Ocean Life Activity Jar and 6 Ocean Activities

Living in Florida, we are lucky enough to visit the beach regularly, and we also have an amazing aquarium where we can learn about the ocean life at and beyond the shoreline. But, even when we can’t, we can still enjoy learning about it in a fun way! These quick to throw together activity jars in various themes have been a huge hit with the kids and make a perfect addition to an ocean themed unit study for homeschoolers! Tuck a jar and a few books in a basket as a gift to inspire learning or for a child who is wild about ocean life.

Ocean Life Activity Jar

Supplies Needed:

1 quart mason jar
Lid and ring
Plastic ocean animals
Water beads
Sea shells

I add a variety of books from our own collection or the library as well.

Ocean Activities

Here are just a few things you can do with your Ocean Life activity jars..

Sensory Bin – Soak water beads overnight, add the ocean life jar contents, and let them use their imaginations to create ocean scenes and happenings. Sensory bins are incredibly fun for toddlers to early elementary kids.

Counting – Learning to count or skip count is more fun when you use themed manipulatives! Count using one to one correspondence or practice skip counting by 2’s or 5’s with your child.

Sorting – Sort creatures into swimmers, bottom crawlers, predators and prey, those able to live in and out of water, or as simply by color for little ones.

Story Starter – Put your hand in the jar, draw out one animal, and tell a story about the creature you hold in your hands. Take turns drawing them out, and weave your stories together.

Still Life – Set out one more ocean creatures along with colored pencils, crayons, paints, or oil pastels and drawing paper. Encourage your child to recreate something they see before them in their art.

Diorama – Create a diorama from a shoe box, scrap paper, and the items in the jar. Make a sample of ocean life that will cover art, science, fine motor skills, and much more. This is the perfect supplement to an ocean unit study.