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco and had a lovely time observing sharks, octopuses, otters and more. Aquariums are usually smallish in size which make them much more feasible for small kids and elderly grandparents alike. Plus, they aren’t as exhausting as outdoor zoos and allow time in the same day for other BONDING EXPERIENCES like lunch, shopping or naps! {We actually managed to attend a SF Giants ball game after our aquarium experience.}
Watching SHARK WEEK together!
This suggestion is obviously not tech-free nor is it hands-on but watching SHARK WEEK together can be a fun BONDING EXPERIENCE nonetheless. Our family has found that when we choose to purposely sit down and watch something together, it can be as much of a BONDING EXPERIENCE as a trip to the zoo or dining out. The key is to not do it haphazardly but rather to be intentional about it. And, if you add in one or two of the above suggestions before/after/during one of the shows, the result will be a FUN, EDUCATIONAL and BONDING EXPERIENCE they’ll never forget!
You can find the entire Shark Week schedule and loads of details here.
SHARK WEEK 2023 starts July 23 on the Discovery Channel!
My daughter loves seeing anything and everything about shark week!
It is always loads of fun!
Woah, talk about getting the most out of Shark Week! I’d have never thought of all of these additional family fun activities (shark-shaped quesadillas?!? awesome!).
I know, right? Those quesadillas look cute, yummy AND easy. Win win win!
Those quesadillas are cute! 🙂 My kiddos would LOVE those. Great idea!
Aren’t they super cute? And without 1000 ingredients, they are simple and shouldn’t result in kids melting down over icky foods!
What wonderful ideas to celebrate the week! Fun for all 🙂
Fun for the whole family!
My daughter has been obsessed with Shark Week for years! Those are such great ideas to pair with watching!
I hope your daughter enjoys something new from the list!
What a perfect and fun activity for the kids. Such a great idea! Those quesadillas are fun!
And they look easy and yummy too!
WE love shark week! I’m kind of glad that we will be going to the beach the week before though:) These are great ideas to involve the entire family. Thanks.
Yeah, never plan a beach vacation right after Shark Week! Good call, Kate!
Shark week! My favourite tv week of the year. It’s great education, and helping them understand how vital sharks are to the ecosystem is important.
Very true!
I have never been into shark week…but those are some great ideas! I’m going to share them with my daughter for our grandkids!
I hope your daughter’s family finds some fun SHARK WEEK things to enjoy!
My kids are still into sharks – so is hubby and maybe he needs those jammies! haha! Thanks for all the fun and educational suggestions.
If you subscribe to my email list, I’ll send you my Super Sharks Fact Pack for FREE!
We love Shark Week! It’s a holiday in our house. We have our Shark Week attire all ready to go!
If you subscribe to my email list, I’ll send you my Super Sharks Fact Pack for FREE!
I took a screenshot of the lineup. Thanks! I plan on watching this with my kids. Sharks fascinate me.
They are certainly fascinating creatures! Enjoy!
What great ideas! I never thought of this for shark week!
This is AWESOME! I love those quesadillas! So cute!
And simple to make too!
My kids love shark week! I’m totally making those shark quesadillas! Thanks for the ideas.
Thanks for reading it! Enjoy!
I used to read shark books with my kids when we were homeschooling. I never knew about shark week though! You have a lot of creative and fun ideas in this post!
I love how much fun you added to the Shark week!!! We have always watched, but never included special food, arts or trips. We will have to step it up as we begin watching now with grandkids.
I did not know there was a shark week. I’m all over this!!!!!
OMG! i totally thought about a different shark week… my baby loves Baby Shark. I didn’t know there is such thing as shark week. My boy will love this.
Shark Week is for ALL ages! I hope your family enjoys it!
OMG I LOVED this! Totally going to make shark quesadillas!!!!
Aren’t they cute? And so simple and yummy!
What great ideas for families!
Thanks!
I am an empty nester now but this still sounds like fun.
You should watch some of the scheduled shows for Shark Week!
Great ideas for families with little ones!
Thanks!
And now Baby Shark is stuck in my head!
Ha ha, sorry!
OMG I just LOVE those quesadillas! My son has requested a shark/ocean birthday this year, and I’m soooooo doing these for his party!
You should check out that link for the food. They had a variety of cool food/drink items! It was actually a pretty varied menu!
We’ve never watched any part of Shark Week, but you make it sound so fun! We don’t even have cable to watch it!
Wow! You are so creative! I have never thought of celebrating shark week this big! Love all your fun activities! Such a fun time to spend with your kids, that is for sure!
Indeed! That is the best part!
Great ideas for shark week!
Thanks!
I look forward to Shark Week every year and even introduced my four month old to it last year. haha
Then I think he/she is old enough for a shark quesadilla this year! 😉
What fun ideas! I love the Quesadilla idea. My youngest loves sharks! Can’t wait for shark week.
And those quesadillas are cute and easy too!
Smart to utilize shark week innso many ways!
Thanks! I hope people can find something from the list to enjoy!
This is a fresh take on Shark Week! Lots of fun suggestions. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks!
I love shark week! You have some great ideas for family fun. I no longer have little ones at home but I still love shark week and going to aquariums. Great post!
Thanks! You could always get some shark pjs to go along with the shows!
My favorite way to watch sharks is to visit an aquarium. You can get up close and personal, yet stay safe and cool at the same time! 🙂
Absolutely a great way to watch them….and they don’t attack anything at aquariums either!
My kids love watching this so much!
Yay! I hope you try out some of the activities I suggested too! Enjoy!
This is AWESOME!!! I love doing learning units like this!!
Those shark quesadillas are too cute! We love shark week in our household.
Oh my gosh this is such a cute and fun post! I love it! We don’t have cable, do you think some things would be available through their website? Or maybe they can hang out with my mom who has cable. 😉 I have to go back to work next week, so it’s perfect!!!
That’s a great question about their website. You’d sure hope so! Have a good week back at work!
Oh my gosh, those shark quesadillas are killing me. I’m going to have to make those for my kids sometime this summer!
Okay. The shark quesadillas are just about the cutest thing I’ve seen! Lots of creative ideas here!
The Shark Week quesadillas are such a cute idea! It’s great to see so many ideas that can be done as a family.