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ADVENTURES

daily activities

NEXT DAY

Legendary Lands and Creatures

Monsters of the Deep

The sea is stormy and powerful, mysterious and scary. It almost acts like a creature itself, so it's natural that so many mythical stories have emerged from its watery depths. Over centuries, explorers, including Christopher Columbus, have claimed to see mermaids and mermen and even a gigantic octopus! But Nessie, also known as The Loch Ness Monster, may be the most legendary of all, with sightings stretching back over the last 1,500 years. These and many other water sightings have captivated people across the entire world. The question is, what do you believe?

DAY 3

what you’ll need

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FOR PARENTS

Ask About Today

Is Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, real? Why or why not? What other creatures did you learn about?

Dinner Discussion

If you were crossing the ocean, which mythical ocean creature would you want to run into? Why?

Skip the Ads

Unfortunately, online videos often start with short advertisements. Remind your campers to click the "Skip" button as soon as they can to move ahead to the video.

explore

30-45 minutes

Get your feet wet with an introduction to some of the most legendary underwater creatures.

01

Release the Kraken!

It’s time to release the Kraken—a giant, squid-like creature from Nordic folklore. Join Dr. Emily Zarka and investigate the Kraken’s history.

Watch
Scary Scenes

Remember: Online videos often start with advertisements. (Annoying, we agree!) Click the "Skip" button as soon as you can to move ahead to the video.

02

Megalodon, AKA Giant Dino-Shark

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Meet the Megalodon, a real-life sea monster that existed 2.6 million years ago.

Watch
Scary Scenes

03

What Lurks in Loch Ness?

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Join up with Dr. Emily Zarka and the PBS Monstrum team again as they explore years of sightings of Nessie, AKA the Loch Ness Monster.

04

Monsters in the Maps

Drawings of sea monsters were once a common feature of old maps of the world. But why? Read or listen to this story from Public Radio International to find out!

05

Explore Mission 31

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Take a virtual field trip to Mission 31, an underwater habitat managed by researchers at Florida International University’s Medina Aquarius Reef Base.

06

Dive into the Mariana Trench

The Mariana Trench is the deepest, darkest place in the ocean. It would be the perfect home for mythical sea creatures trying to stay out of sight. Read more about the mysteries of this underwater world.

07

Megalodon vs. Livyatan

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Megalodon, the gigantic prehistoric shark, meets Livyatan, a giant prehistoric whale. It's the ancient sea monster match-up you've dreamed of. Who would win?

Watch
Scary Scenes

create

45-60 minutes

Ready to shape your own sea monsters? Let's get kraken. (Remember that one, dads.)

01

Sculpting Sea Creatures

You may need Nessie or a Kraken for the universe you build at the end of this week. Try making them out of play dough (here's a home-made recipe)! The bigger the better. Check out the link for some inspiration. Will yours be friendly, or fearsome?

02

Scottish Origami

Want something more advanced? Try to make an Origami Loch Ness Monster. Start with a square piece of paper and follow along with the video. Pause it as often as you need!

03

Sea Serpent Sketching

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If you'd rather work on some artwork for your mythical world, grab your markers or colored pencils. Get inspired by this tutorial of how to draw a sea serpent.

04

Back to Your Legend Plan!

By now, you know the routine! Grab your story map from Day 1 and think about which mythical creatures from today you enjoyed most and why. Decide which ones might make an appearance in your story and what their role may be. You may see your story shaping up more and more, so don't be afraid to change major details to adapt to all of the cool creatures you're learning about. You may even start drawing your world on your big poster board and placing some of the 3D creatures you've created in it!

move

30-45 minutes

Think you're ready to take on some of these monstrous creatures in the water? Unsure? Well, we've got some dry-land exercises to help you be even stronger in the water.

01

Fish Out of Water

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Join SwimGym for a 20 minute workout that will improve your swimming abilities in the water in no time! (Bonus: No goggles required.)

02

Scuba Yoga?

Prefer to stretch and meditate instead? Join Cosmic Yoga for an underwater Yoga adventure!

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