More Deep Blue Sea Curriculum Ideas

Make a beach scene
Need: Baby food jar w/ lid, sand, pebbles, and shells

Directions: A fun way to make a beach scene is to fill a baby food jar with sand.
Arrange pebbles, shells, and put a lid on it. The lid can be sprayed gold. Pasta shells can be used to represent real shells.

Beach art activity
Need: Plaster of Paris, sand, shells, Styrofoam bowl, and a drink umbrella

Directions: Take plaster of Paris and add sand and put it into a Styrofoam bowl.
Then had the children put shells on the top before it set and add a paper umbrella (the kind in drinks). It looks just like the beach on some exotic island.

Sea Shell Candles
Need: Half-pint size milk cartons (rinsed out and dried), Paraffin wax melted over a double boiler at low temp. (One pound will fill approx. 4-1/2 pint size cartons), Grease or no- stick cooking spray, Small sea shell, Ice cubes, Small birthday candles

Directions: Open the to of the milk cartons to form rectangular boxes. Grease or spray inside of cartons. Fill the cartons with the following five layers: shells, ice, shells, ice, and shells. Place a birthday candle in the center of the carton with wick exposed (shells and ice will hold it in place) Slowly pour melted parafwax into each carton until the wax is approx. 1/8 inch from the exposed wick. Allow to cool completely, even overnight. Tear away carton. (NOTE there will be water spillage due to trapped water in the carton, so complete this step over a sink or outside) Display the candles.

Ocean Hear and Draw
Need: Ocean tape, crayons, paper

Directions: Play a recording of a nature (ocean tape). How does it make you feel?
What sounds do you hear? Give the children crayons to color with as they listen.

Cool Breeze fans
Need: Paper plates, markers or crayons, popsicle stick, glue

Directions: Using the centers that you cut from the paper plates, cut the circle in half
to make a straight edge. Have kids decorate and glue to a popsicle stick.

Sand Castles
Need: 1 cup cornstarch, 2 cups fine sand, 1 1/2 cups cold water

Directions: Make Sand Castles the children can take home with Sand Dough. Mix in an old pan. Stir 5 - 10 minutes over medium heat until thick. Cool, then store in a plastic bag or container until ready to use. This should yield enough for 4 -6 children.  Give each child a small amount of the sand dough on a paper plate and an assortment of small shells, stones,beads, straws, anything to decorate their castle. These will dry hard is left to set for a few days.

Sand Shakes
Need: Construction paper, glue, sand

Directions: You can use this art project to reinforce lessons in writing letters or numbers. Help each child drip glue on paper to make letters, numbers, or a design; sprinkle sand over paper and shake off excess.

Shell Monsters
Need: Shells, glue, tempera paint, paint brushes, newspaper 
Directions: Spread the newspaper out on a table. Glue shells together to form monsters or other creatures. Let glue dry then paint creatures.

Beach Scene
Need: Rock salt, alcohol, food coloring

Directions: Color rock salt by soaking in alcohol and food coloring. I made blue, green,
and brown. Children make a collage using blue or green for the ocean, brown
for the sand and some uncolored rock salt for shells. My class loved doing
this because the rock salt looks like gemstones.

Sand Art
Need: Paint, sand, paper

Directions: Mix sand and paint together. Pour mixture onto a piece of paper. Have the children spread the sand around with their hands. Glue on a crab or other beach creature to make it look like a real beach.

Permanent Sand Castle
Need: sand, water, paper plate, flour, sugar, stove, pot, spoon

Directions: Combine 6 cups of sand w/ 1 cup of wheat paste (recipe below). Add water until the mixture feels slightly sticky and packs firmly into shapes. Put the shape onto a paper plate and allow to dry over-night. 

Wheat paste recipe 
Combine 1/3 cup of flour and 2 tbsp. sugar in a saucepan. Slowly pour 1 cup of water and mix well. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Makes 1 cup as needed above.

Seashell Wind Chime
Need: Yarn, cardboard tube, a dowel, or a piece of driftwood, shells, glue

Directions: Tie several pieces of brightly colored yarn around a cardboard tube, a
dowel, or a piece of driftwood, leaving one inch of space between each string. Tie three or four seashells on each string, positioning them so they will hit each other when they are blown in the wind. Glue the shells in place. Attach a string hanger to the tube and hang it outside where it will blow in the wind.

Underwater Scene
Need: paper plate, paper, blue wrap

Directions: Have children decorate a paper plate with underwater scene--cut-out paper fish, painted fish on plate, whatever they like. Cover the plate with the blue wrap (like Saran Wrap).

Leis
Need: paper, drinking straws, and yarn

Directions: Make flower leis by cutting flowers from construction paper in red, orange, yellow and green. Poke a hole in the middle of the flowers. Cut the straws into couple inch pieces. Now string them on yarn. Alternate a flower then a piece of a straw.

Surfboard
Need: paper, crayons or markers, scissors

Directions: Cut surfboard shapes out of cardboard and decorated them with markers.

Hula Skirt
Need: Green tissue paper, yarn, stapler

Directions: For a hula skirt, layer 3-4 sheets of green tissue paper and cut it into strips up to about 1.5 in. from the top. Fold that "margin" over a piece of yarn and staple it all around the skirt. The skirt is then tied around the child's waist.

Seashell Necklace
Need: Paper, shell clip art, crayons/markers, hole punch, yarn, oak tag

Directions: Reproduce 5 different types of seashells on paper. They could be a
starfish, scallop, sand dollar, etc... Make them about 2 1/2 inches wide. Color them and cut them out. Glue them to oak tag. Take a hole punch and at the top of the shell, punch 2 holes about 1" apart. Take some yarn and string through one hole and then through the other. Push the shells close together on the yarn and tie in the back.

Sand Bottles
Need: Soda bottles, funnel, sand, water, blue food coloring, shell pieces, wood, plastic jewels, hot glue (adult only)

Directions: Save some soda bottles and the lids. Using a funnel, fill bottle about 1/3 full of sand. Add water and a few drops of blue food coloring. Add your broken
shells, pieces of wood and maybe even some plastic jewelry treasure. Hot glue the lid on the bottle and let the kids shake them up and let them settle.

Paper Weight
Need: Jar lid, Glue, sand, shells

Directions: You will need deep lids like off of jars and glue. Put a layer of sand on inside bottom of lid. Arrange shells and such on top of sand. Pour glue on top of
everything. Let dry. Glue will turn clear when dry. When it is finished you will have a lovely paperweight.

Ocean In a Bottle
Need:   Bottles (peanut butter jars, baby food jars, etc.), Sand, Sea Creatures, Rocks Water

Directions: Let your children put sand and small rocks in a bottle. Then have them add small plastic sea creatures and grass (seaweed) Finally have them add water and salt. This makes a cute and fun "Ocean In A Bottle." Note: Super glue the lids shut so your children can not open them
Idea: Add sand to your paint (it adds great textures).

Ocean Animal Stain Glass
Need: Contact Paper or Waxed Paper, Tissue Paper or Construction Paper, Googly Eyes, Yarn

Directions:  Give the kids the contact paper (or glue and wax paper) cut out as a sea creature. Then Let your kids make their own stain glass creature. After they have dried hang them in the window to make a beautiful stained glass look..

3D Sea Creatures
Need:  Poster Boar, Tissue Paper, Googly Eyes, Yarn, Paint, Glitter, Cotton Balls or Cutup Paper

Directions:  Give each child a cutout of some creature. Let them decorate the creature however they want (hint: for cool gills use glue and sprinkle glue on it). Then connect the two halves, stuffing them with the cotton balls. Makes a great 3D fish.

Finger Paint Sea Creatures
Need:  Contact Paper, Tissue Paper, Googly Eyes, Yarn, Glitter, Finger Paint, Sponge (For Sponge Paints)

Directions:  Cut out the construction paper in the shape of a creature and give all of your kids a cutout. Let them use all of the above materials to create their own creatures. Idea: Cheerios make a great suction cup look on starfish.

Wax Paper Sea
Need:  Wax Paper, Construction Paper, Paint

Directions:  Have your children paint their wax paper like the sea (blue and green paint). Then have them cut out different sea creature's shapes from the paper and stick them on the wax paper (the creatures will stick to the paint as it dries).

Paper Plate Aquarium
Need:  Tissue Paper, Googly Eyes, Yarn, Paint, Glitter, Paper Plates or Clean Meat Trays, Plastic Wrap

Directions:  Give the kids a paper plate (or meat tray) and have them create an aquarium scene on the top side of the plate. Then over that plate tape a second plate (or meat tray) that you have cut out a hole at the top (can cover with Plastic wrap). This makes it look like your looking into an aquarium.

Bubble Sea Creatures
Need:  Bubbles, Paper

Directions:  Have your children cut out a sea creature shape from paper. Then give them bubbles colored several different colors (food coloring works but can stain clothes). Have them blow these bubbles onto their creature cutouts. This creates really neat designs. Idea: To make shiny crabs (or other creatures) add cornstarch to your paint.

Rainbow Fish
(After reading: Rainbow Fish Book)

Need:  Poster Board or Construction Paper, Tissue Paper, Googly Eyes, Aluminum Foil (For Shiny Gills), Paint, Glitter, Cotton Balls or Cut-Up Paper, Glue

Directions:  First Read the Book and then let your kids design their own rainbow fish. Idea: Let your children paint with rubber worms attached to fishing line!

Under The Sea
Need:  Paper, Glue, Sand, Saran Wrap

Directions:  Have you children create a sea scene by spreading glue on the bottom of the paper and sprinkling sand on it. Next, they can cut out different sea creatures and attach them to the paper. Finally, cover the paper with blue Saran Wrap to make it look like it is under water. Idea: sponge painting sea creatures creates a neat ocean look.

Sea Urchin
Need:  Play Dough (Make your own in the recipes section), Tooth Picks, Paint or color the play dough

Directions:  Talk about Sea Urchins and show your kids pictures of sea urchins, Then let them create their own sea urchins using the above materials.

Idea: Have children use crushed Cornflakes or cornmeal to paint on starfish to make a realistic feel

Shaken Confetti Fish
Need:  Paper, Glue

Directions:  Have all of your children rip up small pieces of paper and put them in a garbage bag. Then have then cut out a sea animal shape. Next, have them cover the shape with glue. Finally, they can put the animal (with glue still wet) in the garbage bag and shake it. The confetti will stick to the glue. Idea: Painting with bubble wrap makes great suckers on starfish.

Paper Plate Fishbowl
Need:  Tissue Paper, Googly Eyes, Yarn, Paint, Glitter, Paper Plates, Plastic Wrap

Directions:  Cut off the top of a paper plate to make it look like a fishbowl. Have them create an aquarium scene on the bottom of the plate. Then have them cut out fish shapes and attach to the bowl.  Idea: Make a paper mache sea creature

Decorative Shells
Need:  Large Pasta Shells, Paint

Directions:  Give your children large pasta shells (the bigger the better) then have them paint them any way that they want. Explain to your children that no two shells are the same just like their shell creations are all different.  Idea: While your children's sea paintings are drying sprinkle salt on them. When it dries it will create neat patterns in the paint.

Hand Octopus
Need:  Paper, Googly Eyes, Finger Paints

Directions:  Let the kids put finger paint all over their hands (in any combination that they wish) then have them put a hand print on the paper. Next have them put another hand print overlapping the last but pointing in the opposite direction. The base of the hand creates the body of the octopus. The fingers make the tentacles.  Idea: Have your children paint with seashells, dry seaweed, dry kelp, dry starfish, etc.

Sandpaper Creatures
Need:  Paper, Sand Paper, Googly Eyes, Crayons, Iron

Directions:  Cut out the sand paper creatures in the shape of various sea creatures. Let the kids color the sea creatures (The more times they go over an area or harder they press the better). Then put the sand paper face first on another piece of paper. Go over the paper with a warm Iron. This will create a neat picture on the paper.

Paper Plate Jellyfish
Need:  Paper Plates, Tissue paper

Directions:  Cut paper plate in half and cover plate with glue (colored a color of a jellyfish). Add googly eyes and strips of tissue paper (same color as glue) for tentacles.

Paper Bag Fish
Need:  Paper Lunch Bag, Paint, Tape, Yarn

Directions:  Give each of your children a paper lunch bag, Have them paint the bottom third of the bag. Next fold the bottom of the bag to form a point (tape it). Tie the open ends of the bag together and with yarn. Now your children can add a fish face and you have a cute fist.

Ocean Pictures
Need: Gold fish crackers, gummy sharks, tissue papers, blue construction paper, Glue, water

Directions: First, ask the students draw as many sea animals they can think on a construction paper. Second, cut tissue paper in stripes as seaweed and use glue water to glue them on the paper. Third, use gold fish crackers, gummy sharks to decorate the picture.

Ocean Hear and Draw
Need: Ocean sound tape, crayons, and paper

Directions: Play a recording of a nature (ocean tape). How does it make you feel? What sounds do you hear? Give the children crayons to color with as they listen.

Sand Castles
Need: Sand Dough, 1 cup cornstarch, 2 cups fine sand, 1 1/2 cups cold water

Directions: Mix in an old pan. Stir 5 - 10 minutes over medium heat until thick. Cool, then store in a plastic bag or container until ready to use. This should yield enough for 4 -6 children. Make Sand Castles the children can take home with Sand 
Dough. Give each child a small amount of the sand dough on a paper plate and an assortment of small shells, stones, beads, straws, anything to decorate their castle. These will dry hard is left to set for a few days.

Shell Monsters
Need: Shells, glue, tempera paint, paint brushes, newspaper

Directions: Spread the newspaper out on a table. Glue shells together to form monsters or other creatures. Let glue dry then paint creatures.

Sand art
Need: Construction paper, paint, glue, sand

Directions: Cut a fish shape out of construction paper (different shades of green) and the children painted designs on them with white glue. They then poured colored sand on the glue where they wanted a specific color, one color at a time, so I could reuse the excess. I hung them all on the bulletin board (all 57) and it looked like a "school" of fish. I put the sand in paper cups a little at a time to avoid waste and it was easier for the children to handle.