Enjoy this preschool lesson plan all about the Ocean. The activities below will introduce children to the ocean through fun facts, activities, books, songs, and crafts. This lesson plan works well in conjunction with a unit with a daycare center theme about the beach, fish, and ocean animals.
Learning about the Ocean
Basic facts about Oceans:
About ¾ of the Earth is covered by the ocean.
There are five oceans: Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Southern Ocean
Some animals that live in the ocean: fish, octopus, walruses, whales, dolphins, sharks, crabs, seahorses, coral reefs, sea lions, sea turtles, shrimp, and jellyfish
Ocean animals eat plankton, seaweed, other fish, crabs, shrimp, oysters, clams, etc..
Ocean Craft
Ocean Sponge Paint Craft
Materials: Fish shaped sponge (or cut fish shapes from sponges), sponge roller with a wave pattern, light blue construction paper, dark blue paint, paint in various colors.
Instructions: Create an ocean scene using sponges and a sponge roller. Instruct the children to roll the sponge roller in dark blue paint across blue construction paper to create the waves of the ocean. Then show them how to dip their fish sponges in various shades of paint and sponge them on to finalize the ocean scene. Allow to dry.
Ocean Sensory Table
Fill a sensory table with sand, shells, plastic ocean animals such as (fish, whales, octopus, etc.) and water. You may also add dried seaweed and provide snorkeling masks. If using snorkeling masks, only allow the children to put the mask in the water and of course supervise extremely closely. Encourage the children to feel the items in the sensory table. Provide children with buckets and shovels so that they can collect items from the ocean.
Ocean Song
I Went Swimming in the Ocean
Sing “I went Swimming in the Ocean” to the tune of “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad”
“I went swimming in the ocean
On a summer day.
I went swimming in the ocean
And kicked, and splashed and played.
After lunch we looked for seashells
I found three or four
You can hold one up to your ear.
And hear the ocean roar.
Hear the ocean roar
Hear the ocean roar.
You can hear the ocean roar, roar, roar
Hear the ocean roar
Hear the ocean roar
Hear the ocean roar, roar, roar”.
*”I Went Swimming in the Ocean” taken from preschooleducation.com.
Books about the Ocean
Over in the Ocean by Marianne Berkes and Jeanette Canyon [Dawn Publications, 2004]
Hello Ocean by Pam Munoz Ryan and Mark Astrella [Charlesbridge Publishing, 2001]
Jennifer Ward by Jennifer Ward [Rising Moon, 2000]
I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry [Dial, 2007]
In the Ocean by A.J. Wood and Maurice Pledger [Silver Dolphin Books, 2001]
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