We've always enjoyed using a fishing pole made of a dowel rod, yarn/string, and a magnet. We would catch construction paper fish with a paper clip. (I always put tape around the clip so it won't come off. That's a disappointing catch!)
But a few years ago, I saw the idea for chenille stem fish on Inner Child Fun. I think I literally slapped my forehead. What a great idea!
The chenille stems have wire inside so they're magnetic. The fish I used were formed by some of my kindergartners in the past. The girls that played this game enjoyed catching and releasing the fish several times.
Of course, we had a tackle box with plastic "bait" (frogs, snakes, lizards). We had a "real" fishing net. We had a basket to hold our catch before releasing it. We had a few paper fish, too.
But we love those chenille stem fish. I can reform them at any time. Or add a few stems for the kids to make more fish. And we can catch them by the tail or in the middle - not just at the mouth!
My "fishergirls" had great fun! (That's what one of them called herself.)
