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Decorating
a Child’s Room with an Underwater Theme and inspiring them with
a love of Marine Science
Getting
a child to learn something is often a process of tricking them into
paying attention. This can be done by creating games and activities
that are fun for the child, and slipping the knowledge in when they
aren’t looking. One activity that will both engage a child, and
literally immerse them in learning, is to work with them to decorate
their room, using an exciting science based theme.
Oceans
are huge bodies of flowing water that cover most of the earth’s
surface. They are a world unto themselves, full of exciting adventures,
strange looking creatures, and beautiful formations just waiting to
be explored. Beneath their dark waves, everything becomes mysterious.
The ocean also provides an opportunity for children to learn a great
deal about nature, and science. If presented in the correct manner,
a water based theme for a room can provide an excuse to engage your
child in the world of marine science, getting them excited about it
in such a way that they never imagine they are actually learning.
Lead them into an underwater adventure, while gently floating little
snippets of knowledge past them every once in a while.
Research
should be the basis for this project, and as you proceed you should
be certain to have many books about marine life on hand, preferably
ones that contain large colorful pictures. Use these books as an inspiration
for your work. With your children, learn the names of the different
plants and animals, as well as the different levels of the ocean.
Engage the child in conversations about what you learn, and encourage
them to use their imagination to envision the places you are referring
to.
To
create the feel of an underwater world in the room, you want to start
with the walls. If you have anything except blue, green, or white
walls, you may want to consider painting or wall-papering them. It’s
difficult to create an underwater illusion with yellow or red as the
major theme in the room.
An alternative is to cover the walls. This can be done by purchasing
some large blue or green sheets of paper. Draw wave patterns on the
backs of the sheets in black marker, and then cut the tracings out
with scissors. As always, be careful when using sharp instruments
around a child. When you have the sheets cut, attach them to the walls
overlapping one another using thumbtacks. Clear or double sided scotch
tape can help to keep limp waves from flopping the wrong way. Slightly
different shades of blue or green makes it easy to create the various
levels of the ocean.
Another
way to achieve the look of being immersed in water is to use a large
piece of cloth draped along the wall as a mural, with paintings
of waves and sea creatures on it. This method allows you or the
child to add to the wall as you like, and change it whenever you
want.
If
the room already has a blue or green carpet then the underwater
look will be enhanced. Simulate this by buying several large rugs
and covering the floor with them. Rugs with underwater patterns
or bubbles can also be used.
There
are many accessories you can add to the room to compliment the marine
feeling you are trying to achieve. A blue light bulb placed in an
extra lamp can bathe a room in a wavering blue glow. This kind of
illumination is not conducive to reading or seeing very well, and
should only be used in conjunction with a regular light, as an occasional
experience.
Translucent
flat marbles in blues, greens, and clear colors can be glued to
almost anything to create the look of bubbles. Gluing them along
a door frame, around a light switch, or on furniture or other personal
items will increase the underwater effect you are trying to simulate.
These beads can also be taped or glued to pieces of string, and
hung from the ceiling. Combined with a blue light this will create
a shimmering colorful effect. However, these beads are very small
and should not be used for any room of a child, where it might present
a choking hazard. Always use caution when decorating a child’s
setting.
To
create sea life, trace pictures of your favorite fish onto large
pices of construction paper. Cut the figures out, and write their
proper names on the back. Fill in the details, eyes, scales, as
much or as little as you like. Then attach these images to your
walls using thumb tacks. This method is also great for creating
artificial waves, or underwater structures such as coral reefs.
Additionally,
figurines of various sea creatures can be purchased and displayed
around the room. Whenever you purchase the child a new underwater
decoration, the two of you should sit down and research the animal
and its characteristics, before deciding where to put it in the
room. Position them in the room in a logical way, such as putting
predators near their favorite prey.
Blue
and green bedding should be matched to the rest of the room. An
underwater themed bed spread is a great gift and will further the
illusion you are going for. Blue pillowcases or throw pillows can
also be purchased to add to the effect.
Another
aspect of the ocean that may interest your child, and provide further
chances for learning, is boats. There are a huge variety of different
boats, and they have a long and famous history. From pirates to
battleships, boats can be an exciting icing to the watery adventure
you are taking. This gives you countless other options to be as
creative as you like in what you and your child research and how
you decorate.
Be
certain to base the room as much as you can on real research done
by you and your child. You want to give them an experience where
looking up facts is fun and useful for them. Maintain the idea that
this is an adventure into a mysterious world, and help them explore
with books and other reference materials. If you excite their imagination,
they will pursue the knowledge themselves.
Children
should not try any of these ideas out themselves without the consent
and supervision of an adult. Caution should always be used in any
activity that involves a child. Make certain that none of your decorative
efforts causes any damage to the child’s safety
Joey
Lewitin is an artist and interior designer who has always advised
the use of creativity in decorating ones home. For many years he has
been one of the premier Pebble Artists working with PebbleArt Inc
to create unique home décor accessories using natural stone.
These designs can be seen at http://PebbleZ.com
©Copyrighted 2004-2007 The Blufish, Inc. All rights reserved.
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