Officer Jack - #2 - "Underwater"

Shouts attract Officer Jack’s and Kate’s attention in time to see a car roll into the water and start to sink.  While Jack tries the doors and the woman trapped inside pleads for help, the car sinks deeper into the water.  Kate searches for a way to get the woman out, but can she discover it before the car completely disappears?

Buy "Underwater"

Story Time for Officer Jack Underwater created by KT Brison of Lit Mama

Officer Jack Underwater Activities

I'm totally smitten with Brewster's books. The reason I crush so hard on them is they're full of heart. Just check out the dedication of this book:

This book is dedicated to police officers everywhere (Federal, State, County, and City) who daily place themselves in harm’s way in order to save lives, protect property, and preserve public safety.

If you want your littles to understand the truth about who police are and what they do, this book (and series) is perfect for that. Coming up with activities for Officer Jack is, for me, an act of honoring Mr. Brewster for honoring our everyday heroes. So I've got some good stuff for you.

Language

The simple text of this book uses adjectives and adverbs sparingly--the way writing should be. Here's a free printable that allows your littles to practice these forms of speech using words pulled directly from the book.

Science

River Activities

Learn About Rivers Printable

Perfect for Officer Jack, this free printable will teach your littles all about rivers--where they come from, what they consist of, and how they help us. Plus there are some fun activities at the end!

Crumpled Watershed Project

What you need:

• 8.5 x 11 sheet copy or printer paper
• 8.5 x 11 sheet card stock
• Non-permanent markers in brown, blue, and green
• Spray bottle filled with water
• Scotch tape

What you do:

• Crumple the paper into a wad (the tighter you crumple, the more complex the model will be)

• Un-crumple the paper and set it on the sheet of card stock
• Tape edges of paper to card stock, leaving at least an inch of card stock around the perimeter of the paper (you don't want to completely flatten the paper back out, but to leave the ridges caused by crumpling in it)

• Use the brown or green marker to gently shade the 'ridges' of their crumpled paper--that is, anything that sticks up and resembles a mountain or hill

• Use a blue marker to carefully draw in where rivers and lakes would be

• Use the spray bottle to simulate rain over your your model by lightly misting the paper

Discuss with your littles whether the blue of the rivers flow where they expected it to and look closely at where the most water collected. Was it surrounded by 'mountains'? These are the areas that are watersheds.

Craft

Officer Jack Police Badge

  You can't be Officer Jack without your badge. This simple craft will have your kids pretending to be police officers in no time. What you need:

• Lit Mama's Police Badge Template
• 4x6 square thin cardboard
• 4x6 square clear contact paper
• 5x7 square aluminum foil
• Scissors
• Crayons
• Markers
• Safety pin
• Hot glue gun (for mama or dada to use)

What you do:

• Trace badge template onto both cardboard and contact paper and cut out
• Wrap aluminum foil around cardboard badge (you might want to tape the foil to the back to hold it in place)

• Fill in the name and town on the badge name template with a dark marker
• Give it a minute to dry then color badge name template however you want

• Cut out the individual parts of the badge name template
• Remove backing from contact paper
• Place badge name parts face down on sticky side of contact paper (make sure you have them where you want them before you press them down--they do not come back off)

• Line contact paper badge up with foil badge and press down
• Hot glue safety pin to the back for attaching to little clothes (this job is for mama or dada)

Snack

You want to talk about yummy? This is yummy AND fun. Oreo riverbed, marshmallow rocks, chocolate pudding mud and vanilla pudding river? I mean...

River mud

What you need:

• 3.5 oz box instant chocolate pudding
• 3.5 oz box instant vanilla pudding
• 1/2 cup crushed Oreos
• 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
• 1 3-oz box Swedish Fish
• Blue food coloring

What you do:

• Prepare puddings according to directions on boxes
• Stir marshmallows into chocolate pudding
• Stir 10-12 drops blue food coloring into vanilla pudding
• Divide crushed Oreos into the bottoms of 4 clear dessert cups
• Divide chocolate pudding and marshmallows between cups over the Oreos
• Cover the chocolate pudding with a thin layer of blue vanilla
• Add a couple of Swedish Fish

O.M.G. These are so freaking cute! And yummier than I can describe.

Miscellaneous

Practice 911 Police Call

Practicing an imaginary script for contacting the police during an emergency is a good idea so that your littles know what to say and what will be expected of them if they ever have to make the call. This printable provides a short script you can add to in order to allow your children that practice.

Water Safety

This printable includes water safety tips and a Water Safety Plan for your littles to fill out to help them remember how to be safe around water.