We all really enjoyed this weeks Aquatic Animals Themed Activities – creating animals with Lego blocks and wooden shapes, fishing magnetic letters, making apple turtles and feeding sharks!
Aquatic Animals Themed Activities
Creative Space
Play dough, stamps, scissors, lacing beads and cards, puzzles and blocks are set out for the children to choose from, and get creative during this 30 minute period.
Aquatic Animals Themed Circle Time
Every day during Circle Time we do the morning routine, which includes the Calendar and ‘Number, Color, Shape and Letter of the week’. We then read a story, sing a few songs and do a group activity.
On every Monday we change the ‘Classroom Helpers’ Classroom Jobs. Each child has a name card on a popsicle stick, and they get to choose their job of the week.
Aquatic Animals Themed Circle Time Activities
Activity 1: Weekend News
Every Monday morning each child gets a chance to talk about their weekend and what they did. The children then draw a picture in the ‘weekend news’ journal, and the teacher writes down what they have said.
Activity 2: Water & Land Animals Sorting Activity
Cut out and laminate all word and picture cards. Stick the headings on the white board or on the wall. Hand out the picture cards to the children and ask them to one-by-one stick the pictures of the animals under the correct headings
Activity 3: Sea Animals Finger Family
Listen to the song on YouTube. Then help the children to draw the sea animals on their fingers using washable markers. Sing the song again, but this time with all the sea animals drawn on the children’s fingers.
Activity 4: Sea Animals Yoga
Activity 5: Hermit Crabs
After reading A House for Hermit Crab, by Eric Carle, watch this amazing video of hermit crabs lining up in order from biggest to smallest to exchange shells. Then ask the children to line up from tallest to shortest.
Aquatic Animals Themed Songs
Eighteen action songs and rhymes all about Aquatic Animals to get those bodies moving and grooving. Click on the image to head over to the post.
Aquatic Animals Themed Books
Twenty-two of the best story picture books that are perfect for a theme all about Aquatic Animals. Click on the image below to read what these books are about.
Aquatic Animals Themed Literacy Activities
Rainbow Fish Extension Activities
Page 1: ‘I Can Share’ Class Book Extension Activity
What You Need:
- Rainbow Fish Activity Sheets
- Coloring pencils/ markers/ crayons
How to use this resource:
After reading the story, discuss how the Rainbow Fish felt before and after sharing. Ask the children whether they like to share their toys. Why/ why not? When everyone had a turn, hand out the Rainbow Fish I Can Share activity sheet and ask the children to color the fish. As the children color, the teacher walks around and asks each child what they like to share and how it makes them feel. The teacher then writes the words and ask the children to trace it.
Page 2: The Rainbow Fish Story Map Extension Activity
What You Need:
- Story Map Activity Sheets
- Coloring pencils/ markers/ crayons
How to use this resource:
To lighten things up a bit, we also watch the read-aloud of the story here. After watching it we talk about where this story took place and which sea animals spoke. I explain to the children that we call this the ‘setting’ and the ‘characters’ and I ask them to name all the characters. We then talk about the problem and how the Rainbow Fish found a solution.
The children then draw pictures of the characters and the setting (the ocean). When they are done, the teacher writes the problem on the board (no friends) as well as the solution (sharing) and the kids copy these words onto their activity sheets.
page 3: The Rainbow Fish Positions In Space
What you need:
- Rainbow Fish Positions Activity Sheets
- Coloring Pencils/ Markers/ Crayons
How to use this resource:
Ask volunteers to demonstrate sitting on top of, under, behind, in front of and next to a chair. When it seems like most children got the concept, hand out the activity sheets and ask them to draw the Rainbow Fish above, on top of, next to, behind and under the starfish.
Page 4: The Rainbow Fish Coloring Activity
What you need:
- Rainbow Fish Coloring Activity Sheets
- Coloring pencils/ markers/ crayons
How to use this resource:
Review color words and the sounds they begin with. For example ‘R, r, red, G, g, green’. Hand out the activity sheets and ask the children to find all the words that begin with /g/. remind them that green begins with /g/. Then ask them to color all the scales with the word green in it green.
Center 1: Roll, Say & Cover/ Color
The game can be played in small groups or individually. The first child throws the dice, sees which beginning sound corresponds with the number the dice landed on and cover or color the animal which begins with the sound. Each child gets a turn to throw the dice. The winner is the one who can cover or color all the pictures first.
Center 2: Letter Fishing
In this fun activity, children use a fishing net to ‘fish’ all the beginning sounds of the aquatic animals. Print and laminate the 4 colorful sheets, throw a bunch of magnetic or foam letters in a container with water, and start fishing! The children will also place each letter on the correct picture on the ‘Beginning Sound Fishing’ sheet.
Aquatic Animals Themed Math Activities
Center 1: Feed the Shark!
Laminate, cut out and paste the shark face onto an old shoe box. Cut a hole into the box for the shark’s mouth. Laminate the 20 ‘feed the shark’ cards.
Hold the cards out to the children and let them each choose a card. They look at the number on their card and ‘feed’ the shark the same amount of plastic counters. When everyone has had a turn, shuffle the cards and hand them out. Whoever has the card with number 1 on it, puts it down first. Then whoever has the card with number 2 on it, puts it on top of number 1. Continue until card number 20.
Center 2: Jellyfish Counting
Print out, laminate and punch holes in the white circles provided using a whole punch. Hang the jellyfish somewhere. Children use Pipe Cleaners to hook into the wholes the same amount of tentacles as shown on each card.
Center 3: Pattern Block Mats
Children use shape manipulatives to ‘build’ the animals, then count and record the number of shapes they used.
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Aquatic Animals Themed Art
Click on the image to pop over to playtolearnpreschool.us to get instructions on how to complete this Ocean Process Art Project.
Aquatic Animals Themed Science
Activity 1: Ocean in a Bottle
We did not have enough time this week to try out this awesome activity, but you can head over to alittlepinchofperfect.com for detailed instructions on how to make your very own ocean in a cup 🙂
Activity 2: Ocean Currents
For another fun ocean themed Science experiment click on the image to go over to lifeovercs.com to learn all about ocean currents.
STEM: Building Sea Animals with blocks
I got the fantastic idea for this activity over at littlebinsforlittlehands.com. Click on the image to head over to their blog for the free printable cards and full instructions.
Aquatic Animals Themed Snack Idea
I found the idea for this healthy sea turtle snack at craftymornings.com. You will need apples, green grapes and goldfish crackers. Put these all together as seen in the picture, and enjoy!
Click on the images below to download the Aquatic Animals Themed Math & Literacy Centers, Printables and Activities.
