Kindergarten and Preschool Ocean Activities and Lessons

Meeting Curriculum Outcomes Using Emergent Readers

This video demonstrates how the alphabet and sight word emergent readers can be used to help meet your curriculum outcomes.

How Emergent Readers Help Meet Your Curriculum Outcomes View on YouTube

How Emergent Readers Help Meet Your Curriculum Outcomes View on SchoolTube

Preschool-Kindergarten Printables

Printable Emergent Reader One - "Exploring the Sea with Ollie Octopus"

The alphabet emergent reader "Exploring the Sea with Ollie Octopus" is an informational content reader. The reader would be displayed as a big book, predictable chart or on the smartboard for all the children to view as a shared reading experience.

The songs "Ollie Octopus if Off" and "The Jellyfish Jiggle" from the Kinderplans Alpha Tunes CD could be used after for reinforcing the letter-sounds learned.

Interactive Component - The children would be required to cut and paste matching pictures.

Sample Page from the Reader

Printable Emergent Reader Two - "Whale Watching"

As an introduction and connection to literature you can read the story "Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale" by Marcus Pfister. The reader "Whale Watching" introduces or reviews the letter "Ww" and could be used in conjunction with the alphabet song "Whale Watching" from the Kinderplans Alpha Tunes CD. The children would have fun listening to and identifying all the "w" sounding words in this emergent reader and on the alphabet CD. There are also colored enlarged pictures to make a big book version.

Printable Emergent Reader Three - Jellyfish Jiggles
This reader could be used as a an introduction or review of the letter "Jj" sound. The reader also touches upon the concept of polluting the ocean and how this might create problems for the animals that live there. The interactive component version requires the students to cut and paste the correct picture that matches the text. There is also a version available that does not include the interactie component.

Jellyfish Jiggles Color Sample Version

Jellyfish Jiggles Black and White Version

Printable Emergent Reader Four - Rainbow Fish Retelling

This is a simple retelling of the well-known literacture selection Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister. The letters "Rr and Ff" could be introduced or reviewed in context of this story. The interactive component requires the students to color the fish according to the text. This requires the students to use their knowledge of color word identification.

Rainbow Fish Retelling Color Sample Version

Reader 5 - Funny Fish

The reader "Funny Fish" introduces or reviews the letter "Ff" and its corresponding sound within its story context. The students are required to draw the correct amount of fish according to the text. This requires the students to be engaged in using one-to-one number correspondence and identifying numbers.

Pre-Kindergarten Literacy Centers

Alphabet Letter Ordering and Recognition
I print alphabet letters on bingo chips. Partner players take a turn selecting a bingo chip from a container (eyes closed). They must identify the alphabet letter they selected and place it on the correct letter on the game board.

Exploring Deep Down in the Ocean - Initial Letter Sound Game
The students roll a die, move their game player accordingly and identify the letter that is associated with the picture they land on. They must print the letter associated with that picture.

40 CVC Picture Cards for Individual Game Creation
The 40 CVC picture cards that are provided allow you to create your own games. I have the students draw the word card, read it and place it on the matching picture. I have stronger students print the word associated with the picture.

Rhyming Around the Ocean Floor
Students roll a die and move that many spaces around the game board. They must match the rhyming picture to the one they landed on.

Sight Word Recognition Fishing Game

Print the focus sight word on the fish templates provided, attach paper clips to the templates. Students must fish for their focus sight words.

Word Family Whale Wheel - Word Families "all", "op" "ock" and "ick"

The whale would be copied on card stock and cut. The square window would be cut and the word family printed on the line. The focus word family would be attached with a fastener. The children spin the wheel to make a new word using the same word family.

Pre-Kindergarten Writing

The children would color the mouth of the whale, paint (sponge-paint) the whale template and cut it out. The arms would be cut to hold the writing template. The writing template would be copied (colored paper) and cut. There are two versions available (blank one and complete the sentence version). The children can print what they learned about ocean animals.

New More Writing Template
Fish Writing Template
In the link below you will find a fish shape writing template as displayed in the photograph. You will also find a template for the students to write facts and draw a picture of what they learned about sea animals.

Another Whale Writing Template
In the link below you will find another whale shape book template which also includes lined paper. The shape book is displayed in the photograph.

Kindergarten Common Core Math Activities

This theme addresses the common core outcomes outlined below:

-I can tell if a group has great than, less than or an equal amount K.CC.B.6,
-I can compare two printed numerals between 1-10. K.CC.B.7
-I can write numbers 0-20 and show the correct amount of objects for these numbers K.CC.A.3
-I can count 20 things. K.CC.B.5
-I can add and subtract in different ways. K.0A.A.1
-I can solve addition and subtraction problems up to 10. K.0A.A.2
-I can show sums in different ways. K.0A.A.1
-I can add and subtract up to 10 (using drawings, fingers or manipulatives). K.OA.A.4
-I can name shapes no matter which way they are turned. K.G.A.2
-I know some shapes are 2D and 3D. K.G.A.3

Pre-Kindergarten Ocean Crafts

Jellyfish Template

The jellyfish template was sponge-painted two different colors. Colored crepe paper was added for the tentacles.

Fish Templates

In the theme unit or member's area you will find fish templates that can be used for a variety of crafts. Some suggestions are listed below:

1. They can be enlarged, painted and stuffed

2. They can be dotted with different colors of bingo markers.

3. They can be colored and tissue paper and sequins can be glued on

Shape Fish Craft Shapely Fish

The children paint the fish template (light color). The shapes would be copied on colored paper. The children cut the shapes and glue them accordingly as marked on the template.

More Ocean Animal Crafts

Sea Star Craft

The sea star was painted and cereal added for texture and to promote more fine-motor activity.

Seahorse - Glue Painted

The seahorse was glue painted. White glue was mixed with food coloring. Several layers were applied. This leaves a very shiny and unique look.

New Shark or Whale Craft With Marshmallow Teeth
Trace the templates on colored construction paperm cut and assemble as displayed in the photograph. Copy the mouth on white paper or cardstock and fold in half to make a mouth that opens and closes. The students will pinch the marshmallows to form sharp teeth and glue these on using white glue.

Whale Crafts

Week two of the plans focus more on whales.

Whale with Macaroni Teeth

The mouth opening was colored pink and whale was painted light gray. Macaroni was glued to represent the teeth of the whale.

Checkerboard Whale

The whale template was traced on a checkerboard template (displayed below). After, it was cut and colored as displayed in the photograph below.

Whale Watching Craft

Children can complete a "whale watching scene" as displayed in the photograph below. The children can complete the project using the templates provided on the theme unit.

Preschool and Kindergarten Science

Checkerboard Whale Craft The children would be experimenting with objects that float and those that sink. In the theme unit or member's area you will find pictures of objects that could be tested. As a follow-up the pictures would be sorted accordingly.

Preschool-Kindergarten Songs

The songs "Ollie Octopus if Off" and "The Jellyfish Jiggle" from the Kinderplans Alpha Tunes CD could be used after for reinforcing the letter-sounds learned.

Dot to Dot Fish Using Alphabet Letter A-Z in the Link Below

Connect the Dots Fish

Follow-up Visual Discrimination Activity

The children can cut and correctly organize the words to match the sentences on the dot to dot activity sheets.

Scrambled Word Sentences

Note: All the templates to complete the projects above are found in the Ocean theme book and member's area.

Preschool and Kindergarten Songs

The songs "Whale Watching", "The Jelly Fish Jiggle", "Funny Friendly Fish" and "Ollie Octopus is Off" would be introduced to the children in conjunction to introducing the related alphabet letters. The songs are found on the Alpha Tunes CD.

Activities for the Smart Board

We support technology integration. We have created a series of theme related activities which incoporate the use of Notebook software and the Smart Board. If you wish to preview the activities related to the Ocean theme you can do so by clicking on the link below:

Smart Board Related Activities