Preschool Starfish Activities for an Ocean Theme

For DIY flash cards, sight words, and getting started with a preschool ocean theme lesson plan, please visit Ocean Theme

After exploring crabs, dolphins, fish, and sharks at the start of our ocean month, we moved onto starfish! 

I always like to start with an info sheet. Print out your own by clicking on the picture below. I usually print on card stock and then laminate it with contact paper so that it can be kept around all month without getting damaged. 

Recommended library books:

Starfish / Hurd, Edith Thacher

Starfish / Trueit, Trudi Strain

Wow! Ocean! / Neubecker, Robert

Starfish Songs

Sticky, Sticky Starfish 

(sung to Twinkle Twinkle)

Sticky, sticky little starfish,
How I wonder what you are,
Beneath the sea so cool and blue
Can you see me as I see you?
Sticky, sticky little starfish
Beneath the sea so cool and blue

My Starfish Song

(sung to Mary had a Little Lamb)

I'm a little brown starfish,

Brown starfish, brown starfish

I'm a little brown starfish

Who lives under the sea     

    

Sandpaper Starfish

What you will need:

1-2 sheets of sandpaper

crayons

glue

black paper

glitter glue

First, cut out some star shapes from your sandpaper sheet(s). Next, have you or your child  glue them on to a black piece of construction (or any other black paper). Set aside to dry. Let your child color the stars with crayons and ask them how the texture of the sandpaper feels. Finish off with some glitter glue! (I like to put the glue in a pallet and let Lucy paint it on with a paintbrush.) 

Starfish Necklace

What you will need:

Assorted color star pony beads

String (I like to use old shoelaces so it's a little easier for her to thread)

Starfish template

Glue

coloring materials (crayons, paint, whatever you feel like!) 

Print and cut out the starfish template and let your child color it. Tie a knot at one end of the string so the beads dont fall off of course. Leave a good 2 inches so you have something to tie the necklace together with at the end. Have your child work at stringing the beads, talking about colors and the shape while they do it. When they have strung about half way, fold the colored paper starfish over the string and glue the front to the back, also making sure to glue the string in with it so it cant move around. Have the finish beading on the other side, tie it off, leaving room once again and they'll have their very own starfish necklace! Awesome craft for fine motor skills! 

Online starfish resources: 

Ocean Theme

Nat Geo Kids Starfish

Sunflower Starfish 

Tide pool song

Starfish game

More starfish info and activities

Shark Crafts and Activities for a Preschool Ocean Theme

For DIY flash cards, sight words, and getting started with a preschool ocean theme lesson plan, please visit Ocean Theme

After exploring crabs, dolphins and fish at the start of our ocean month, we moved onto sharks! 

I always like to start with an info sheet. Print out your own by clicking on the picture. I usually print on card stock and then laminate it with contact paper so that it can be kept around all month without getting damaged. 

Counting Shark Teeth

A creative little counting activity! (click photo to dl and print)

Printing tips: Print on card stock and laminate each shark tooth with contact paper for long lasting counting fun!

Recommended books: 

                                                Sharks / Weber, Valerie

Wow! Ocean! / Neubecker, Robert

Yummy! Yummy! Food for my Tummy! / Lloyd, Sam

Smiley Shark / Galloway, Ruth

Shark Songs

Baby Shark
Baby Shark do-do-do-do-do-do

Baby Shark do-do-do-do-do-do

Baby Shark do-do-do-do-do-do

Baby Shark!

Mama Shark do-do-do-do-do-do

Mama Shark do-do-do-do-do-do

Mama Shark do-do-do-do-do-do

Mama Shark!

Daddy Shark do-do-do-do-do-do

Daddy Shark do-do-do-do-do-do

Daddy Shark do-do-do-do-do-do

Daddy Shark!

Grandma Shark do-do-do-do-do-do

Grandma Shark do-do-do-do-do-do

Grandma Shark do-do-do-do-do-do

Grandma Shark!

Grandpa Shark do-do-do-do-do-do

Grandpa Shark do-do-do-do-do-do

Grandpa Shark do-do-do-do-do-do

Grandpa Shark!

People Swimming do-do-do-do-do-do

People Swimming do-do-do-do-do-do

People Swimming do-do-do-do-do-do

People swimming!

Saw a shark do-do-do-do-do-do

Saw a shark do-do-do-do-do-do

Saw a shark do-do-do-do-do-do

Saw a shark!

Swimming Faster do-do-do-do-do-do

Swimming Faster do-do-do-do-do-do

Swimming Faster do-do-do-do-do-do

Swimming Faster!

Shark Attack do-do-do-do-do-do

Shark Attack do-do-do-do-do-do

Shark Attack do-do-do-do-do-do

Shark Attack!

Swim Away do-do-do-do-do-do

Swim Away do-do-do-do-do-do

Swim Away do-do-do-do-do-do

Swim Away!

Safe at last do-do-do-do-do-do

Safe at last do-do-do-do-do-do

Safe at last do-do-do-do-do-do

Safe at last!

Teasing Mr. Shark


Five little fishes (hold up five fingers) swimming in the sea (one hand to be fish swimming side to side) teasing Mr. shark (hands by head, thumbs in ears, wiggle back and forth) "can't catch me" (shake index finger) along came Mr. shark (two hands together prayer style swimming back and forth) quiet as can be, (hold index finger to lips) snap, snap, snap (clap hands together like a shark's mouth) now there's four little fishes swimming in the sea (hold up four fingers)

count down one fish at a time and then at the end of one little fishie swimming in the sea, instead of no more fishes you sing... "now Mr. shark said I'm full" (rubbing tummy)


Shark Sounds Song

Sing to the tune of "Wheels on the Bus", a song about shark sounds. Make up lines such as:The mouth on the shark goes snap, snap, snap, (kids snap fingers).The teeth on the shark go clap, clap, clap, (hold palms together and clap hands sharply).The tail on the shark goes whoosh, whoosh, whoosh (press hands together and wiggle hands to move forward).The people in the water shout, shark, shark, shark (form hands around mouth to shout).

Paper Plate Shark Mask

What you will need:

Paper plate

Yarn/string

Hole puncher

Scissors

Paint (we used water colors)

Template

To start, DL and print the shark mask template from the link. Use this to trace and cut out the shape from a paper plate. Let your child paint their mask, and after its dry you can use your hole punch and string to them tie it onto them! Lots of pretend play fun :) 

Online Resources:

Funny Shark Song Video

Ocean Theme

Great White Shark

Great White Shark Pictures and Information (NAT GEO Kids)

Shark Memory Game

Flipper Frenzy (An inexpensive educational game by Smart Step)

Top 10 Shark Facts for Kids

Fish Crafts and Activities for an Ocean Theme - Preschool

For DIY flash cards, sight words, and getting started with a preschool ocean theme lesson plan, please visit Ocean Theme

After exploring crabs and dolphins at the start of our ocean month, we moved onto fish! 

Click to download and print this fish info sheet as an introduction to your child. for best results, 

print on card stock and then laminate with contact paper so you can keep it around all month without too much wear and tear. Show the info sheet to your child and then ask them questions about what you've just read. ex- "Where do fish swim?"

You can also have your child pretend to be a fish by making fishy faces :)

Recommended books:

Puffer fish / Rake, Jody Sullivan 

Clown fish / Lindeen, Carol

Fish is Fish / Lionni, Leo

The Fish Book / Angelfish, Christopher

In the Swim / Florian, Douglas

Fish Count and Sort/Match

What you will need:

Contact paper

scrap booking paper

scissors

glue stick

Numbers

First, fold your first piece of scrap booking paper in half so that the white of the paper is showing and the pattern/color is on the inside. Take a pencil and draw a simple fish shape. Fold your other colored papers the same way and put two or three more under the first and cut out the fish. This will limit the amount of cutting by giving you more fish with one cut. Repeat until you used all your paper and have 10 pairs of fish. Cut out all the numbers from the printout above and tack one to each fish using your glue stick. I also took a marker and drew a little eye on each fish. For lasting use, laminate them with contact paper. You can make so many games out of these!

Fish Songs

I'm a Fish

Sung to: "Little Teapot"

I'm a little fishy, I can swim
Here is my tail, here is my fin.
When I want to have fun with my friends,
I wiggle my tail and dive right in!

Fish Are Swimming

Sung to: "Frere Jacques"

Fish are swimming, fish are swimming,

In the sea, in the sea,

A-splishing and a-splashing,

A-splishing and a-splashing,

Look and see, look and see.

CD Fish

What you will need:

CD

white glue

foam craft sheet

multi colored sequins

googly eye

hot glue

I fist cut some foam shapes out of the foam and hot glued them to the underneath of the disc. You can use construction paper if you dont want to use the foam, I just had scraps around and thought it would be great for this. After that was set, I handed it over to Lucy and gave her a paint brush to paint on a layer of white glue. She then got to sprinkle all the sequins (scales) on as well as the googly eye! 

Perler Bead Fish

What you will need:

Perler bead kit with fish template

Iron

Parchment paper 

I can remember doing these when I was in school and loved them so much! So, when I saw the kits at  the craft store I decided it was going o be one of Lucy's birthday presents regardless of what the age said on the box lol. This activity is not for small children as there are very small parts that are a choking hazard. Unless you are confident in your child's understanding of not putting non food items in their mouths, do not attempt this activity. Even if you are confident, this requires your full supervision. I would most recommend this to a parent or caregiver who wants to try something new with their children and who wont mind dong a lot of the work with them :)

Lucy did pretty well at this! She was able to handle the little perler beads very well and place them on the template until she started to fill it up more and it got harder to put them into the very small spaces which is where I came in to help her finish it. Piece of parchment over the top, iron gently until the beads have melted together, without burning the paper and voila! Our kit also came with a dolphin and an octopus template. Perfect for our ocean theme!

Ocean Bottle

What you will need:

Water bottle

Hot glue

small fish toys

blue food coloring

cooking oil

water 

Fill an empty bottle about 1/2 way with water and add a couple drops of blue food coloring. Next you can add glitter, sequins, small shells or small fish toys. Fill the remainder of the bottle with cooking oil and hot glue the cap on nice and tight! I also like to use duct tape around the base of the cap, just to make sure :) 

Online resources: 

Ocean

Ocean Song

Fish counting game

Field trip ideas