I live in Utah. A semi-desert. Not close to an ocean. Not at all.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t have access to an aquarium to see live sharks, sea otters, or penguins.

When the approaching cooler weather gets too nippy for outdoor activities with your grandchild, invite her to your house for a virtual field trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Have fun clicking on the web cams for views of otters, penguins, the aviary, and Monterey Bay. (Cams are turned on from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Pacific time.) There are also games, activities, videos, and podcasts on the site.

The best part of a virtual field trip is that I can experience these ocean critters while siting on my couch in the comfort of my own home — and not spend one penny on gas!

In addition to the web cams, you can listen to podcasts about sharks, sting rays, jellyfish, or the Pacific spiny lumpsucker. (Eeewww! Wanna know what a lumpsucker is? Log on to their podcasts and learn all about ‘em.)

Watch videos showing squat lobsters feed or leafy sea dragons or cock-eyed squid swim. (Here’s a link to the video library.)

Under the Fun and Learning tab you can do the following games and activities:

• Print and play “Animal I Spy’
• Make a tide pool game
• Create a deep sea memory game to play
• Print and decorate a shark mask
• Make a sea otter puppet

Grandchildren cannot come to your home to enjoy this activity because they live far away? Not to worry. Create a virtual treasure hunt for them to do!

To create the treasure hunt, surf around the site taking note of interesting facts and fun things to see, to listen to, and to do. Then, write up questions for your grandchild to answer (e.g. why do ocean shark have to swim constantly, what is the fastest growing fish in the Monterey Aquarium) or activities to complete (e.g. print and do the One-Two-Three Search or be a seaweed sleuth to see if you have kelp in your house).

Then, send your grandchild an e-mail with a link to the site and your treasure hunt questions and activities. Mention some of the things that you found interesting and enjoyed doing. After your grandchild completes the treasure hunt, she can e-mail you and share her experience of her virtual field trip to the aquarium.

Maybe this will pique her interest in being a marine biologist . . .

Enjoy!
Digi-Gram