We all know sharks are awesome! And unless you live underneath a rock you know that shark week is upon us. This started on discovery as a way to inform people of sharks and help them understand that they need to be saved. at our home shark week is a national holiday. This year we are celebrating shark month as well as committing to helping sharks all year long. Here is a list of things you can do during shark week to help you celebrate and learn about these magnificent creatures that are going extinct.

1. Adopt a shark. There are many companies and aquariums that offer adopt a shark. I did a simple Google search and came up with a few of them in fact my local aquarium also has adoptable sharks. You usually get a plush animal, certificate and the piece of mind you helped a great cause.

2. Read about Sharks especially to your kids. There’s so many books out there that are absolutely fabulous about sharks. I have been collecting over the years and some of my favorites for my girls include Hark a Shark, Smart about Sharks, Shark Lady, Little Shark and I’m getting a Shark.

3. Binge out on shark week shows on Discovery channel. This is definitely a must. If you don’t get the channel you can definitely YouTube or Google the shows. I also enjoy watching Jaws and Finding Nemo during this time.

4. Making shark inspired food is always a must at my house during this time I use the gummy sharks in basically everything. We also make shark bite drinks and just about anything we can make shark we do.

5. Track sharks in your local area. OCEARCH is an organization that uses the latest satellite technology to track and study tagged sharks and other marine life in their natural habitats. Using their shark tracker on a computer or smartphone, mini shark fans can follow great whites, mako sharks and others types, and learn about their migration patterns.

6. Head to the Aquarium. Taking your kids to an aquarium is the perfect Shark Week activity, whether you are home or on vacation. Aquariums provide an incredible way for kids to learn about sharks, their habitats and the threats they face. Many feature tanks filled with a variety of species or touch tanks where kids can get up close and personal with small, harmless sharks. Some aquariums also offer visitors the chance to watch shark feeding time.

7. Go to the beach and do a cleanup. Definitely you can have your fun time as well but going to the beach and preserving these creatures habitat is definitely needed more and more people are littering and leaving plastic around and it’s becoming a real problem for sharks. When my family goes to the beach we definitely clean up around us and emphasize leaving the beach cleaner than we came to it.

8. If you don’t do anything above talk about sharks and learn about sharks. In our house we get our kids involved with shark activities and crafts and then we bridge into talks about how to save sharks and why they are going instinct. Don’t be afraid to talk to your friends and family about these incredible creatures that are nearing extinction.