Ocean -- Preschool & Kindergarten
Down in the Water
Tune: "Down by the Station"
Down in the water, early in the morning
See the ocean creatures, swimming all around.
You can see the parents playing with their babies.
Under the sea is where they are found!
Down in the Water Song Coloring Page
Fish Are Swimming
Fish are swimming, fish are swimming,
In the sea, in the sea,
A-splishing and a-splashing,
A-splishing and a-splashing,
Look and see, look and see
Sensory Table
Ocean
In the texture table place sand or water, salt, food color, shells, ocean animals, buckets and shovels.
Aquarium Rocks
Place a bag of clean aquarium rocks in the sensory table. Provide cups, bowels, and pails for the children's use. Add water if desired
Plastic Fish and Boats
Place small plastic fish in the sensory table with water, strainers, and pails.
Plastic Boats
Place small plastic boats in a sensory table filled with water. Also provide small plastic people to ride and fish in the boats.
Math
Seashell Game
Need: smooth and rough seashells, tray
Collect ten or more seashells that have a variety of shapes and textures. Divide a tray into two sections. Label one section "smooth" and the other section "rough." Have children feel the shells and sort them by texture. Children can also sort the shells by shape or size. Contributed by: Sarah Longfellow
Ocean and Sky
Need: crayons and construction paper
Fold the construction paper in half lengthwise and draw a line with a dark crayon on the fold line. Tell the children that the line is dividing the ocean from the sky. Ask the children to draw pictures of things they might find in the sky above the line. Then have the children draw pictures of things they would find in the ocean, below the line.
Hermit Crab Math Maze worksheet
Group Time
Sand Writing
Place a tray of sand in front of the children. With your finger, write an alphabet letter in the sand. Ask the children to identify the letter. When they have done so, smooth out the sand and write another letter. Follow the same procedure for reviewing numbers and shapes. Then let the children take turns writing letters, numbers and shapes in the sand themselves.
Cross the Ocean Game
Need: small and large island shapes cut out of construction paper
Tape the construction paper island shapes to the floor. Tell the children that the floor is the ocean. Ask them to cross the ocean by stepping only on the island shapes.
Beach Party
Have an indoor beach party. Have children bring sunglasses, towels, and appropriate beach wear. Play tunes such as the Beach Boys. Add lemonade and popsicles to your snack time. If possibly when going outside have beach balls, volleyball (over a short net or no net at all), and Frisbee's.
Science
Salty Ocean
Discuss with children that sea water is salty. Have two plastic containers filled with water, and discuss how they are same. Show children the salt.
Then add large amounts of salt to one of the containers and stir until dissolved. Are they the same? Why or why not? Let the children smell and taste the difference by pouring into small paper cups and use coffee stirrers or craft sticks to taste.
Egg Float
Fill two containers with water; add generous amounts of salt to one and stir until dissolved. Place a raw egg in each container. The egg in the unsalted water should sink and the one in the salted water should float
Salt Painting
Place salt in baggies and add food coloring to each baggie. Shake and lay out to dry. Have children create an ocean scene by placing glue on construction paper and sprinkling on different colors of salt.
Salt Measuring
Place salt and assorted measuring spoons and cups on the science table for children to explore with.
Snacks
Just For Fun!<
Need: Two 1/2 gal. pitchers, 1 pkg. sugar-free Ice-blue Koolaid
First read "The Rainbow Fish" to the class.
During our ocean unit for our drink at the party, I do this "magic trick". Have two clear pitchers on a small table where everyone can see. Previously empty into one pitcher the package of Koolaid sugar-free Ice Blue Lemonade. Hold up the clear pitcher of plain, cold water and instruct the children to say "Let the tide roll in!" or something else very dramatic. Then pour the water in, and voila! It turns a beautiful ocean blue, magically! This always gets a lot of astonished gasps and hand claps, even though I am sure most children have experienced Koolaid before! Contributed By: Beth Bennett
Blue Ocean
Need: Blue Jello Jigglers in a 9x13 clear glass dish (do not cut)
Prepare Blue Jello Jigglers. Use pictures of objects, letters, children's names, etc. Hold cards on the bottom of the dish so children can look through the jello at the picture.
Recite rhyme:
Teacher&child - "John, John what do you see through the deep blue sea?"
Child - "I see the letter J through the deep blue sea."
Have each child take a turn. Enjoy the Jello as snack when activity is finished.
Contributed By: Lisa Y.
Fish Aquarium
Need: blue jello, gummy fish, clear cups.
Make blue jello and place in clear cups. Refrigerate until partially set (about an hour). When the jello is partially set, place a few gummy fish in each cup. Put the cups in the refrigerator until they are completely set. Eat and enjoy!
Sand Pudding
Need: vanilla pudding, graham crackers, gummy worms.
Make vanilla pudding and spoon into cups. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on the top and have a gummy worm protruding from the pudding cup.
Sites to See
See Also
Ocean Theme Pages
