Ocean Preschool Centers

Description

Set sail on an ocean adventure with our fun-filled ocean animal activities! Dive deep and discover the fascinating creatures that call the big blue home, all while strengthening those early literacy and math skills.

From shimmering coral reefs to playful dolphins, there’s a whole world waiting to be explored! Your little ones will make a splash while learning about the amazing underwater world and its incredible inhabitants.

This set of 12 printable activities offer a range of creative ways for preschoolers to discover and learn about ocean animals and life under the sea. Not only are these activities engaging, but each one focuses on an important early literacy skill and math skills that will keep kids learning as they explore the fascinating life under the sea.

These Ocean Themed Preschool Centers Will Help Preschool Develop These Skills:

• phonological awareness
• phonemic awareness
• letter formation
• phonics

As Well As These Math Skills:

• number sense
• algebra
• geometry
• measurement
• data analysis and probability

Dive into an ocean adventure with this exciting collection of ocean animal activities for preschoolers!

These ocean-themed preschool activities cover a wide range of early learning concepts, making them perfect for a variety of skill levels in your classroom. From playful dolphins to wiggly seahorses, there’s something for everyone to explore!

Here’s What’s Included:

This pack includes 77 pages of printable ocean theme literacy and math activities to use for whole group teaching or to add to your preschool centers. Activities are as follows:

Ocean Literacy Activities

• Sea Anemone Letter Matching (Alphabet Knowledge) – Match the lower case letter on each clown fish letter card to the sea anemone card with the corresponding upper case letter.
• Ocean Animal Word Tracing Words (Letter Formation) – Cut apart the tracing cards and place in a dry erase pouch. Use a dry erase marker to trace over each word.
• What’s Under the Sea Blending Sounds (Phonological Awareness)  – Cut apart the ocean animal sound blending cards and to use with the rhyme. Say the rhyme on the ocean mat, then select an animal to fill in the sound spaces and read the animal card in segments. /sh/ – /ar/ – /k/ Have the preschoolers blend the sounds together to form the word.
• Shells in the Ocean Beginning Sounds (Phonological Awareness) – Cut apart the sea shell cards and place in a pile. Place the letter cards in a separate pile. Draw a letter card and place it on the mat. Add the corresponding beginning sound sea shell cards. (To simplify, place a select group of letters and matching beginning sounds and have your student work with only a few letters and sounds at once, rather than the entire alphabet).
• Ocean Animal Word Building (Phonemic Awareness) – Cut apart the word building cards. Use lettercards to spell out the word on each card.  Alternatively, magnetic letter manipulatives can be used. Find matching letter manipulatives here: Magnetic Letter Manipulatives
• Sea Animal Letter Counting (Phonemic Awareness) – Set out the two sorting mats and cut apart each ocean animal card. Have your preschooler select an ocean animal card and day it’s name. Then, count the number of letters in the animal name and add the card to the corresponding sorting mats.

​Ocean Math Activities

• Tropical Fish Clip Counting Cards (Number Sense) – Count the number of fish on each card then use a clothes pin of paper clip to clip the corresponding number.
• Under the Sea Shape Tracing Mats (Geometry) – Place shape mats in a dry erase pouch and trace over the shape. Then, write the shape name by tracing inside the shape name at the top of the mat.
• Coral Reef Pattern Cards (Algebra)  – Cut apart the pattern cards and the coral cards. Use the coral cards to fill in the pattern cards.
• Sea Shell Size Sorting (Measurement) – Cut apart the sea shell size cards and sort them by size by lining them up below the corresponding barn on the mat.
• Jelly Fish Graphing (Data Analysis) – Choose a jellyfish on the graph and count each of the same jellyfish on the left of the graph. Then, use counters to graph each set of jellyfish.
• Dolphin Addition Cards (Algebra) – Cut apart the addition cards. Use small manipulatives to cover the bubbles coming up from the dolphin, counting the total. Then trace the number answer at the top of the card.

How to Use Ocean Printable Preschool Centers

These preschool activities are not limited to only centers. They can also be used in the following settings:

• printable preschool centers
• small group activities
• table top activities
• sensory table activities
• quick circle time activities
• whole class skills practice
• informal assessments

How to Add This to What You Are Already Teaching

Of course, these thematic activities pair wonderfully with my Daily Lessons in Preschool Literacy and Math Curriculum because they target the same skills. With the thoughtful design of the daily lesson plans included in my curriculum, you will know exactly which arctic centers to pull out during the theme. Together, they make the perfect team for a well-rounded, engaging theme based curriculum.

Are the ocean-themed activities suitable for different skill levels?

Yes, the activities are designed to cater to a range of skill levels, allowing for differentiation in the classroom. This ensures that all preschoolers, regardless of their initial abilities, can participate and benefit from the activities, exploring at their own pace while being gently challenged.

Can these activities be used at home as well as in the classroom?

Absolutely! These printables are perfect for both classroom and home use. Parents can use them as supplementary educational tools to enhance their child’s learning at home, providing opportunities for hands-on engagement in a familiar setting.