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