Oceans of Fun in Preschool

This collection of ocean activities from The Adventures of Bear incorporates everything from sensorial and math work, to science and literacy exercises. If you're looking to create a fun ocean unit or just introduce a bit of "summer" to the classroom with ocean themed activities, be sure to check out the full post - there's a little something for everyone! Here are two of our favorite exercises.

Sea Shell Matching. What we love about this activity is that it is not what you would consider a 'traditional' matching game {i.e. students find and group two of the same type of sea shell}. To add a bit of a challenge, sea shells were traced onto white index cards, with the index cards set out alongside the actual shells. Students were invited to use their visual discrimination skills to match each shell to it's outline. [Extension: Create sea shell silhouettes to add a third matching component.]

Ocean Animals Counting Book. While the original exercise was in french, it can be adapted to fit any language. We love the idea of an ocean counting book where students can practice identifying number sight words, recognizing new vocabulary words, and counting skills. Simply purchase several sets of ocean themed stickers {or create your own using clip art found online or through your word processing software} and create a small 'interactive emergent reader' like the example above or the booklet at The Adventures of Bear. Then have your kiddos use the sticker animals/characters to complete each page.