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ocean Lesson Planning Page
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This week we are! This theme is all the creatures under the sea!
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There are all kinds of craft and process art ideas that would be fun to explore during the Under the Sea Theme!
Be sure to add extra blue and green crayons, markers, colored pencils, and paper to your art center this week.
Here are some ideas for Art & Creativity projects and processes to try this week:
Be sure to add extra blue and green crayons, markers, colored pencils, and paper to your art center this week.
Here are some ideas for Art & Creativity projects and processes to try this week:
- Set up an invitation to create an underwater scene using corn syrup, plastic wrap, and sea creature cut-outs. Here's How:
- Suggested Materials: Round paper plates, plastic wrap, corn syrup, blue food coloring, paint brushes, ocean themed cutouts (you can cut out fish shapes, sea shells, and stars out of card stock).
- Process: Mix the blue food coloring into the corn syrup and add a little to shallow paint dishes for each student. Give each child a paper plate and place the ocean theme cut-outs around the table so everyone can reach them. Invite students to brush, drizzle, and drop the corn syrup in a thin layer onto their plate. Next, children will add shape cutouts of their choice onto the corn syrup. When they are done, support them in adding saran wrap to the top to cover the corn syrup (you may wish to tape onto the pack of the plate, however it should stick fairly well). Place on the drying rack overnight (longer for students that made a thicker ocean), then invite students to display in the classroom.
- Practice name recognition with fun crayon resist process painting. Provide white cardstock and white crayons. Invite children to write their name (or you can do this for them) on the white paper. Next, provide a set of watercolors and a paintbrush, invite children to brush over the whole paper with blue (allow other colors if they wish) to reveal their name. **You can also do this activity using blue liquid watercolors and pipettes. Simply invite children to drop the liquid watercolors over the paper to reveal the name.
- Use Drop Painting to create fun fish art.
- Tape a cutout of a fish from card stock onto a large piece of poster board.
- Follow the instructions from the Drop Painting tutorial to create the artwork.
- When finished, remove the fish cutout. The drop painting adds a bit of texture and will tie in well with the bits of sand that stick to the paper. Invite students to display their artwork in class.
- Create an Ocean in a Bottle
- Materials: Plastic bottles (ask parents for donations, you can use a variety of types of bottles, just be sure the lids can be glued on), white sand, blue food coloring mixed into water (set out in small pitchers for independent use), mini sea shells or mini sea creatures or blue/green glass gems, funnels, glue (gorilla glue, super glue, hot glue are some suggestions)
- Set the materials out for children and explain the process. Invite students to use the funnels to add some sand to their bottles, next they can add a few sea shells, then they can pour water in until the bottle is about 3/4 full. Once their creation is complete, glue the lid on. You will need to determine what type of glue is best based on the bottle you choose.
- Create an under the sea collage
- Materials: Magazines, blue/green/white construction paper, glue, scissors, buttons in assorted colors and sizes, ocean themed stickers, ocean stencils or stamps, roll of white paper, glitter glue. Variety of art tools such as watercolors, markers, crayons, and colored pencils (be sure there are plenty of blue in each to go around).
- This is a great opportunity to create a large piece of collaborative art for the classroom. Lay out a large piece of white paper on a table or the floor. tape down the sides to prevent them from curling up. Invite students to work on the paper together or choose part of the paper to work on independently. Be sure to inform them that this will be a collaborative piece to be hung in the classroom.
- Students may wish to add their name in a spot where they spent a lot of time working. You can also consider adding photos of the children to different spots on the paper to show that it was a collaborative project. Once the artwork is complete hang in the classroom. Students eager to show their parents what they did should be encouraged to invite their parent in the classroom to view the artwork. If a parent is unable to come in consider offering to take a photograph to send to the parent to view.
- Follow-up this activity by adding similar materials to the art center for students to create their own collages.
- Create a Wavy Water Collage
- Materials: blue construction paper, glue or glue sticks, scissors, large white paper (consider cardstock for this one). **This would be a great time to use those fancy edging scissors
- Process: Provide each child with a set of materials. Invite students to cut waves out of the blue paper (this is excellent cutting practice and great for fine motor development). Encourage students to cut out waves in any way they like, there is no right or wrong way! Next, students will glue the waves on their paper. This is a good time to talk about AB patterning. Students can place a blue wave and leave a white space repeated down the paper. Or they may choose to overlap the wave strips, again there is no right or wrong way.
- Create a Salt Watercolor Painting
- This is a great process art project to start after reading a book about the ocean, be sure to pick up one that talks about saltwater.
- Materials: Course sea salt, watercolor paint, watercolor paper, water
- Process: Invite children to paint a design of their choosing with the watercolors, encourage them to use extra water so the paper is wet. Once their painting is complete, invite them to sprinkle or shake out salt onto the painting.
- Sing ocean inspired fingerplays and songs such as Baby Shark, Down by the Bay, Baby Beluga, There's a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea, Under the Sea, Swimming Song, and Ocean Waves music
Be sure to browse your local thrift store for some interesting and unique finds for this theme. You may be able to find seashells, sea animal figures and stuffed creatures, blue and green silk scarves, scuba gear, and interesting nautical decor.
Here are some other fun items to add to your learning environment this week.
Here are some other fun items to add to your learning environment this week.
In your Housekeeping Area this week consider adding some Seafood Cookbooks along with pretend food from the ocean for children to use in their pretend cooking. You might also consider hanging a piece of artwork that features an ocean scene.
Dramatic Play Invitations are those that you (or the children) set up for exploring a theme or topic where they can role play. This type of play is an important part of early learning. Children are navigating social relationships, using their imagination and developing many other different skills along the way in math, literacy, social studies and science.
Here are a few suggestions for Dramatic Play Invitations that you can create this week:
Here are a few suggestions for Dramatic Play Invitations that you can create this week:
- Under The Ocean
- Add an Ocean Backdrop (an ocean themed shower curtain or even blue cloth would work too!) Ocean Animal Cut-outs (make your own or hit up the dollar store), pretend rocks, tunnels to hide in and sea creature costumes (silk scarves can also be used to create many different costumes)
- At the Beach
- Set up a Beach Prop Box for children to use. Materials to consider: beach chairs, blankets, sand play items, and shells to collect (this would be fun outside near a sandbox)
- Set up an Aquarium for children to practice many different skills while exploring Under the Sea Creatures
- Add several exhibits featuring Sea Animals such as sharks, penguins, jellyfish, whales, sea lions, and crabs. You can add a variety of stuffed animals for these exhibits along with posters of the animals. Add books and posters to each exhibit for viewers to learn more about each animal. **Teacher Tip: Hit up a thrift store and pick up a large book all about ocean animals, take out pictures from the book, laminate and hang.
- Add an admission area, gift shop, and snack shop for extra role playing and math fun
- Include pamphlets, and an educational movie viewing area
The Pre-K Printable Fun Aquarium Dramatic Play Pack includes all of the props and signs you'll need to create an Aquarium Experience in your Early Learning Environment.
**Pre-K Printables Club Members: This resource is available free to you in the Member Download Area
**Pre-K Printables Club Members: This resource is available free to you in the Member Download Area
Language and Literacy Activity Ideas
- Language and Literacy Activities included in the Pre-K Printable Fun Under the Sea Activity Pack
- Sea First Sounds Clip Cards (phonemic awareness)
- Match the Pearl Uppercase/Lowercase File Folder Game
- I Spy Under the Ocean
- 3-Part Ocean Cards
- Label a Fish
- In the writing center this week add index cards with ocean related words on them.
- Set up a sand writing tray for letter and name practice.
- Set up an invitation to write numerals with beach sand (see tutorial)
- While playing in the sandbox encourage children to write their name in the sand
- Bury letters or cards with ocean related words inside of the sandbox or sand table
- Hang ocean posters or photographs of ocean creatures in the classroom, label the creatures
- Play seashell memory using names of the children in the classroom.
- Materials: Seashells large enough to write names in (can usually be found at the dollar store or ask parents to donate some) you will need two shells per child, sharpie
- Preparation: On each shell write one name of a child in the classroom, be sure that each child has their name written on two different shells, be sure to write clearly so children can read the name.
- Play: Set up an invitation for 2-3 children to play at a time. Play is the same as the classic memory game. Children flip over two shells, they read the name and see if they match.
- Variation: For advanced preschoolers, Instead of writing the child's first name on both shells, try writing their first name on one shell and their last name on another. For younger preschoolers consider writing a symbol such as a shape next to the name to assist them in identifying matches. Another way to play is to write uppercase letters on one shell and lowercase on another and inviting students to match.
- Set up a story basket using the book A House for Hermit Crab. Include crab figurines or stuffed animals and shells.
This week be sure to add both fiction and non-fiction books to your early learning environment. Here are a few fun books to dive into this week!
- What Lives in a Shell by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
- A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle
- Hello Ocean by Pam Muñoz Ryan
- How to Hide an Octopus by Ruth Heller
- The Sandcastle that Lola Built by Megan Mayno
- Over in the Ocean by Marianne Berkes
- Mr. Seahorse by Eric Carle
- The Ocean Alphabet Book by Jerry Pollatta
- Ocean: A Visual Encyclopedia by DK Publishing
- Add some blue, green, and clear water beads to the sensory table.
- Freeze some ocean creature figurines in small bowls, toss into the water table for exploration and excavation.
- Add seashells and a magnifying glass to the science center this week.
- Set up the sensory bin with blue and green aquarium gravel, add in ocean figurines.
Ocean inspired sensory bin from Pre-K Fun community member Chris Chapman
Layers of the ocean from Pre-K Fun community member Chris Chapman
- Learning to take care of the environment is important for young children. Use this theme to teach children about the importance of properly disposing of garbage. One way to do this is to set up an oil spill clean up station
- Materials: vegetable oil, bird feathers, spoons, large plastic bowls, dish soap, and water
- Preparation: Set up your station(s). This can be done as a large group activity, independent exploration, or in pairs/small groups. Each station will need a bowl with vegetable oil and feathers (mix in to coat the feathers), spoons or tongs to extract the feathers, dish of soapy water, and clean water for rinsing.
- Procedure: Start by giving children prior information about oil spills. Be sure to do this in a gentle way, you are simply introducing the concept. Show students how the oil separates from the water and sticks to the feathers. Invite children to provide their observations. Ask them how they think the oil would affect sea creatures. Next, show children how the oil can be removed from the feathers with the soap.
Set up an invitation to sort and classify animals. The I Can Sort & Classify Animals set from Pre-K Printable Fun includes 6 fun animal sorting and classification activities. This is a good opportunity to talk about the types of animals that live in the sea and why.
- Sort sea shells by a variety of attributes. Size, shape, color, texture...
- As Big as a Blue Whale
- Materials: Rope cut to 100 feet
- Procedure: Read a book about whales. Invite children to engage in conversation about how big a blue whale is. Encourage them to make guesses comparing a whale to common everyday objects. "I think a blue whale is as big as a ____" Record their guesses on a chalkboard or piece of paper. Next, have the children help you unravel the rope. Tell children the rope is the size that a blue whale can grow to. Allow time for conversation about size and comparison. Invite children to compare themselves to the size of the whale. Ask how many of them it would take to be the size of a whale. Ask what other objects are a similar size.
Activities included in the Pre-K Printable Fun Under the Sea Activity Pack
- Crab Shape Clip Cards (clip cards are also great for fine motor development)
- Clam Color Matching Puzzles
- Starfish Color sorting Puzzles
- Count and Clip Cards
- Number Puzzles
- Starish counting mats w/frames
- Under the Sea 1-20 counting mat
- Whale Size Sorting
- Shark Matching Activity
- Patterning Activity
Physical Development is an important part of the education of young children. Children develop large muscles before they develop small muscles. So not only is gross motor development an essential part of overall health, it is also very important for learning to write later on. Here are a few ideas for developing both Fine Motor Skills and Gross Motor Skills that align with the Under the Sea Theme
Challenge preschoolers to move their body in a variety of ways with these fun Under the Sea Movement Cards from Pre-K Printable Fun
- Set out a play dough invitation to create an under the sea scene.
- Suggested Materials: Blue, green, yellow, and black play dough, ocean cookie cutters, rolling pins, small sea creatures and mini sea shells, sequins, and glitter play dough.
- Play a fun game where children swap hermit crab shells
- Materials: Something to use as shells such as Bilibos, small laundry baskets, or large plastic bowls, a book about hermit crabs.
- Procedure: First, read a book about hermit crabs to give children some background information. Place the "shells" in various places around the room, inform children that they will be pretending to be a hermit crab. Play some ocean inspired music, randomly stop the music, when the music stops encourage children to travel to the nearest shell and wear it. Play the music again, this time when the music stops children will trade shells with the child nearest to them.
- Set up a shark feed toss game
- Materials: large piece of poster board, bean bags
- Preparation: Create a shark from the poster board, this doesn't have to be anything fancy, simply create a shark outline, be sure to draw a large mouth (you could also create a Shark Cornhole game if you are super handy). Place the shark outline on the floor (you may want to tape to the floor). Place the beanbags in a basket a few feet away from the shark. **Note: If you have a large group consider setting up two different play stations or split into small groups, have one group do another activity to reduce waiting times.
- Play: Children will take turns, this is a good opportunity to teach children about standing in line and about taking turns. For younger students, be sure they do not have a long wait, encourage children in line to observe the peer currently playing, engage them in conversation. Children will stand a few feet away from the shark and toss the bean bags (fish) towards the shark, the goal is to get the bean bag to land on the mouth of the shark to feed him.
- Assessment opportunity: This is a great time to assess skills such as positional phrases, measurement terms, taking turns, hand-eye coordination, and overhand throwing. Have a notepad nearby to jot down notes or record play to review later.
- Variation: Set up a shark cutout on the front of a small box. Cut out a small hole where the mouth is. Cut out small fish from construction paper or card stock (as an added learning opportunity consider writing letters, names, shapes, or numbers on the fish). Place the fish in a large container on the floor. Invite students to take a fish out of the container, if applicable read what is on the fish, and then travel to the shark to feed him.
- Play follow the leader with a fishy twist. One child is the lead fish, the rest of the school of fish will follow behind!
- Activities included in the Pre-K Printable Fun Under the Sea Activity Pack
- Variety of clip cards that support math and literacy development as well as fine motor development
- Cutting and Tracing activity
- 12-Frame Ocean theme puzzle
Add a variety of Sea Creatures to your space this week. Provide Children with different types of materials to create an underwater scene such as: Blue Felt/Fabric, Sandpaper, Seaweed, Shells and Rocks.
- Set up an invitation to create an aquarium during group play. Each group will need wooden unit blocks, blue silk scarves, accessories such as sea shells or sea shell cutouts, and sea creatures. You could challenge each group to create an ocean habitat for a different type of sea creature.
- Hang world maps on the wall and have a globe available for discussion about where our oceans are and the names of the oceans.
- Invite someone to class that has done some ocean sports or studied sea life to talk about their experiences.
- Find out if any of the students have family that live near an ocean. Mark the spot on a map and see how far they are away.
- Read the book The Sandcastle that Lola Built by Megan Mayno. After reading give children a chance to talk about the problems Lola experienced in the book and what she did to solve them. Ask them if they have ever been frustrated when something they worked hard on had been destroyed...how did they react?...how could they react next time?
- This is a good opportunity to practice problem solving. You could set up a reenactment at the sandbox or even in the block area. Encourage children to come up with creative solutions.
- During this activity be sure to focus on words like "frustration", "problem-solving", "resolve", and "conflict"
- In your calm down space add ocean sensory bottles, calm ocean wave sounds music, and photographs of the ocean.
- invite students to bring in photographs of them from a time when they visited the ocean. Encourage them to share their experience with the group. Perhaps some children have family that live near the ocean, allow them time to talk about their family.
- During small group time read an ocean alphabet book. Follow the activity by inviting students to say the name of an ocean creature that starts with the same letter their name does.
- Play Sharks and Minnows
- Play Fish, Fish, Shark (variation on Duck, Duck, Goose)
- Ask parents to send in photos from when they visited the beach with their child. Some families may have seashells they are willing to loan to the classroom.
- Ask for parent volunteers to set up the Aquarium Dramatic Play Invitation or to set up a pretend beach.
- Set up an Under the Sea Family Literacy Night. Set up the classroom with literacy activities and extra spaces for reading together. Open the classroom for about an hour for parents to spend time reading and exploring literacy activities with their children.
- Send home an Under the Sea inspired math kit (such as adding with seashells) for children to play with their parents.
Resources from Around the Web
Here are some more fun activity ideas and theme related resources from around the web
Ocean Play Dough Invitation from Mom Inspired Life
Sandpaper Art from Kids Play Box
Fork Painted Fish from Fantastic Fun & Learning
Shark Hat from Glue sticks & Gumdrops
Stamped Fish From Teaching 2 and 3 year Olds
Contact Paper Jelly Fish from Juggling with Kids
Sandpaper Art from Kids Play Box
Fork Painted Fish from Fantastic Fun & Learning
Shark Hat from Glue sticks & Gumdrops
Stamped Fish From Teaching 2 and 3 year Olds
Contact Paper Jelly Fish from Juggling with Kids
Beach Inspired Sand Tray from Pre-K Printable Fun
Ocean Themed Yoga from Pink Oatmeal
Beach Mystery Bag from Bambini Travel
Shells & Starfish Activities from Living Montessori
Beach ball Games from Rockabye Butterfly
Counting Shells from the Preschool Toolbox Blog
Ocean Themed Yoga from Pink Oatmeal
Beach Mystery Bag from Bambini Travel
Shells & Starfish Activities from Living Montessori
Beach ball Games from Rockabye Butterfly
Counting Shells from the Preschool Toolbox Blog
Under the Sea Sensory Bin from Little Lifelong Learners
Sand and Water Sensory Bin from Mom Inspired Life
Tide pool sensory bin from Buggy and Buddy
Alphabet Sounds Fishing from the Imagination Tree
Ocean Sensory Tub from No Time for Flashcards
Under the Sea Search and Find from Powerful Mothering
Sand and Water Sensory Bin from Mom Inspired Life
Tide pool sensory bin from Buggy and Buddy
Alphabet Sounds Fishing from the Imagination Tree
Ocean Sensory Tub from No Time for Flashcards
Under the Sea Search and Find from Powerful Mothering
Ocean Slime from Buggy and Buddy
Sand Foam from Paging Fun Mums
Sand Play Dough from Mama Papa Bubba
Sand Slime from Little Bins for Little Hands
Ocean Swirl Slime from Two Daloo
Soapy Sea Foam from Two Daloo
Sand Foam from Paging Fun Mums
Sand Play Dough from Mama Papa Bubba
Sand Slime from Little Bins for Little Hands
Ocean Swirl Slime from Two Daloo
Soapy Sea Foam from Two Daloo
