Ocean Theme

Letters: Ff, Pp
Number: 8
Colors: blue, teal
Verse: You are the light of the world. Matthew 5:14
Person of Interest: Christopher Columbus

We are diving into oceans and discovering the deep blue and the life below the surface.

Fishing for Sight Words

Materials
foam fish
sharpie
pool of water (or a tub)

Instructions
Using the sharpie write the words you are working on this week onto the foam fish.
Fill the kiddie pool and add the fish.
Your child will:
locate the fish with the word you call out. Repeat until all fish are found.

More or Less Whales

Materials
cheddar whale crackers  (or goldfish)
ice cube tray

Instructions
Place the tray and a bowl of whales in front of your child.
Give your child a "story" such as: If there were 4 whales in the ocean (have her place one whale into each section to make 4) and 2 more joined them (place two more) how many whales were in the ocean?
Subtraction: If you had 6 whales (they should be there from the last story) and 3 swam away (have her eat 3 of the whales) how many are left?

Watercolor Ocean Scene

Materials

water colors
crayons
paper

Instructions
Your child will:
draw ocean creatures using crayons.
use the water colors over the crayon drawings to finish the ocean scene.

SENSORY BOX

Aquarium

Materials
Plastic box
water beads
aquarium figures
small pitcher filled with water
other containers for pouring and filling

Instructions
Place the items into the box.
Allow your child to pour and explore.

INDEPENDENT PRESCHOOL TRAYS

Shark Teeth

My daughter couldn't stop talking about the different sharks or stop asking "are these reeeal shark teeth, mama?" The excitement that bubbled up in her playing with this tray was so contagious.

Materials
shark teeth
magnifying glass
book about sharks

Instructions
Your child will:
read through the provided book.
use the magnifying glass to explore more closely the shark teeth.
make conclusions and observations.

Fish Stamping

Materials
fish stamp (or make your own like I had to out of a sponge, gluing it onto a wood peg doll)
stair step number graph

Instructions
Your child will:
stamp a fish into each box under the numbers.
be able to associate that number to the quantity of stamps made.

Clams and Pearls Count

Materials
clam shells (or regular ones)
pearls (easily purchased at a craft store)
sand
taller tray to limit to spilling of sand

Instructions
Pour the sand into the tray.
Write the numbers you want your child to work on onto the shells, one per shell. I did numbers 1 -10.
Place shells into sand.
Place the pearls in a bowl/basket for the child to use.
Your child will:
place the pearls into each shell according to the number on that shell.

Wave Cutting

Materials
blue paper
sharpie or marker
scissors (I had a regular kids scissors and wavy ones)

Instructions
Using the marker, draw wavey lines onto the blue papers.
Your child will:
use the scissors to cut along the waves.

Ocean Writing

Materials
Two different blue finger paints
white paper
Two different blue markers
Red Marker
Wipes

Instructions
Choose the words you want your child to work on.
Using one of the blues, write the word at the top of the page in upper case letters.
Using the other blue marker, write the same word on the bottom of the page in lower case letters.
Using the red marker, draw dots where each letter starts, to help your child know where to place their finger to start each letter.
Your child will:
choose one of the blue paints (ocean) and trace the upper case word.
take one wipe and clean their finger.
choose the other "ocean" and trace the lower case word.
using the same wipe, clean their finger again.
Repeat for each word.

Ocean Water Transfer

Materials
small jars
blue and green food coloring
baster
towel for spills

Instructions
Fill the jars with water leaving one empty for the transfer.
Add food coloring to each jar of water, I made varied colors of blue.
Your child will:
use the baster to transfer water from jar to jar.


INDEPENDENT TODDLER TRAYS

Ocean Discovery Tray

Materials
blue and green sea glass (available at craft stores)
sea shells (I had clear glass ones for this tray)
ocean animal figures
ladel
small jar with lid
water
oil
food coloring
tray with dividers (mine had 6 with one center one - was a veggie platter I got at the dollar store)
paper anchors (cut from my silhouette machine)- optional

Instructions
Fill the small jar mostly with water.
Add a few drops of blue good coloring.
Add oil.
Close jar very tightly.
Place into a section of the tray.
Place other items, each in their own section of the tray.
Your child will:
explore the items.

Ocean Animal Stringing

Materials
ocean animal beads
pipe cleaner

Instructions
Your child will:
string the beads onto the pipe cleaners.
take them off.

Buried Treasure, X Marks the Spot

Materials
Stickers (LOTS)
white paper
red marker
small bowl

Instructions
On each piece of paper, draw Xs all around.
Your child will:
place the stickers on each X.
place the backs of stickers into the bowl for self clean up.



OTHER - unrelated to ocean but we used this week

Blue Basket
Materials
Anything blue around the house

Instructions
Place items into a basket.
Your child will:
touch, feel, see, smell (?) these items.


Ff Basket

Materials
anything around the house that starts with the letter Ff.

Instructions
Place items into a basket.
Your child will:
touch, feel, see, smell (?) these items.

Cookie Cutter Shape Matching

Materials
cookie cutter shapes
Marker
Construction paper

Instructions
Pre trace the cutters to fit onto the sheet of paper.
Your child will:
match the cutter to the traced one on the paper.



On Our Bookshelf

Mary Manatee by: Suzanne Tate
Whats Under the Ocean by: Janet Craig
Life in the Sea by: Melvin Berger
Baby Beluga by: Raffia Songs to Read
What Seahorse Saw by: Robin Bernard
Strange Sea Creatures by: Gina Ingoglia
Do Dolphins Really Smile by: Laura Driscoll
Hello Ocean by: Pam Munoz Ryan
Pout Pout Fish by: Deborah Dieson
Mister Seahorse by: Eric Carle

I Explore Under the Sea by: Dr. Mile Goldsmith