The salty air, the playful waves, the sand in your toes…the Ocean is our favorite playground. It is full of texture and sensory delights and fascinating animals.
This Ocean Storytime is a little introduction to the amazing world happening under the sea full of texture, songs, read alouds, and lots of extension ideas from the Virtual Book Club for Kids crew.
Ocean Storytime for Preschoolers
Note: Our story times always have the same parts; We start with a hello song. Next, I read 2-3 books about a topic with a rhyme/song and group activity that works on a developmental goal in between each book. We end with a goodbye song and then head to the table. At the table there is an invitation of some sort that works on another one of the developmental skills they are building. These elements are all listed below so you can move them around into whatever order works for you!
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Hello song.
Hi, Hello and How Are You (Watch on YouTube) + Everybody Clap (Watch on YouTube) from Music with Nancy
Books about the Ocean.
A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle
A House for Hermit Crab is a classic and where we started reading more about hermit crabs, but there were others we loved as well. These are the best books on the subject that we had in our home library and borrowed from the library.
Read Also: Best Books about Hermit Crabs
All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon and Katherine Tillotson
Water all over the world. Where it comes from and where it goes. How we use it and how we can protect this dwindling resource. Fantastic non-fiction for little ones.
also read: 20+ Awesome Books for Shark Week
This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
This is a story told from the point of view of a very small fish that steals a hat from a very large fish. He explains to the reader his genius plan to get away with this by out running and hiding from the large fish. The words are brief and perfect for a read aloud, but it is their pairing with delightful illustrations that had us laughing out loud.
I See the Sea by Julia Groves
I SEE THE SEA is deceptively simple. The brief text on each page starts with a repeated “I See” and goes on to describe the beautifully illustrated sea creature on each page. The creative use of cut out eyes that descend through the pages is eye catching and the poetic text is somewhat mesmerizing. At the end there is backmatter that labels each animals and gives more basic information about them. This is a wonderful read aloud for story time or book to share with a child who loves ocean animals
Songs + Rhymes about the Ocean
Slippery Fish learn on YouTube with Jbrary
Please Take Care of the Water from Music with Nancy (watch on YouTube)
Beach Texture Mystery Bag
A mystery bag is a great way to develop their tactile sense or sense of touch when you get back home.
Maria Montessori encouraged the use of The Mystery Bag during the ages 3-6 to develop the stereognosis or the ability to perceive and recognize the form of an object without input from your eyes or ears. In short, the mystery bag forces the child to use their tactile sense to provide clues to their brain about what is inside the bag.
Set Up:
Gather the materials and hide them inside of a cloth bag. You will need a bag you cannot see into and various paired items inside.
You could make any theme or collection of items. I made ours beach themed.
Activity:
Invite your child or children over to help you solve a mystery or present the bag during group time.
Have them reach their hands in and find one object.
Encourage them to explore it with their fingers inside the bag or with their eyes closed. Ask them to describe what they feel. Then have them pull it out and look at the object they have picked.
Next invite them to reach back in and feel for a match.
Continue exploring the items until they are all matched.
Clean Up:
Place the materials on your shelf for further exploration.
Goodbye song.
The Goodbye Train is Leaving. (Watch on YouTube) from Jbrary
Table Invitations about the Ocean.
The Virtual Book Club for Kids only has one more week left for the school year. This week we have collected some amazing ocean themed ideas to extend your reading and learning.
Literacy Activities
Printable Ocean Themed Preliteracy Activities from Artsy Momma
Hermit Crab Inspired Seashell Drawing Prompt from Bambini Travel
Pout Pout Fish Inspired Story Time with Writing Prompt from My Storytime Corner
Math Activities
How Many Bubbles? Counting Game from Clares Little Tots
Sequencing Activities for A House for a Hermit Crab from JDaniel4’s Mom
3 Fish Themed Math Ideas + More Ocean Unit Activities from Bambini Travel
Cooking Activities
DIY Seashell Molds for Homemade Chocolate from Mama Smiles
Sensory Activities
Hermit Crab Sensory Small World from Adventures and Play
Best Water Play Ideas from Bambini Travel
Crayon Texture Drawings from Bambini Travel
The Big Blue Ocean and Ocean Slime Play from My Storytime Corner
Science Activities
Seashell Acid Base Experiment from Teach Beside Me
How do Fish Breath? And Hermit Crab too? Gills Experiment from Preschool Powol Packets
How to Take an Ocean Field Trip from Bambini Travel
More Ocean Activities
Under the Sea Coloring Page from Messy Little Monster
Even More Ocean Themed Units
Moana Inspired Curriculum Ideas from Bambini Travel
Sea Turtle Unit from Bambini Travel
