Below are activity suggestions from the OCEAN THEMATIC UNIT now available via this blog! We hope your children enjoy learning and playing with Ocean-themed resources as much as our kids do!
In the Big Blue Sea (Counting Song)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jxzZMw89qY
Be careful…this song gets stuck in your head!
Describing Seashells
Materials needed: Describing Seashells “game boards” (pdf file with the download -laminate for durability), counters or plastic counting chips
Give each child a game board and 9 counters to use as markers after each shell is called. The teacher begins by physically describing one of the shells on the game board. For example, I am round, white, and I have a star in the middle (Starfish). Students then find that shell on their game board and cover the square with a counter. The teacher continues to describe the shells and the students continue to mark off the shells called.
Extension for older children: Have the students take turns describing the shells for their peers.
Sand Pail Measuring
Materials needed: 2 different sized sand pails, small drinking cups (such as a Dixie Cup), extra bucket or container of water, towels.
***This would be a great activity to do in small groups***
Place each sand pail on top of a towel to catch spills. Give each child a small cup to use for measuring. Fill the cup, from the extra bucket of water, and pour the full cup into one of the sand pails. Continue filling until the sand pail is filled with water. As you fill the sand pail with water, keep a running count of how many cups were dumped in. For younger kids, you might have an adult (or another older child) sit next to him/her and make tally marks for each of the cups filled and dumped. Older students may be able to count aloud and keep track in their head.