Ocean

Ocean Books

Ocean Music

Ocean DVD

Ocean Literacy activities

Ocean Sight Word Mats
Setting: Small Group, Literacy Centers
Objective: Sight Words
Materials: Ocean Accents (see resources section below), Sharpie marker, lamination film, magnetic letters
Directions: Write a different focus sight word on each ocean accent with a Sharpie marker. Laminate the accents for durability. Place a basket or tub of magnetic letters in the center of the table. Students will spell the sight words out on the mats with magnetic letters.

Ocean Syllables

Setting: Small Group, Literacy Centers
Objective: Syllables
Materials: Ocean syllable cards (see printables section below), clothespins, laminating film, scissors, basket or container for clothespins
Directions: Print the ocean syllable cards on cardstock and laminate for durability. Seat the students in your small group around a table. Place the clothespins in a basket or container in the middle of the table so they are easily accessible to all students. Give each child an ocean syllable card. Students will identify the number of syllables in the picture and clip their clothespin to the correct number at the bottom of the card. When they are finished with their card they can switch with other students at the table.

Ocean Beginning Sounds
Setting: Small Group, Literacy Centers
Objective: Identifying beginning sounds
Materials: Ocean creature manipulatives (see resources section below) or beanie babies, blue construction paper, Sharpie marker, scissors
Directions: Carefully select ocean creature manipulatives or beanie babies that have distinct, easily identifiable beginning sounds. You will need several creatures that have the same beginning sounds as the ones you have selected for this activity. Place your ocean creature manipulatives or beanies in a container in the middle of the table. Seat the students in your small group around the table. Cut 3 pieces of blue construction paper in oval shapes. Place the 3 pieces of blue paper on the table. Using your Sharpie marker, label each “ocean” with a different letter. Students will take turns selecting ocean creatures from the basket and placing the animals into the oceans that have the same beginning sounds.

Ocean Rhyming

Setting: Small Group, Literacy Centers
Objective: Rhyming
Materials: Ocean vocabulary picture cards (see printables section below), pocket die, scissors, recording sheet, Do-A-Dot markers
Directions: Print the ocean vocabulary picture cards and cut apart. Place the pictures in the pocket die. Give each student in your small group a recording sheet and a Do-A-Dot marker. Students will take turns rolling the die, identifying the picture shown, and then give a rhyming word. When a student gives a correct rhyming word they can mark the picture on their recording sheet with their Do-A-Dot marker.

Ocean Sentences
Setting: Small Group, Literacy Centers
Objective: Sight Word Recognition
Materials: cardstock, scissors, laminating film, printable sentences (see free printables section below), colored Sharpie markers
Directions: Print the ocean sentences on cardstock and laminate. Next, cut the sentences apart on the dotted line and place in envelopes. Give each student in your small group an envelope. Students will construct the sentences using their knowledge of sight words. Remind them to create sentences that “make sense”. Remember to color code each piece of each sentence with a colored dot on the back. For example the sentence that reads “Do you like starfish?” will need the same color dot on the back of each word as well as the envelope in order to keep the pieces from getting mixed up. This activity can also be placed in a pocket chart and students can use it during literacy centers for independent practice.

Thar She Blows! Game
Setting: Small Group, Literacy Centers
Objective: Sight word recognition
Materials: Whale accents or die-cuts, Sharpie marker, laminating film, Do-A-Dot markers, recording sheet, plastic container or basket to put cut-outs in
Directions: Laminate the accents or die-cuts for durability then write one one word on each one using the Sharpie marker. On one whale write the words “Thar She Blows!” with the Sharpie marker. Place all the accents in a basket or plastic tub. Give a recording sheet to each student. Have the students sit in a circle and pass the basket of whales around. Each student closes his eyes and removes one whale, then reads the word written on the back aloud and marks it on his recording sheet with a Do-A-Dot marker. If a student gets the shape that says “Thar She Blows!” all the students can say the phrase together and pretend to make binoculars with their hands.
This game could also be played with letters written on the whales and recording sheet instead of sight words.

Ocean Math Activities

Fish in the Ocean
Setting: Small Group, Math Centers
Objective: Number recognition, number sense, one-to-one
Materials: blue tempera paint, Sharpie marker, one empty egg carton per student in small group, paint brush, Goldfish crackers, sandwich size Ziploc bags
Directions: Paint the egg cartons with the blue tempera paint. When dry, use the Sharpie marker to write one number in the bottom of each egg space. Portion out the Goldfish crackers into the Ziploc bags making sure that there are enough crackers in each bag for the students to complete the activity successfully. Seat the students in your small group around a table and give them each one egg carton and a Ziploc bag of crackers. Students will identify the number in the bottom of each egg space and place the corresponding number of Goldfish crackers into each one. Students may eat the goldfish crackers when they are finished.

Beach Roll ‘N Stamp

Setting: Small Group, Math Centers
Objectives: Number recognition, number sense, one-to-one
Materials: foam die, 1-6 beach recording sheet (see printables section below), Do-A-Dot markers (see resources section below)
Instructions: Students take turns rolling the die, identifying the corresponding number on their paper and stamping that number with a Do-A-Dot marker.

Fish 1:1 Game

Setting: Small Group, Math Centers
Objectives: 1:1 correspondence
Materials: fish 1:1 mats- one per student in small group (see printables section below), Goldfish crackers
Instructions: Print the 1:1 fish mats on cardstock and laminate. Give each student in the small group a mat. Place the Goldfish crackers in the center of the table in a container so they are easily accessible to all students. Each student takes a turn rolling the die and putting the corresponding number of goldfish on their mat. When there is one goldfish on each fish bowl on the mat the students have successfully completed the game. Students may eat the goldfish crackers when they have filled their mat.

Ocean Counting Book



Setting: Small Group, Math Centers
Objective: Integrate math and literacy. Number identification, number sense
Materials: ocean stickers or stamps (available in resources section below), one pre-assembled In the Ocean booklet per child
Directions: Place the stickers or stamps in the center of the table in a basket or container so all students can easily reach them. The students identify the number in each sentence and using their knowledge of number identification, letter sounds, and sight words they stamp the appropriate number of ocean animals on each page.

Ocean Patterns


Setting: Small Group, Math Centers
Objective: Patterning
Materials: Patterning grid- one per child (available in printables section below), ocean stickers, stamps, erasers, or shells
Directions: Give each child in the small group one patterning grid. Place the ocean stickers, stamps, erasers, or shells in the center of the table in a container so all students can easily reach them. The students will use the items to create a pattern on the grid.

Counting 1-5


Setting: Small Group, Math Centers
Materials: 1-5 counting grid- one per child (available in printables section below), small shells, ocean stickers, ocean erasers, or ocean stamps (available in resources section below)
Directions: Give each child in the small group a counting grid sheet. Place the shells, stamps, erasers,or stickers in the center of the table in a container so all students can easily reach them. The students will place the correct number of items next to each number on the counting grid.

Ocean Counting Clip Cards
Setting: Small Group, Math Centers
Materials: Ocean counting cards (available in printables section below), clothespins, laminating film, cardstock, laminating film, scissors
Directions: Print the ocean syllable cards on cardstock and laminate for durability. Seat the students in your small group around a table. Place the clothespins in a basket or container in the middle of the table so they are easily accessible to all students. Give each child an ocean counting card. Students will identify the number of items on each card and clip their clothespin to the correct number at the bottom of the card. When they are finished with their card they can switch with other students at the table.

Fun Ocean Activities

Coffee Filter Rainbow Fish
Materials: tin foil, white coffee filters, water, squirt bottle, crayola markers, scissors, glue, blue construction paper, wiggly eyes.
Flatten the coffee filter on a paper plate.
Give each student several brightly colored Crayola markers and have them color the coffee filters.
Spray the coffee filters lightly with water and let dry.
When the filters are dry cut them into fish shapes with scissors and glue small triangles of tin foil to the fish to create sparkly scales.
Glue on a wiggly eye and glue the fish to a blue piece of construction paper to give the appearance of swimming.

Paper Plate Aquariums
Materials: 2 cheap paper plates per student, Blue Reynolds wrap, blue construction paper, sea life stickers, crayons or markers, glue, scissors, stapler, Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers- different sizes, sand, small shells.
Cut a circle out of the middle out of one paper plate, leaving the rim intact, and set aside.
On the second paper plate glue sand and shells to the bottom of the inner circle.
Using crayons or markers draw seaweed and sea creatures in the inner circle.
Glue goldfish crackers to the inner circle.
Glue blue plastic wrap across cut out portion of the first paper plate to form the front of the aquarium.
Staple the two plates together, rim to rim, with the water scene inside.

Ocean vs. Land Animals
Materials: Plastic sea and land creatures OR printable land and sea creatures (see resources section below), a printable venn diagram.
Put all of the sea and land creatures into a paper bag and have students take turns pulling them out and naming them to practice. Next, have students place the animals where they belong on the venn diagram. This is a great classification activity as well as vocabulary practice for your students.

Wax Resist Painting
Materials: Crayola crayons (NOT washable), blue watercolor paint, white construction paper.
Have students draw an ocean scene with crayons on white paper. Paint over the picture with a wash of blue watercolor.

Saltwater Painting
Materials: water, salt, food coloring, white construction paper, paintbrushes
Mix 1/4 C. warm water with 6-t. salt and 3 drops of food coloring in each jar. Have students paint pictures with the water and salt mixture. The water will evaporate leaving colored “sand.”

Ocean in a Bag
Materials: shaving cream, blue food coloring, sand, one lunch size Ziploc bag per child, seashells, small plastic sea creatures, packing tape.
Pour a small amount of sand into the bottom of each Ziploc bag.
Add seashells and sea creatures to the bag.
Squirt some shaving cream into the bag and add a few drops of blue food coloring.
Close the bag and seal with packing tape.
Allow the students to “squish” the food coloring around to mix the food coloring.
*Blue shampoo can be substituted for the food coloring and shaving cream if available*

Ocean Printables

Ocean Rhyming

Ocean Counting Book

Beach Roll ‘N Stamp

1-5 Counting Grid

Pattern Strips

Fish 1:1 Mat

Ocean Syllable Cards

Ocean Counting Clip Cards

Ocean Positional Book

Ocean Resources

Ocean Links
Prekinders
The Virtual Vine