I read an ocean book and then brought out my basket of assorted shells. We noticed how they had different textures. Our last theme of the school year is the ocean. Of course, the best way to teach this would be to actually take them TO the beach, but it’s not close enough for us. Plus, our families are fortunate to visit the coast, making our preschool ocean theme that much more meaningful. This collection of preschool ocean theme activities are fun and engaging! What I love about this theme is that there are so many fun ways to study shells and ocean animals! From the science table, to the art center, inside the sensory bin, on top of the light table, and in the books we read. Here’s some of our favorites! During our morning meeting I like to introduce what we will be doing that day. Group meetings are perfect for passing objects around, so we carefully passed the shells from one friend to the other, running our fingers across them.
Shells at the Playdough Table
My co-teacher made this playdough that same morning, so it was still warm. You can just feel it now, right? It was quite relaxing, and I’m sure that’s a big reason why all 6 chairs at the table were occupied much of centers time. We provided rolling pins to roll the dough flat, and small shells to poke into the dough.
Shells at the Light Table
Oh, how we love our light table! While it’s fun as a surface for small world play and construction, it’s also perfect for exploring. The light highlighted the details of the shells, making them so inviting to touch. Of course, a shell must be put against the ear to “hear the ocean”!
Jellyfish at the Art Table
You can read all about this art activity here. Not only were they fun to make, but they also looked lovely hanging from our classroom ceiling.
Toddler Fish Art
Our toddlers loved stamping curved paper tube rolls onto fish-shaped paper! You can read more about that here.
Ocean Sensory Bin
I found these small fish aquarium nets and added aquarium gravel and sea animals. You can read all about it here.
Toddler and Preschool Ocean Activity Plans
I helped create these activities along with a talented group of early childhood educators and home schoolers. Easy Ocean Discovery Bottles Toddler Ocean Sensory Bin Toddler Fish Art with Lots of Stamping Fun Color Sorting Fish Sensory Bin Easy to follow plans include activity modifications and adaptations to meet the needs of all learners. These activities come in a digital format. That means after you make a purchase, the links to the activities will arrive in an email. For more information, click on the graphics below: Here is my Privacy Policy
