ocean science experiments preschool

Ocean Science Experiments

Exploring and learning about the ocean is a great way to get kids interested in science.

Engaging and hands-on ocean science experiments can be an effective way to introduce preschoolers to the world of ocean science.

With the right supplies, guidance, and some creativity, these little ones can have fun while learning more about this amazing environment.

Here are some enjoyable ocean science experiments perfect for preschoolers that will help them explore and discover more about our oceans!

How do I know if an experiment is age appropriate for preschoolers?

When selecting an ocean science experiment for preschoolers, it’s important to choose one that is age appropriate and closely supervised.

Make sure the experiment includes minimal steps and does not involve any dangerous materials or chemicals.

Additionally, make sure you provide enough guidance so your little ones can understand the concept behind the experiment and be able to thoroughly enjoy and learn from it.

Doing simple science experiments with preschoolers can be a great way to introduce them to the fascinating world of ocean science.

With some guidance and the right supplies, these little ones can explore the wonders of our oceans in an enjoyable and educational manner.

From observing sea creatures up close to exploring how waves work, there are plenty of fun activities that will help young minds better understand this amazing environment.

Ocean in a Bottle

Let your kids explore the layers of the ocean in this fun ocean-in-a-bottle experiment.

Ocean Currents Science Experiment

Explore ocean currents and how they work in this fun, hands-on science activity.

Amazing Ocean Science Experiments

Learn about the water pressure on the ocean depths in this unique experiment idea.

Tide Pool Science Experiment for Kids

Let your kids explore and experiment while learning all about tidal pools.

Beach Erosion Project

This interactive science experiment teaches how water erosion works on the beach.

Try a Sink or Float Water Sensory Bin This Summer

Find out what sinks and what floats in this interactive water science experiment.

Ocean Science for Kids – Easy Ocean Life Experiment Kids Love

Teach kids about ocean life and ocean density in this fun science experiment.

Oil Spill Cleanup Experiment

Learn about how difficult it is to clean up an oil spill in this fun cleanup experiment for kids.

How Do Fish Breathe Underwater?

Learn all about how fish breathe and explore how they do it in this fun science experiment.

Water Pollution Experiment

Learn all about how the impact of pH can change in water on plants.

Ocean-Themed Skittles Candy Science Experiment for Summer

Your kids will love this ocean-themed science experiment using Skittles as fish!

Ocean science for kids: Salt water and waves

Learn about salt water and waves in this fun ocean science activity for kids.

Salt Water Experiment

This easy salt water experiment will teach kids about the density of salt versus fresh water.

Make Your Own Ocean Zones in a Jar

Can you name all the ocean zones? This jar activity with your kids will help them learn and understand the different levels of the ocean.

Frozen Ocean Activities for Preschoolers – Ocean Science Experiments

This ocean sensory activity will have your kids working on fine motor skills too, as they learn about frozen water.

Seashell Acid Base Experiment

Watch your kids dissolve a seashell in this fun and awesome acid-base experiment.

Diving Fish Cartesian Diver Experiment

Teach your kids about how fish rise and sink in the water with this classic science experiment.

Ocean Pollution Clean Up Science Activity

Help children learn the importance of ocean pollution in this fun clean-up sensory activity.

Why Doesn’t An Octopus Have Bones? Octopus Science Experiment

Learn about why octopus doesn’t have bones and more in this science experiment!

< Underwater Volcano Science Experiment for Kids

Let your kids learn about underwater volcanos in this fun and interactive science experiment.

Overall, ocean science experiments are a great way to introduce preschoolers to the fascinating world of ocean science.

With some guidance and minimal supplies, little ones can explore our oceans in an enjoyable and educational manner.

From learning about sea creatures up close to exploring how waves work, there are plenty of fun activities that will help young minds better understand this amazing environment while having loads of fun!

Tara is the brains behind Homeschool Preschool, where her journey from preschool and public school teacher to homeschooling mom of three fuels her passion for early childhood education. With a blend of expertise and firsthand experience, Tara’s writings offer practical tips and engaging resources to support families in creating meaningful learning adventures at home.

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25 Best Ocean Activities, Experiments and Crafts

Whether planning a visit to the beach or setting up an under-the-sea theme in the classroom, these ocean activities are the perfect opportunity to teach kids about the ocean, including sea animals, with hands-on play! Fun ocean science experiments and ocean crafts to learn, discover, and explore one of the best places on Earth: the beach!

Explore Ocean Theme For Summer Science

Every summer we have the chance to visit the ocean for a couple of weeks. What a wonderful time it is exploring the beaches and the tidal pools. Each year we explore a bit more and learn a bit more.

NOTE: You can do all of the activities below even if you DO NOT live by the ocean or even plan to visit one. These ocean activities are a MUST TRY for anyone who loves the ocean and ocean animals.

Our ocean activities, including ocean science topics, are inspired by our time in the ocean. These ocean activities and ocean crafts for elementary are an opportunity to build simple skills, make observations, and discover changes happening in the ocean. I can’t wait to see what this summer will bring! Explore more summer science here!

There are so many ocean activities to explore!  Check out all our fun ideas below for easy ocean play and learning!

Ocean theme activities also pair well with our Earth Day activities ! Teach kids how to care for our Earth, which includes the oceans and amazing sea animals!

We have many free printable ocean worksheets and activities . Check out the various science and art projects you can download for free today. You’ll also find color-by-number, pattern blocks, and more fun mini-packs!

Watch the Ocean Activities Video!

Quick ocean activities for toddlers to preschoolers.

Make an icy ocean sensory bin that will keep the kiddos engaged as they free sea creatures from the icy, frozen ocean!

Create this sand and aquarium grave ocean sensory bin and grab the free sea creatures coloring book.

Here is an ocean sensory bottle that is fun for young kids to make and explore.

Whip up the best fluffy slime ever for a hands-on ocean slime activity for kids! Decorate with shells and gems or small plastic sea creatures!

Swirling ocean waves of color! Here is another way to make ocean slime .

Explore 3 ways to create your own gorgeous and playful ocean in a bottle .

FREE Printable Ocean Activities Guide!

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Ocean Science Activities

We have divided these fun and easy ocean activities into 3 groups for you; ocean science topics, ocean building activities (learn about sea animals), and ocean crafts. Click on the titles below for the full supply list and step by step instructions for each ocean activity.

Enjoy ocean experiments that will introduce kids to the concepts of coastal erosion, ocean acidification, buoyancy and more!

B each Erosion Lab

Explore what happens to the coast line when a big storm rolls through. Set up a coastal erosion activity to demonstrate the effects of coastal erosion.

How Do Fish Breathe Underwater?

Fish are fun to look at in an aquarium or to try to catch in a lake, but did you know that fish breathe too? Learn more about how fish breathe with this simple model to teach kids how fish gills work.

How Does a Shark Float?

Or why is it that sharks don’t sink in the ocean? Learn about how these great fish coast around through the ocean with this simple ocean science activity.

Check out more awesome shark week activities here .

How Do Squid Swim?

Explore how squid swim or move through the ocean with this fun squid locomotion activity. Learn more about these fascinating sea creatures!

H ow Do Whales Stay Warm?

The ocean can be a chilly place, but there are many mammals who call it home! How do some of our favorite mammals live in such cold conditions? It is to do with something called blubber. Test out how blubber works as an insulator with this blubber experiment.

What are the Layers Of The Ocean ?

Just like the layers of the earth , the ocean is also made up of layers or ocean zones. Explore the layers of the ocean with this cool liquid density experiment.

What are Ocean Currents ?

Learn about ocean currents with a few simple ingredients you can grab from the kitchen. Make this simple ocean currents model and discover what things cause the movement of water in the ocean.

Can You Map the Ocean Floor ?

What does the ocean floor look like? Be inspired by scientist and map builder, Marie Tharp and make your own relief map of the world. Represent the topography or physical features on land and on the ocean floor with easy DIY shaving cream paint.

Ocean Waves In A Bottle

Create an ocean wave bottle as a fun way to demonstrate a little bit about how waves work. Combine learning about the ocean with a visually appealing sensory bottle for fun and playful learning for kids.

Oil Spill Experiment

Explore what things clean up oil and what doesn’t with this easy ocean science experiment. Get kids thinking about why it’s important to keep our oceans clean!

Seashells In Vinegar Experiment

Find out what happens to shells when you add them to vinegar. Learn what seashells are made of and why we need to protect our oceans from ocean acidification!

Ocean Building Activities

Build a lego shark.

Even if you are not interested in the official Shark Week, these cool ocean fish have always amazed adults and kids! Check out how to build your own LEGO sharks and grab a free activity pack.

Build Sea Animals and Make a Minifig Habitat

Check out our ocean animal and sea creature ideas, and then make a whale, octopus, and crab. Don’t worry if you don’t have exactly the right colors, have fun! It also includes free printable ocean LEGO challenges !

Build A Narwhal

Learn about the amazing unicorns of the sea, Narwhals with these fun and easy STEM activities. Plus, we share with you fun facts we’ve discovered about Narwhals.

Ocean Crafts and Art Projects

Printable ocean animals craft.

Make these cute, printable ocean animal crafts using split pins or brads! They move!

Shark Newspaper Craft

Create this easy shark paper craft to celebrate Shark Week or add to your ocean theme! Learn about these fascinating ocean creatures with a fun ocean theme art project!

Narwhal Collage Craft

Learn fun facts about Narwhals and create a fantastic Narwhal collage craft with more background ideas to choose from.

3D Ocean Paper Craft

This 3D ocean craft is a terrific way to explore how dimensional images can be created. Take your two dimensional ocean activities up a notch with our free printable 3D under the sea template. 

Coral Reef Art

Create a textured painting inspired by coral reefs using simple materials like sponges, bubble wrap, and watercolors. Printable coral reef template included!

Fish Painting

This fun and easy ocean craft will sure to be a hit with your kids. Paint fish inspired by famous artist Jackson Pollock and his style of ‘action painting’ and abstract art! Free printable included!

Glowing Jellyfish Craft

Make a fun DIY jellyfish that will glow in the dark, similar to jellyfish in the ocean. Learn fun facts about jellyfish and how they aren’t fish.

Black Glue Jellyfish Art

Black glue art with a watercolor background for an awesome ocean craft and STEAM project!

Ocean Salt Painting

The perfect ocean background for art projects! Combine a popular kitchen ingredient, salt and a bit of physics for cool art and science that everyone will love!

Salt Dough Starfish

Make your own starfish or sea stars with our simple salt dough recipe. Learn about these amazing sea creatures while modeling out your own to keep.

Turtle Dot Painting

Get our free printable turtle template and create your own fun dot painting design. Turn this turtle into a Green Sea Turtle!

You can find more ocean craft ideas here!

Printable Ocean Activities Pack

If you want to have all of your printable ocean activities in one convenient place, plus exclusive worksheets with an ocean theme, our 100+ page Ocean STEM Project Pack is what you need!

Check out The Complete Ocean Science and STEM Pack in our SHOP!

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12+ Easy and Fun Ocean Science Experiments for Curious Kids

When it comes to summer learning, there is just something about the beach and ocean that seems to call to us all! Whether you are traveling to a beach this year or staying home, you can bring the beach to life with these ocean science experiments!

The experiments on this list are a lot of fun for kids from preschool through middle school and will provide tons of science learning whether your kids have previously been into science or not.

These hands-on ocean experiments will make a science lover out of any kid and are the perfect science fair project ideas for kids who may not love science yet.

Fun Ocean Science Experiment Ideas

If you love the ocean, and you love science, these ocean science experiments are for you! Before you check out the complete list of ocean activities for kids, make sure you have these science supplies on hand.

Ocean Science Supplies

Shop these Amazon Affiliate links to make sure nothing is missing for your ocean science activities.

Ocean Science Books

Here are some fun books about ocean science!

Free Science Lesson Plans

Click the picture below to get 2 complete science lesson plans sent to your inbox!

The Best Ocean Science Experiments for Kids

Hands-down, these ocean science projects are tons of fun for kids! These ocean experiments are perfect for doing at home, in an after-school program, at daycare, or just for fun!

Click each ocean science activity to get to the directions for that project.

This Easy Ocean Slime Recipe is a super fun way to bring the ocean to you, even if you can’t get to one this year!

Learn all about the unicorns of the sea when you make this Narwhal Craft !

This Ocean Slime Recipe uses glitter glue and is fun for kids of all ages.

Learn fun oyster facts for kids when you make this Oyster Craft .

The Jellyfish in a Bottle Science Experiment shows kids how jellyfish can move in the water. And it’s pretty to look at!

When you try the Desalination Science Project , kids will learn how to remove salt from water.

This adorable Paper Plate Seahorse Craft can teach kids all about seahorses and their lives in the ocean.

Make your own Cartesian Diver Experiment and explore how fish, sharks, and even scuba divers move in the ocean!

This Water Density Experiment shows how cold water is denser than hot, and why the ocean has different densities depending on how deep you are.

Learn How to Make Sand Slime using real beach sand!

This Beach Slime Recipe mixes ocean slime with sand slime for a total beach experience.

Kids will love learning how to make these Sand Painting for Kids .

This Ocean Layer Liquid Density Experiment teaches kids about the layers of the ocean.

When you’re ready to do some coloring, these Aquarium Printables are perfect to do while learning about ocean animals.

Octopus Science Experiments

We love octopuses so much, we put together an entire idea list on octopus STEM activities! So many fun ways to learn octopus science!

More Summer Science Experiments

Summer STEM Calendar

Mindblowing Summer Science Experiments You Must Try This Summer

Crazy-Fun Mermaid Science Experiments Perfect for Summer!

Ocean candy experiment

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What Should You Teach Preschoolers About the Ocean?

While you’re creating beautiful ocean masterpieces and crafting your child’s favorite sea animals, it’s a great time to give them a little lesson about the ocean. There’s so much to learn and explore that your preschooler or toddler will love hearing all the new concepts about the ocean.

When teaching about a new topic I like to focus on simple questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? And How? This allows your preschoolers to speculate and engage in the discussion.

You can ask the following questions to see if they know or simply just teach the concepts and ask them if they remember later on:

• Who are the animals that live there?
• Why is the water salty?
• What do they eat?
• How do they breathe?
• How do the animals move?

These are all really great questions to ask and discuss while engaging in activities with your preschoolers. I love to listen to their answers and see what they already know about the ocean.

• Where do they sleep?
• How much of the ocean takes up the earth?
• What are high and low tides?
• How can you be safe in the ocean?
• Where do shells come from?

1. Ocean Themed Sensory Bin

In this fun activity preschoolers get to be hands on and you have the simplicity of using items your preschooler probably already has! All you need are ocean animals and water beads.

You can have your preschooler sort the sharks from the fish, discuss how sharks can breathe underwater, but whales cannot. The conversations are endless!

2. Sea Creature Rescue

This activity would be so much fun to do on a hot summer day. All you have to do is freeze plastic sea creatures in a muffin tin and then let your preschooler dissolve the ice with salt and a little bit of water.

There are sure to be lots of giggles! You can even have a friendly competition to see who can rescue the most animals.

3. Jellyfish in a bottle

How cool is this jellyfish in a bottle? Your preschooler will have such a fun time making this jellyfish.

This activity would be a great way to show how a jellyfish moves, discuss the different parts of the jellyfish and if your kids are anything like mine they will be blown away that jellyfish don’t have eyes!

4. Ocean Themed Sensory Bath

A noodle bath is what preschooler dreams are made of! In this activity you use noodles that are dyed different shades of blue and green to make ‘seaweed’.

You can toss in a few plastic sea creatures and talk about what kinds of plants there are living in the ocean and what kinds of sea animals use them for homes and hiding places. This ocean themed activity will be a huge hit with your kiddos.

5. Ocean Playdough Surprise

Who doesn’t love playdough? Playdough is a great way to help develop and strengthen the muscles in children’s hands, all while creating and learning.

Simply take some plastic sea creatures and roll them into the playdough. Ask your preschooler to identify what animal they found!

6. Squishy Fishy Bags

Your preschooler is sure to love this fun ocean themed activity. Making these squishy bags is very simple and will provide tons of fun.

Tape the sensory bags to the window for added light.

7. Under the Sea Slime

My preschooler absolutely loves slime and this fun activity is fun for little hands! Make ocean slime for under the sea fun!

8. Ocean Scene Jello Dig

Little ones love to get messy! Add some ocean themed toys to blue jello and wallah, you have a fun sensory activity that provides lots of giggles and fun.

9. Soap Foam Sensory Bin

Let your preschooler go crazy with this fun ocean soap foam sensory bin. This activity is best to do outside and perfect for summer!

10. Alphabet Shells

Help your preschooler learn the letters of the alphabet and dig for shells. Your preschooler will love digging for shells in this ocean themed activity!

11. Ocean in a Bottle

How fun is this mini aquarium in a bottle?! Help your preschooler engage in sensory play and identify different ocean animals.

12. Underwater Animal Coloring Games

Explore the ocean’s depths with online underwater animal coloring games, where imagination meets education.

SplashLearn stands out as the go-to platform, offering a vibrant selection of  preschool activities  that introduce kids to the wonders of marine life, from clownfish to sharks, in an engaging and interactive way. Kids learn about fascinating sea creatures and their habitats while having fun.

13. Ocean Process Art

I absolutely love this ocean process art project. Painting with q-tips is great to help further a preschooler’s grip on smaller objects!

14. Ocean Themed Coloring Pages

My kiddos love these ocean themed coloring pages. After you are done cut the images out and string them up in their rooms for an under the sea display of their art!

15. Paper Plate Tropical Fish

Make some fun and vibrant tropical fish with paper plates. The best part is that your kiddos can be creative and decorate their fish however they want!

16. Octopus Handprint Craft

I love handprint crafts. They are a fun keepsake for you as a parent and my kiddos love seeing their hands as part of their artwork.

17. Jellyfish Craft

Let your kiddo enjoy some fun self expression with this jellyfish craft. I always enjoy seeing what colors kids like to choose when they are in control!

18. Shark Fin Hat

Baby shark do do do do! This shark fin hat is so simple to make! Turn on the baby shark song and let your little ones dance!

19. Paper Plate Seahorse

Seahorses are one of the most fascinating sea creatures. This paper plate seahorse is so cute and your kids will love learning about these amazing creatures.

20. Handprint Crab

This handprint crab is so cute and easy to do for kids. You can mix it up with some different colors of paper, stamps, etc for more fun!

21. Suncatcher Jellyfish

Your preschooler will love being able to see their craft hung up in the window for all to see if you do this suncatcher jellyfish craft.

22. Handprint Fish

If your kids like the movie Finding Nemo, they will love this clownfish craft. Let them color in the background for added fun!

23. Cardboard Fishy

If you have some extra paint and toilet paper rolls laying around this craft is for you! Ask your preschooler to come up with their own color scheme and fish scale pattern!

24. Whale Craft

Whales are such cool animals and I think teaching about them is just as cool. Your preschooler will be amazed to know that some whales can stay underwater for as long as 90 minutes!

25. Clothespin Shark

Your preschooler will love this fun clothespin shark craft. You can even use different size clothespins for smaller and larger sharks!

26. Glow in the Dark Jellyfish

This jellyfish craft is a cool way to help preschoolers learn about bioluminescent animals like jellyfish.

27. Paper Plate Pufferfish

Kids love puffer fish, and let’s face it.. They are really fascinating. This paper plate puffer fish craft will be a great conversation starter about puffer fish.

28. Beach Themed Pudding Cups

These beach themed pudding cups are so much fun anytime, but especially perfect for summertime ocean learning!

28. Gluten Free and Vegan Goldfish

Your kiddos will love this vegan, allergy free, and grain free goldfish recipe and you will love how healthy they are!

29. Cucumber Boat

Sometimes it can be hard to get your kiddo to eat their veggies, but who would be able to resist this cucumber boat?

30. Shark Chocolate Bark

If your kiddos are shark obsessed this treat is definitely for you! This shark bark is easy to make and your preschooler will love getting to help!

31. Ocean Themed Turtle Snack

Enjoy this ocean themed turtle snack with your preschooler while discussing fun turtle facts like the bottom of the turtle’s shell is called the plastron.

32. Shark Bait

This shark bait snack would be perfect for watching a sea themed movie. Your kids will love the salty and sweet combo!

33. Ocean Hide and Seek

Hide and seek is one of my preschoolers favorite games. I love this hide and seek worksheet that will help your preschooler develop their investigative skills.

34. Cutting Practice

Cutting is an important skill for preschoolers to develop. Your little one will love this fish themed cutting practice worksheet!

35. Paper Plate Scallop Shells

Did you know that scallops can have up to 100 eyes?! This paper plate scallop craft is perfect if you have some extra paper plates lying around!

36. Fine Motor Fish Collage

Help your preschooler perfect their pincer grasp with this fun fine motor fish collage!

37. Ocean Themed Sorting and Threading

I love this activity for fine motor skills. Have your preschooler add different animals to the pipe cleaner. For an added challenge have them add the animals in a pattern!

38. Rescue the Sea Creatures!

Let your little one be a hero and rescue the sea creatures! Simply wrap up sea animals with pipe cleaners and rubber bands and let the fun begin.

39. Fine Motor Jellyfish Craft

Make this simple jellyfish craft with items you have around the house! You can use those leftover jingle bells from Christmas time to add some pizzazz!

40. The Rainbow Fish

The rainbow fish is one of my favorite books. Even if you don’t have the book, this activity will be so fun for preschoolers to make their own rainbow fish!

41. Beach Themed Printables

42. Ocean Themed Yoga

Yoga is always a hit in our house. This activity is perfect to engage your kids into stretching their little bodies and having fun while learning about different animals that live in the ocean.

43. Ocean Animal Movement

Get your little ones moving and grooving with this ocean animal movement activity. Show your little ones how to walk like a crab, jump like a dolphin and sing like a humpback whale!

44. Ice and Salt Experiment

This activity combines science and art, which is always so fun! This experiment will help kids learn how salt helps to melt ice!

45. Tide Pool Experiment

Help your preschooler learn all about tide pools with this fun ocean themed activity!

46. Sounds Underwater

Are sounds louder underwater? This activity is great for teaching preschoolers about sound underwater and how animals communicate using high pitched sounds.

47. How do Arctic Animals Stay Warm in Cold Water?

When I think of the ocean, I always think of warm sunny weather. This activity will help to teach preschoolers about the cool part of the ocean and how the animals that live there survive and keep warm!

48. Ocean Zones

Let’s learn the names of the zones in the sea! This activity will help kids to learn about where certain species of animals spend most of their lives and how they live and eat.

49. Float and Sink

My kiddos are always asking about whether different items are able to float or sink while playing in the bath. This activity would be so fun to help preschoolers learn about density and an object’s ability to sink or float!

50. Ocean Song

Teach your preschooler this ocean themed song to the tune of ‘Take me out to the ball game’. If your kiddos are anything like mine, they love learning new songs and rhymes.

51. Ocean Dot Activities

This set of ocean dot activities includes ten pages of FREE printables for dotting. You can use dot markers, stickers, stampers, or whatever else you want to complete these fun dot activities. 

52. Ocean Themed Printable Bundle

Everything you need for your preschooler or pre-k child to learn while having fun! These low-prep activities are perfect for centers and beyond.

Teaching dozens of math and literacy concepts, they will never get bored!

It doesn’t matter which activities you choose to do with your preschooler, he or she is bound to have a blast and learn so much! If you try any of these 50 ocean themed activities let me know in the comments which is your favorite! Happy learning!

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33 Ocean Activities, Experiments, and Crafts for Kids To Dive Into

Everything’s better under the sea!

Have you ever watched as a child stares into an aquarium with awe? Whether it is the song “Baby Beluga” or the movie Finding Nemo , kids love all things ocean! So you know they’ll be eager to dive into this collection of ocean activities. Whether it is a science experiment to see how fish breathe underwater, an art lesson where students create their own underwater scene, or a writing prompt about the ocean, students will learn all about our watery planet. Come on in … the water’s fine!

1. Read an ocean book

Whether you’re looking for picture books or chapter books, fiction or nonfiction, our list of terrific ocean books has got you covered .

2. Make an ocean in a bottle

Turn an old water bottle into a mini-aquarium. Sand, shells, and plastic sea creatures bring the ocean to you anytime.

Learn more: A Little Pinch of Perfect/Ocean in a Bottle

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3. Dive into an ocean-themed sensory bin

Round up shells, toy sea animals, and maybe even a boat or two, then drop them into a bin of water. Every kid will enjoy splashing around while they learn!

Learn more: Fun Learning for Kids

4. Take a virtual aquarium field trip

Can’t get to the aquarium? No problem! Take a virtual field trip instead with live webcams and video tours. See our list of virtual aquarium trips here.

5. Create an ocean in an egg carton

Ask your friends and family to save their egg cartons in the weeks before you plan on doing this project. Once ready, have your students paint their cartons. Finally, have them decorate their scenes using a variety of underwater objects and stickers.

Learn more: The Imagination Tree

6. Check out the Smithsonian’s Ocean site

Just as you’d expect from the Smithsonian, this website is full of information, photos, and more ocean activities. You’ll even find free lesson plans for teachers—score!

Learn more: Smithsonian Ocean

7. Assemble ocean zone bottles

Learn the zones of the ocean with these clever bottles. Simply use food coloring to dye the water deeper shades of blue to represent the amount of sunlight that reaches each zone, then add a representative sea animal toy.

Learn more: Edventures With Kids

8. Turn paint strips into ocean layers

Grab some blue paint sample strips and label them to represent the ocean layers. Then add stickers or drawings of corresponding animals to each layer.

Learn more: A Little Pinch of Perfect/Ocean Zones Crafts

9. Study how fish breathe underwater

This simple science experiment will help kids better understand how fish breathe underwater. Before beginning, pick your students’ brains to see what they already know or suspect about how fish breathe.

Learn more: Little Bins for Little Hands

10. Upcycle an ocean zones craft

Here’s one more way to learn about the layers of the ocean. Use crepe paper to upcycle a plastic container, then get free printables at the link to add to your creation.

Learn more: Living Porpoisefully

11. Watch an ocean documentary

Every streaming service is loaded with nature documentaries. Disney+ has an especially robust collection that’s perfect for kids. On Amazon, try Wildest Places or Ocean Mysteries . Netflix’s new Our Planet series has episodes on coastal seas and high seas.

12. Peruse the Marine Life Encyclopedia

Looking for online ocean activities? Try the Marine Life Encyclopedia. Kids will get in-depth information about all their favorite sea creatures, from sharks to otters.

Learn more: Marine Life Encyclopedia

13. Assign an ocean-themed writing prompt

Pair this ELA lesson with a science lesson on ocean life.

Learn more: 3 Dinosaurs

14. Learn how ocean currents work

This cool demo uses hot and cold water mixed with a little food coloring to demonstrate how ocean currents form. (The plastic sea animals are just for fun!)

Learn more: Life Over Cs

15. See ocean waves in action

A layer of oil floating on the water helps make wave action more obvious. You can do ocean activities like this one in person or as an online demo.

Learn more: Little Bins for Little Hands/Ocean Waves

16. Explore saltwater density

Kids may be surprised to learn that it’s actually easier to float in salt water than fresh water. This experiment proves it!

Learn more: Science Kiddo

17. Fish for numbers

This fun activity works equally well for little ones who are working on number recognition and slightly older students who are already working on addition. It will require a little bit of preparation on your end, but the end result is so fun!

Learn more: Buggy and Buddy

18. Dive and Discover

Here’s another website full of online ocean activities. It simulates the thrill of joining actual underwater explorations, from coral reefs to deep-sea trenches.

Learn more: Dive and Discover

19. Put together an ocean animal notebook

Want to explore a wide variety of sea animals? Then grab this free printable 60-page notebook. Each page includes space for kids to fill in the information and add their own illustrations.

Learn more: Homeschool Giveaways

20. Do an ocean animal research project

Here’s another way to explore sea creatures. Each student chooses their own favorite, then dives deep to learn all about it. Have kids give a presentation, design a slideshow, or even make their own documentary!

Learn more: 2 Literacy Teachers

21. Create an underwater scene using chalk and tempera paint

We love that this art project shows students a different way of using both paint and chalk or pastels. Begin by creating the sunset or ocean water with chalk or pastels, then dip your finger in white tempera paint and watch as the color spreads. Finally, cut out ocean animals, coral reefs, or boats to add to your scene.

22. Transform eggs into sea creatures

How adorable are these? They were made using wooden eggs, but plastic ones would work well too.

Learn more: Craft Play Learn

23. Build LEGO sea creatures

Pull out the tub of LEGO bricks and set kids free to create! Show them these pics for inspiration, then see what they can come up with on their own.

Learn more: Little Bins for Little Hands/LEGO Sea Creatures

24. Use a fork to paint a puffer fish

You’ll be surprised at how easy this impressive painting is to create. Pick up a bag of disposable forks and get ready for undersea fun!

Learn more: Crafty Morning

25. Paint a coral reef with sponges

Here’s another surprisingly easy ocean craft for kids. Cut disposable sponges into coral shapes, then stamp an underwater scene.

Learn more: Primary Theme Park

26. Make a tasty ocean-themed snack

If allergies aren’t a concern, you can whip up these adorable snacks for your students. If allergies are a concern, you can always send the recipe home. Vanilla pudding dyed blue makes for perfect water, and graham cracker crumbs are the perfect stand-in for sand. Add some Swedish Fish and a little umbrella for good measure!

Learn more: Hunny I’m Home

27. Sculpt sea stars from salt dough

Starfish, more properly known as “sea stars,” come in a wide variety of sizes and designs. Have kids sculpt their own from salt dough or Play-Doh.

Learn more: Crafting Chicks

28. Craft a whale from a paper plate

No whale craft is complete without a spout of water from the blowhole! All you need is a pack of paper plates to get started.

Learn more: Krokotak

29. Draw a life-size whale

Did you know that blue whales are the largest creature ever to have lived on Earth? They’re even bigger than dinosaurs! Head to the playground with some sidewalk chalk and a tape measure to see if you can draw a life-size blue whale model.

30. Create a colorful seahorse

The secret to this cool marbleized pattern? Shaving cream! This is one technique that never fails to impress.

Learn more: I Heart Crafty Things

31. Create a beach scene

Kids will definitely love personalizing their beach scenes. You can use air-dry clay or salt dough to create the sand side of your ocean scene.

Learn more: First Palette

32. Hang suncatcher jellyfish

Re-create the translucent bell of a jellyfish with tissue paper, then hang ribbon tentacles for a pretty ocean craft you’ll love to display.

Learn more: I Heart Arts ’n Crafts

33. Make a cereal box aquarium

We love that this craft encourages reusing rather than throwing away since kids will be upcycling their favorite cereal’s box. Be sure to provide kids with plenty of variety in stones, colored card stock, etc., so they can really personalize their aquariums.

Learn more: The Best Ideas for Kids

If you enjoy these ocean activities, check out 20 Wild Ways To Explore Animal Habitats With Kids.

Plus, 16 of our favorite national geographic activities kids can do at home ..

You Might Also Like

15 Fascinating Aquarium Virtual Field Trips

Jellies, otters, and more! Continue Reading

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Gift of Curiosity

Sparking children's creativity and learning

Ocean science for kids: Salt water and waves

Preschool , Kindergarten , 1st Grade , 2nd Grade

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If you have been following along, you know that my kids and I recently completed a preschool ocean unit to learn all about the ocean and the animals that live there. As part of our ocean unit, I wanted to introduce the kids to some ocean science focused on sea water. Specifically, I wanted them to learn a little bit about the properties of salt water and about the power of waves. This post details a variety of ocean science activities we did to learn explore these two topics.

Note: For more resources, printables and activities related to the ocean and its inhabitants, please see my  ocean unit study  page.

The goals for these ocean science activities for were for my kids to:

• know that oceans cover most of our planet
• understand the difference between salt water in the ocean and fresh water we drink
• learn what causes waves
• learn how waves break down rocks and other objects over time

Oceans cover most of our planet

We started by pulling down our globe. I showed the kids how most of the globe was covered with oceans rather than land. (At this point I was wishing we had a more traditional globe where the oceans were blue instead of off-white.)

Then we played a game where the kids closed their eyes while I spun the globe. With their eyes closed, they had to put out their index finger until they touched the globe. At that point, they opened up their eyes to see if they had landed on land or water. If you do this several times, you should find that your kids’ fingers hit water more than on land. With older kids you could even make a chart showing how often they touched land vs. water.

Ocean water is salty

Next, I wanted the kids to understand that ocean water, unlike the water we drink, is salty. I filled two containers with 4 cups of water.

Then the kids dumped an entire shaker of salt into one of the containers.

They stirred until the salt dissolved into the water. (“Look mom, the salt is disappearing!”)

Then I had the kids taste both the fresh water and the salt water. To say that QBoy was not a fan of the salt water would be an understatement. XGirl, on the other, seemed to really like the salt water and kept asking for more tastes! 🙂

We talked about how ocean water is salty but the water we drink everyday is not.

Ocean water is more dense than fresh water

Next, I wanted to demonstrate the fact that salt water is denser than fresh water. Realizing the containers I had been using were shorter than ideal for the next demonstration, I poured the fresh water into a tall, narrow container instead. Then the kids placed a hard boiled egg in the water and we watched as it sank to the bottom.

Next, I poured out the fresh water and filled the container with salt water instead. The kids put the egg back in, and this time they watched as it floated! (Note, you need to add quite a bit of salt to the water to get the egg to float. Without enough salt, the water will not be dense enough and this demonstration will not work.)

Learning about waves

Then they added water.

Next, we put the caps on tightly, and laid the bottles on their sides so the kids could see the sand layer underneath and the ocean water layer on top.

Then the shaking ensued. Because really, what kid doesn’t like to shake things, especially bottles with liquid inside? 🙂

Waves break down and polish rocks and other objects

The kids and I talked about how waves are caused by wind. We also talked about how sand is formed when waves break rocks in to tiny little pieces over time. This discussion gave us an idea!

I grabbed some sea glass and showed the kids how this glass was polished from years of waves washing over it, knocking it against other objects, and making it smooth.

To further illustrate the point, we took a hammer and smashed the sea glass into small pieces. The kids were able to look at the smashed glass in the baggie and see how it had hard sharp edges.

We continued to discuss how the ocean waves could make the glass smooth again by slowly polishing them over time. At that point, we decided to drop some of the broken sea glass pieces into their bottles so they could make waves to polish the sea glass again.

So they dropped their pieces in and began shaking. Of course, they were a little disappointed to hear that it would take more than a few minutes of shaking to polish the sea glass. In fact, a LOT more than a few minutes. 🙂 But it was still fun to shake the bottles, so they didn’t seem to mind too much.

But to further illustrate the point that waves and sand polish the glass over time, I pulled out some sand paper and cut it into strips for the kids. I showed them how the sand paper was covered with sand, just like the sand from the ocean.  They then began rubbing some sea glass on the sand paper to polish it.

More resources for learning about the ocean

More ocean posts from Gift of Curiosity:

• Ocean Montessori activities
• Learning about ocean animals
• Shell activities
• Blubber experiment
• Ocean animals book & 3-part cards
• Ocean Printables Pack
• Ocean Do-a-Dot Printables
• Ocean I Spy

For more resources, printables and activities related to the ocean and its inhabitants, please see my  Ocean Unit Study  page and my Oceans Pinterest board.

You May Also Enjoy These Posts

Reader interactions.

August 29, 2013 at 11:55 am

I loved reading this post. DD is absolutely fascinated by the ocean and these are great activities to do at home. I am definitely doing these! Thanks for sharing on the hop! -Reshama @StackingBooks.com

August 29, 2013 at 11:58 am

Thanks Reshama, I hope your DD enjoys these activities as much as my kids did!

August 31, 2013 at 3:22 am

I always love the way you put together these collections, and your big clear photos. They make me want to do it even with my 8 and 9 year olds!

September 1, 2013 at 9:19 pm

I bet even 8 and 9 year olds would have fun with some of these activities! I sure hope my kids will still be this excited to learn when they are 8 and 9!

September 4, 2013 at 3:23 am

What a cool study! Pinned =)

Thanks for linking up at TGIF! Have a great week, Beth =)

September 5, 2013 at 4:32 pm

I didn’t think to put sand in a bottle when we studied waves, what a great idea! Your post reminded me I ran us out of salt making play dough, so I should probably buy some more.

May 19, 2015 at 7:17 pm

We did this today! Thanks for the inspiration. 🙂

Ocean Science Activities for Preschoolers

Do you have a fan of the ocean? Try these ocean science activities for preschoolers! These activities offer engaging and educational experiences for your curious science lovers.

See more of my fun ocean activities for kids and add them to your ocean lesson plans this summer!

Learning about the ocean is incredibly beneficial for preschoolers in numerous ways. It helps develop critical thinking skills, encourages an early interest in nature, and promotes a sense of environmental awareness at an early age.

Preschoolers who engage in ocean-themed science activities become more aware of the importance of caring for our planet while developing other fundamental skills.

This post may contain affiliate links meaning I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Read my disclosure policy here.

See a list of my favorite Amazon Deals for your home and homeschool.

Fun Facts about the Ocean and Ocean Animals

Before we move on to my list of ocean science activities, here are some fun facts that you can share with your child!

Did you know that the ocean covers more than 70% of our planet? That’s a lot of water! Oceans are home to some of the most amazing creatures, like playful dolphins, colorful fish, and huge whales. Some fish can even glow in the dark!

The blue whale is the largest animal on Earth, even bigger than any dinosaur. These gentle giants can grow up to 100 feet long and weigh as much as 200 tons!

Another curious animal is the octopus, which has three hearts and blue blood. Octopuses are also masters of disguise, capable of changing their color and texture to blend in with their surroundings.

Isn’t the ocean full of amazing surprises?

Recommended Ocean Books

Discover a world of wonder with my top ocean books for preschoolers, perfect for developing a love for our blue oceans!

Benefits of Ocean Science Activities for Preschoolers

Teaching preschoolers about the ocean can be both fun and challenging. But I’m here to help and prepare you on what are the things you can teach your little ones about their favorite body of water!

You can start with basic concepts like water and sand. Explain how ocean creatures live in the water. You can show them pictures of fish, turtles, and sharks. Simple activities like ocean crafts can also make learning even more engaging.

Teaching kids about the ocean has many benefits. They can learn about different habitats and animal life, and their curiosity about the ocean encourages them to ask questions and seek answers. This early exposure builds a foundation for future science learning.

Interactive activities keep preschoolers interested and involved. Ocean sensory bins with sand and ocean animals are a hit.

Even storytime with ocean-themed books is another great idea for introducing the ocean to your preschoolers.

Have fun with these ideas and make sure to include the ocean science activities recommended on the list below!

Recommended Ocean Printables

Little Learners Print & Go Math Kit: Ocean

Learn about the ocean while practicing your preschooler’s math skills with these fun ocean math printables.

Ocean Color by Number Printables

Let your kids explore their artistic side through coloring while recognizing more colors with this ocean-themed color-by-number printable.

Recommended Ocean Activity Kits

Enjoy ocean exploration with my recommended ocean activity kit for kids, packed with fun and educational activities to pique their curiosity and foster a love for marine life!

More Ocean Activities

Trying to find more ocean-themed activities for your homeschoolers? Check out my list below!

• Ocean Activities for Preschoolers
• Ocean Books for Preschoolers
• Preschool Oceans Unit Study
• Paper Plate Ocean Crafts
• Octopus Activities for Toddlers
• Ocean Colors Playdough Mats by Homeschool Preschool
• Printable Ocean Charades Game by Darcy and Brian

Exploring ocean science activities for preschoolers is a fantastic way to spark curiosity, nurture a love for marine life, and introduce little ones to the wonders of our oceans!

Jello Play Dough Recipe: Seashell Theme

Creating Jello Play Dough with a Seashell Theme is a fantastic activity for kids, offering a fun, hands-on way to explore their creativity while developing their fine motor skills and sensory experiences.

Ocean Sensory Bin Activity for Kids

Dive into the exciting world of an ocean sensory bin activity for kids, where they'll enjoy hands-on fun while developing fine motor skills, sensory exploration, and imaginative play!

Make your own jellyfish in a bottle

Create your own shimmering jellyfish in a bottle—a delightful hands-on activity that sparks creativity and teaches kids about marine life while honing their creativity and sensory skills!

How To Make Ocean Slime

Creating ocean slime is a fun, hands-on activity for preschoolers that enhances their creativity and sensory skills while they explore the fascinating textures of the ocean and ocean animals right at home!

Make a Fish Swim with Soap

Get ready for some bubbly fun with this swimming fish activity, where your little ones can learn about ocean science and boost their fine motor skills while giggling at their soapy fish magic!

Ocean Pollution Clean Up Science Activity

Allow your kids to become eco-heroes by helping to save marine life while learning important lessons about environmental stewardship and teamwork!

Frozen Ocean Animal Rescue

Kids will have a blast rescuing frozen ocean animals while learning about marine life and developing their problem-solving skills!

Soapy Sea Foam Sensory Bin for Kids

Let your preschoolers explore textures and creativity while enhancing their tactile senses, fine motor skills, and science learning!

Exploring Shells Hands On Ocean Science Activity

Your curious kids can marvel at nature's designs through this fun exploring seashell activity!

Ocean Waves In A Bottle

Creating ocean waves in a bottle is a fun and easy activity that not only entertains kids but also teaches them about the science of waves and the properties of water, all while sparking their creativity and imagination!

Ocean Currents Science Experiment

Teach ocean currents in a simpler and more fun way suitable for your preschoolers through this enjoyable playtime learning!

Salt Water Experiment

Your little scientist will surely be amazed at how this fun ocean experiment will make them learn why it is easier to float in the ocean's salt water!

I hope you and your kids had fun exploring the wonders of the deep blue sea through these fun and educational preschool ocean science activities!

I share educational printables and activities to help homeschoolers make learning science fun and engaging!

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Preschool Inspirations

Preschool Activities and Learning

Preschool Ocean Theme Activities that Kids Love

June 15, 2019 by Editor Leave a Comment

Use these preschool ocean theme activities for an engaging and exciting hands-on ocean unit or ocean lesson plan.

The ocean is one of my absolute favorite preschool themes that I repeat year after year. The ocean is such a magical oasis and full of life. Kids absolutely love exploring ocean animals, learning what lurks in the deep waters, and of course beach sand! You can easily make this theme last as long as you like with all these engaging and hands-on activities.

Preschool Ocean Theme Activities

What is the first song that you think of when you hear the word OCEAN? If you said Baby Shark, you would be on the same track as me. Kids are fascinated with this song! I have seen a handful of fun song videos that have intrigued my kids. Check them out at our Ultimate List Of The Best Baby Shark Song Videos!

Ocean Theme Math Ideas

Jellyfish Counting  1-11 from In My World Adding tentacles to these jellyfish is a super simple way to practice counting and number sense for numbers 1-11. This also will help strengthen fine motor skills!

Fish Bubble Counting Mats from The Measured Mom Counting mats are a fantastic tool for math. These can be used individually as a math center or in a small group. It is such an inviting way for children to work on math skills and when they’re adding each “bubble,” they’re also using those great fine motor skills too!

Pearl Color Matching from Kindergarten Worksheets and Games I love how unique this matching game is. The pom-poms represent the pearls in this color matching activity. This helps the children recognize different colors and match them/count them.

Ocean Shells Graphing from One Time Through Graphing is an important math skill that can be introduced to preschoolers. Kids will enjoy this math graphing idea because it is actually graphing with the shells. This is the epitome of hands-on math!

Ocean Alphabet and Literacy Ideas

The Best Ocean Books For Kids from Preschool Inspirations Books are my favorite way to explore, teach, inspire, and dream. These are our favorite books that correlate with an ocean theme and are enjoyable for little minds!

Alphabet Fish Magnetic Memory Game from Stir The Wonder Kids love magnets, right? This is a great way to encourage children to practice alphabet matching. It is an engaging game that they will love playing so much, they won’t even know how much they are actually learning!

Ocean Letter Find Activity from ABC’s of Literacy This hands-on uppercase and lowercase activity is a fantastic way to introduce and practice letters. Children are to identify letters by covering each letter with a mini eraser or manipulative.

Ocean Beginning Sounds from Planning Playtime These adorable ocean animal letter cards are the perfect way to help children with letter identification and recognition as well as beginning sounds!

Don’t Soak The Shark from Toddler Approved This fabulous letter recognition game is perfect if it is warm outside! Kids can get some sun, play with water, and still be learning!

Ocean STEM Activities

Ocean Theme Sensory Bottle from Preschool Inspirations The animals in this discovery bottle, are staying suspended – just like in the ocean. How? Explore the deep blue sea with this exciting discovery bottle!

Easy Ocean Life Experiment For Kids from Natural Beach Living This jar is fantastic fun… not only is it fun to put together and look at but it can teach so many different elements of ocean life!

Ocean Zones and Animals from The Kindergarten Connection Learn about which ocean zones animals live in, then make the zones including the animals! Such a fun hands-on activity!

Frozen Ocean Animal Rescue from Mama Pappa Bubba A fun activity that will rescues the animals while exploring the science behind melting ice. Kids will love this sensory + STEM activity!

Feels Like Beach Sand Ocean Theme Sensory Bin from Preschool Inspirations One of my favorite ways to help children explore a new topic is with sensory bins. They are exploring with all of their senses, which makes learning even more fun! This beach sand feels like real sand so much that it makes me want a vacation!

Ocean Science: Saltwater & Sand from Gift Of Curiosity Saltwater and sand are key components of the sea. These simple activities are an engaging way for children to explore these parts of the water!

O is for Octopus from Learn Play Imagine The octopus is a fascinating animal, partly because of its ability to ink. This exploration of octopus ink will give kids the knowledge of how, why, and WOW!

Rocky Shore Small World Playdough Activity from Buggy and Buddy Playdough is one of our favorite activities. This small world playdough activity will help children see a depiction of the ocean right in front of them. They can explore and pretend, which are important elements of being a preschooler!

Ocean Art & Crafts

DIY Sea Stars from Preschool Inspiration These sea stars are the perfect DIY for your preschool classroom. They hold up against preschool hands and they are so much fun to play with! 

Shell Painting from Fun A Day Bring art and the ocean together. Painting takes all forms, including paper, clay, and shells too!

Seashell Collage from Art Bar These seashell collages are the perfect art idea! It has process art and the beauty of the water all in one. It’s a great keepsake that kids and parents will adore and want to hang on their walls!

Paper Bag Jelly Fish from No Time For Flash Cards This animal craft is the perfect activity to help kids with color mixing and scissor skills! Plus it is easy and adorable!

Starfish Craft from My Mommy Style This craft is not only beautiful but a great way to practice and strengthen fine motor skills as well as introduce symmetry.

If you want even more preschool activities with an ocean theme, there are 24 engaging activity ideas in this bundle ! It’s a whole ready-made lesson plan!

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Happy Hooligans

Crafts and Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers to Tweens

Ocean in a Bottle with 3 Simple Ingredients

Last updated on June 11, 2020

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Make an ocean in a bottle with 3 easy ingredients.  One of the fastest and easiest-ever science activities for preschoolers .

I love to make  homemade toys for the hooligans.  Discovery bottles are always a favourite here.  They look so beautiful, and no matter what we fill them with.

This particular ocean in a bottle has to be the most amazing looking bottle we’ve made yet though!  It was SO easy to make, and you likely already have everything you need on hand.

This oil and water science experiment isn’t new by any stretch of the imagination.  It’s a classic preschool science activity that’s been around for years.  I actually can’t believe we haven’t done it before!  Yesterday, I happened upon this learning discovery bottle over at Play Trains, and I decided we’d make an ocean bottle of our own today.

To make our Ocean in a Bottle, we used:

• cooking oil (we used canola, but vegetable would work well)
• blue food colouring
• large clear, plastic bottle (2 litre pop bottle, shampoo bottle, mouthwash bottle etc.)

TIP:  a mouthwash bottle is perfect, as it has a child-proof lid which prevents the kids from opening it when playing with it.

If you want to explain the scientific details to your child, pop over and check out this article explaining why oil and water don’t mix .

How to make an ocean in a bottle:

I didn’t have a 2L pop bottle on hand, so we used an empty mouthwash bottle.   I like that the lid is child-safe, and too challenging for little hands to twist open.  If you’re using a bottle that’s not child-safe, you might want to run a little hot-glue around the inside of the bottle lid.

• Fill approximately 1/3 of your bottle with water.
• Add several drops of food colouring.
• Have your child shake the bottle to disperse the food colouring.

Now, simply top up the bottle with oil.  I filled ours right to the top and then popped the lid on.

Let the fun begin!

Tip the bottle upside down and watch your ocean come to life.

The pictures really don’t do this activity justice. You have to see it in action.

The way the waves roll cascade inside the bottle is just beautiful, and watching the big blobs of colour swoosh and fall through the yellow oil is really fascinating.

The more you agitate the bottle, the more the bubbly the ocean becomes.

Set your bottle down occasionally to let the bubbles settle, and then start all over again.

Doesn’t it look amazing?

More easy experiments for kids:

• Water Displacement Experiment
• Salt, Glue and Watercolour Art
• Wax Resist Art
• Melting Ice with Salt and Water
• Colour Mixing Experiment 

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25+preschool activities by 25 bloggers, 10 printables, 50 links to activities not featured in the book all for $8.99!

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Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.

Reader Interactions

Dorothy Tulk

May 31, 2014 at 10:54 am

Do you use 1/3 oil .then fill up with water

happyhooligans

May 31, 2014 at 11:17 am

1/3 water, and then fill up with oil, Dorothy.

June 22, 2016 at 11:06 am

If you fill 2 litre bottle with oil, very expensive project?.???

June 23, 2016 at 12:10 am

You could use a smaller bottle, and probably get away with a half cup of cooking oil. If you think about it this way: you would use a cup of oil to bake a cake, and the cake would be gone in a couple of days. This will last forever. 🙂

May 31, 2014 at 5:34 pm

This is just WAY cool! I LOVE it and as an adult, I’d want to try it. I can’t wait for my son to get a little older and do cool stuff like this with him. Thanks so much for sharing!

April 22, 2023 at 6:40 pm

Would baby oil work?

Jackie Currie

June 8, 2023 at 4:36 pm

I haven’t tried making them with baby oil, Helen, but I imagine it would work!

Selina Strong

June 1, 2014 at 9:43 am

Please revise the instructions for ocean in a bottle. Oil is one of the three ingredients, but there is no mention of adding the oil to the bottle. Surely it is either added first ( although the food coloring doesn’t mix in ) or second? Thanks.

June 10, 2014 at 10:44 am

After the food coloring and water are shaken, the instructions say “Now, simply top up the bottle with oil.”

June 10, 2014 at 1:09 pm

Yes, simply top up the bottle with oil. That’s right, Dan.

June 9, 2014 at 6:04 pm

Such fun!! Using mineral oil instead of cooking oil means the oil is clear and I really love that effect with the food coloring in the water and the other half (the mineral oil) perfectly clear.

June 9, 2014 at 7:28 pm

Yes, or baby oil would have the same look too. I must pick some up at the dollar store!

Michelle Bordeaux

June 9, 2014 at 10:13 pm

This is really cool. I was thinking about doing it as the craft for an Easter Egg Hunt next year (2015). I was also thinking about buying small plastic sea creatures and/or small shells to add a few in. Have you tried anything like that before?

June 9, 2014 at 10:50 pm

I haven’t in the oil and water bottle, Michelle, but I’ve added odds and ends to bottles that I’ve filled with water or hair gel or coloured rice! I think it’s a great idea!

June 9, 2014 at 11:20 pm

Thank you for the response, I will have to test out a few ideas .

June 20, 2014 at 8:57 am

In case you are tempted to add glitter for a touch of glam… Don’t do it! Maybe someone who knows science better than I do can explain it, but it looks like the glitter catches everything up and emulsifies it , so it takes a very long time for the oil in the water to separate again! I just threw everything away and started over!!

September 22, 2014 at 9:38 pm

Thanks so much for the warning! That would have been something we’d try.

July 3, 2014 at 4:07 pm

Shake it too much and it never separates again. Very disappointed in this project.

July 3, 2014 at 8:11 pm

Very interesting, Nancy. Never?

August 7, 2014 at 9:12 pm

I think thats what happen to mine! right off! boo boo! Wish I had read this before I shook it like a crazy person! 🙁 now I have to go to the store and buy more oil

April 16, 2015 at 3:16 pm

That’s actually, totally, not possible. Chances are there was something else in your bottle to begin with. If it was an old lotion or soap bottle there could have been some residue left in the bottle from what was in it before that emulsified it. Water and oil cannot permanently emulsify from vigorous shaking alone. It needs the addition of an emulsifier.

April 16, 2015 at 3:35 pm

Oh, that is a very helpful response, Megan. Thank you! I was wondering how the oil and water could become completely emulsified, as mine always separate after resting. Brilliant. Thank you!

July 3, 2014 at 7:26 pm

We just made these for a preschool program. We called them sink-or-float bottles. We added small seashells and the larger glitter shapes. It was a great demonstration of what the word displacement means. The kids and parents loved them. 🙂

July 6, 2014 at 2:21 am

My 2y.o. will enjoy it 🙂 Thank you!

July 21, 2014 at 8:44 am

Absolutely beautiful. I think of the yellow oil as sunshine filtering through the water.

August 8, 2014 at 3:17 pm

Can you make this in a smaller bottle? I’d love to do this as a take home craft for my son’s birthday party, but I don’t know that I want to go in search of 14 2 liter bottles. Thanks!

August 9, 2014 at 10:14 pm

You could give one a try and see how it turns out, April.

July 1, 2015 at 3:21 pm

My younger brother (age 12) and I just did this experiment with an empty Poland Spring bottle. Still worked great!

July 2, 2015 at 11:26 am

Yay! So glad you loved it!

July 9, 2015 at 5:27 pm

they have those small water bottles, that would be great for a kids party thing. Perfect size too. I’m going to try this with sand and sea shells and make a beach in the bottle with my daughter. Hopefully it works…

August 16, 2014 at 6:32 pm

Ok, I am 57 years old and I love this. My son is 32 and have no grandbabies yet so this is for ME. I am decorating my home in the beachy coastal style and this would be a great way to bring the ocean into my home since there is no ocean near where I live in “Missouri”. I will put it in a large pretty bottle and sit it near my sea shells and let people shake it up and admire it when they come to visit. Thanks!

October 25, 2014 at 12:35 pm

I’m an 8th grade science teacher … and believe me … many of your experiments will enchant and delight 8th graders too. Thank you for these that show kids that science is interesting and FUN!

November 20, 2014 at 6:59 am

Tnks i won the science fair tnx for sharing

December 17, 2014 at 10:32 am

I used this for a white elephant recycling themed gift exchange for my cub scout. My son loved doing this, we used a baby oil bottle, bonus we used the last third of the oil for the project and topped it off with some veg oil. He chose blue also. And since it’s for scouts, we used plastic putty glue to permanently (I hope)glue shut the lid. Should be fun! Thanks!

December 17, 2014 at 7:07 pm

Trying to think of a way to use this as decor for an Ocean themed wedding. My niece is getting married next year and I think something like this would be awesome to display, maybe on tables. Just not quite sure on bottle types and if putting in sea shells would work. Any suggestions??? Pls help!

December 18, 2014 at 9:33 am

I’ve similar bottles with shells added, Heidi. As for how to display them, there’s a brand of bottled water called Voss. I’m not sure where you are, but if you have it there (in your grocery stores), you could use those bottles. It’s pricier than regular bottled water though, so you may need some pals splurge on it once in a while, and give you the bottle when they’re done. You could also check Michael’s or Hobby Lobby for interesting looking containers with lids that seal tight.

February 21, 2015 at 11:48 pm

The easiest place for me to find VOSS water locally is at Walgreen’s drugstores. They are often on sale, too, for $3 for two bottles.

Chickielady

August 25, 2015 at 9:31 pm

We used a VOSS water bottle for a similar project at our school and it was dropped on the floor and the lid cracked open. I’ve used soda bottles and not had this problem. I have saved some bottles from dry roasted peanuts to use.

February 1, 2015 at 8:22 pm

i tried it, its so cool! but instead i used a small coke bottle and eyeballed it!

March 14, 2015 at 1:39 pm

I was so excited to do this but I tried it twice and it didn’t work. I ended up with a layer of blue water and a layer of oil on the top no matter how much I shook it. Was it because I used vegetable oil?

March 14, 2015 at 1:40 pm

I mean olive oil?

March 14, 2015 at 10:51 pm

That might be the reason, Mae. I can’t think of any other reason it wouldn’t have worked for you.

April 8, 2015 at 5:37 pm

Hi! I came across this craft on Pinterest, and decided to try it with my tween sister (I’m a teen).

We made this craft and absolutely love it! We used smaller bottles, so we could display them on our window sills. I love to look at it, and I’m definitely going to make it again, and use green, pink orange, purple, any color really.

I wrote a review about it on my website if you want to check it out!

April 8, 2015 at 7:12 pm

Hey Ally! So glad you loved the ocean in a bottle. I think it’s great that you and your sister made them. An assortment of colours would be awesome! I need to do that too. Cool blog you’ve got there, girl!

May 16, 2015 at 9:37 am

I live 100 meters from the shore, I think I could just walk there with te bottle and trap some fishstinking water and called it “sea in the bottle” how about that 😀 😀

May 31, 2015 at 12:40 am

yeah….didnt work…4 year old was so disappointed…

May 31, 2015 at 12:49 pm

How odd. It’s simple science. I can’t imagine what would go wrong unless perhaps there was residue in your bottle. That could prevent the oil and water from behaving properly.

June 12, 2015 at 6:46 pm

This is great, thank you! My toddler and I used mini water bottles and they were the perfect size for little hands doing the pouring, squeezing, and shaking.

Allison Jones

June 19, 2015 at 6:56 pm

Beautiful! Great activity for the kiddos

July 22, 2015 at 3:59 pm

I made this when I was in Kindergarten. The teachers used baby food jars and just super glued the lids shut. We got to pick out tiny sea animals to put in ours. Definitely one of my favorite projects since I still remember it 20 years later!

August 1, 2015 at 5:26 am

awesome idea! add 1/2 alka seltzer tablet or other tablets that fizz and use half the quantities of oil and water. Stand back and watch it fizz! for more help on how to make this go here…. http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments/easylavalamp.html

August 26, 2015 at 3:19 pm

I absolutely love this idea! We save our cleat 2 liter bottles for science and crafts, so we’ll have the bottles when we want to do something like this. Not too crazy about using 2/3 of 2 liters of oil though, so we’re going to definitely use a smaller bottle. Glad to know about glitter not being a good idea for this. If someone want’s a great science activity using 2 liter bottles, one is the tornado in a bottle and the good news is, glitter is a really good idea to put in them! On the other side of a coin, I’m already planning our Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet for next year. Planning on a theme to do with the sea, maybe Cubs Under the Sea or something like that. This will be perfect to have on the tables for both decoration and take home! Thanks for the wonderful idea!

December 12, 2015 at 8:19 pm

This is beautiful. I love the blue – very soothing. My nephews will love this, but i was also thinking what a great stress reliever it would be on the desk too.

December 12, 2015 at 10:13 pm

I love it just as much as the kids do, Cheri. It’s very relaxing!

January 20, 2016 at 1:14 am

I was wondering if it would work if we put it in ziplock bags and double sealed it with tape and put it in another zip lock bag?

January 21, 2016 at 7:52 pm

It might, Jayne. It’s up to you weather or not you want to risk the bag popping. That’s a lot of oil in there, which would ruin carpets/furniture etc if it did leak.

May 2, 2016 at 1:16 am

Is it working only with food coloring? Is it okay to use water color or acrylic paint?

May 3, 2016 at 12:05 am

Watercolour paint would work because it’s water soluble. I don’t think acrylics would work as well, but I’m just guessing there.

June 5, 2016 at 11:47 am

Just did this with my kids and didn’t turn out at all like I expected. The oil began to solidify after about 5 minutes of play, so it’s cloudy

June 6, 2016 at 9:44 am

How strange. What kind of oil did you use, Asia? Was it fairly fresh? I know old oil can go cloudy when you shake it up. As for solidifying, that is really odd. I’ve never known an oil to solidify.

November 13, 2016 at 11:28 pm

I made this myself and the oil became cloudy after first use, it was pretty fresh. And instead of going through the water, it went down the walls of the jar, so no ocean effect. I also washed it before putting stuff in it. I’m wondering what happened?

November 15, 2016 at 12:15 am

Hmm. I haven’t a clue, Kayaqua. I haven’t heard of that happening before. I’m sorry I can’t offer you a solution!

January 28, 2017 at 8:40 pm

could the food colouring work with paint?

Pam backman

April 17, 2017 at 1:36 pm

I do this every year with my preschool class. I use a small gatorade bottle or dr pepper instead of water bottle as the are thicker plastic. I have also used baby oil because it is clear. We habe out toy fish and sand in to make it more authentic looking. Sand was not as pretty . I let the kids choose the color so each one is unique and theirs.

April 17, 2017 at 1:42 pm

Should be have used toy plastic fish

April 23, 2017 at 10:33 am

This is really cool! I really want to make this. I need something to shake sometimes, if ya know what I mean. I made something too! I just used a baby food jar,filled it with water,add a drop of dish soap. Last add some pieces of string. Swirl it around. Really fun! In my opinion.

May 29, 2017 at 8:31 am

Would it still work well if I mixed this with a “jellyfish in a bottle”? I’m interested in making one if so. I might try it out soon!

May 29, 2017 at 2:06 pm

It might, but I’m not sure if the oil would interfere with the behaviour of the jellyfish. I’d give it a shot if I were you. Worst case, you can remove the jelly fish and still have an awesome sensory bottle for the kids to play with and observe.

July 18, 2017 at 11:45 am

My Church will be do this with VBS kids next summer. Thank you for sharing!

July 19, 2017 at 4:26 pm

Yay! You’re so welcome, Cyndi!

September 4, 2017 at 12:46 am

It works with water down acrylic paint

September 18, 2017 at 4:55 pm

To those getting cloudy oil, i suspect you are leaving air inside the bottle. If you shake it really hard with air inside, it will mix tons of air bubbles into the oil and make it cloudy. Try to let as little air inside the bottle as possible.

December 10, 2017 at 12:23 am

Will water colour not work instead of food colour?

February 16, 2018 at 1:03 am

I actually just made one of these for me to relax me…after my parents stopped freaking out because it’s something different and weird. I love the effect of the water and oil, and the food colouring ties it all together with the yellow-green-blue. A brilliant idea, and a beautiful one, at that!

February 21, 2018 at 12:46 am

Wonderful! I’m so glad you love it. How nice to know that it’s not just preschoolers enjoying our activities!

March 29, 2018 at 1:13 pm

This project turns out so well! I tried it with my toddler and he was completely amazed by the ocean in a bottle. I shared your link on my blog as part of a post about activities to do with toddlers indoors. Thank you for sharing such a great idea!

Leah Winters

April 20, 2018 at 10:57 pm

Hi Jackie! I love your project and linked it to my blog – would love to connect with you about cross-promotion if you’re interested.

February 19, 2019 at 9:02 pm

hey, just wondering im doing a project for my class is there anything else I need to worry about before I start. also what color is best?

February 19, 2019 at 9:12 pm

Hi Sam. Nothing really to worry about. Just make sure the lid is on tight of course. We’ve only used blue because we wanted it to look like an ocean, but I imagine any colour would work. Red or purple would be pretty cool. It might look like a lava lamp!

June 5, 2019 at 11:16 pm

So, just to get this straight in my head, it’s 2/3 water, blue food color, mix, add 1/3 oil??? Do you leave any air space? Thank you!

June 6, 2019 at 2:45 am

“Fill approximately 1/3 of your bottle with water. Add several drops of food colouring. Now, simply top up the bottle with oil. I filled ours right to the top and then popped the lid on.”

April 15, 2020 at 7:39 pm

Is it normal for it to look cloudy after a day? I used canola. I wonder if that’s normal for that type oil?

April 16, 2020 at 8:57 am

Hmm… Is it possible your bottle wasn’t completely clean? I’m thinking if there was any bacteria in it, it could cause the contents to go cloudy and eventually develop mold.

Shreiya Aggarwal-Gupta

June 25, 2020 at 3:36 am

Thanks so much, Jackie! This is so, so simple and enjoyable even though it’s been so many years since you published, obviously. I also enjoyed reading the tweaks in the comments. As you said, the pictures don’t do the activity justice – it’s simply amazing to see it in action 🙂

November 13, 2020 at 1:10 am

Help! I followed your instructions to a “T”, and it was beautiful . . . for a week. I even bought fresh oil, to ensure that everything would work perfectly. But after a week, something began to happen, where it looked like some of the oil was somehow disintegrating into the water — the water ended up looking dull, murky, and translucent instead of transparent, giving the effect of dirty, polluted water. I’m really disappointed, as this project looked just so stunning at first that I almost wanted to keep it for myself instead of giving it to my grandson.

Please advise! Thanks!

November 14, 2020 at 8:20 am

Hi Diana, I wonder if there was some residue in the bottle that caused bacteria to form, or somehow, while making it, bacteria entered the bottle. We made our bottle about 6 years ago, and only recently did ours start going cloudy.

November 16, 2020 at 11:46 pm

Thanks for your reply, Jackie. I actually washed out the bottle (a new Voss glass water bottle) very thoroughly with hot soapy water and then carefully rinsed it out with hot water several times. And as mentioned in my previous email, I purchased a new bottle of oil for the project. The finished project was initially so beautiful when I first made it that I hate to give up. I think I’ll try it again with distilled water to see if it makes a difference. If it does, I’ll let you know.

November 18, 2020 at 12:12 pm

SO strange, Diane. I hope it works for you with the distilled water. Please let me know how it goes!

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60+ Best Ocean Activities and Ocean Crafts for Preschool and Kindergarten

This page is packed with Ocean Theme Activities for science, art, sensory, fine motor activities, math, literacy, and more. You’ll find lots of hands-on learning and easy under the sea activities for preschool and kindergarten. Whether you are looking for a few ocean-theme printables to add to your unit study or need a whole week of ocean theme ideas, you’ll find it here.

Ocean Activities for Preschoolers

Ocean Theme Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten

Oceans are vital to all of us. Oceans cover about 70 percent of the Earth’s surface and contain 97 percent of the Earth’s water supply. Oceans are amazing and full of life. Oceans affect weather and temperature and provide food, and approximately 75 percent of our oxygen is produced by marine plants. Your children will enjoy learning about the ocean, ocean animals, and the beach with our ocean-themed printables, crafts, and activities.

Ocean Theme Activities

These ocean theme activities also make for a lot of summer fun. So, if you are not looking for the perfect unit study, pick one or two ocean activities to set up for fun. Your kids will love it! 

Ocean Sensory Play

Ocean-themed sensory experiences.

Engage your child’s senses with sensory play . Use a sensory bin filled with items like sand, shells, and toy sea creatures to create an interactive experience. A popular activity is the ocean in a bottle , which visually represents ocean waves and can be a calming experience for children.

• Sensory Bin: Fill with materials for a hands-on exploration of texture and shape.
• Ocean in a Bottle : Craft a mini-ocean scene in a bottle for visual and kinetic discovery.

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Ocean Pollution Activities and Ocean Pollution Sensory Bin 

These engaging under-the-sea play ideas for kids. Includes ocean themed sensory play, learning activities, snacks, party ideas, and crafts perfect for an ocean theme, beach theme, or summer learning.

Science Experiments and Exploration

Encourage your little scientist’s curiosity with simple sea-related science experiments . Create an ocean in a bottle to teach about ocean currents or waves. Explore marine life through engaging activities that explain the diverse ecosystem found under the sea.

• Ocean Zones: Learn about the different layers of the ocean and the creatures that inhabit them.
• Science Activities: Conduct experiments like creating rain in a jar to illustrate aspects of the water cycle.

Ocean Science Experiments 

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Fine Motor Skills and Coordination

Developing fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination is crucial for your preschoolers, and Under the Sea Printable Activities are a great way to engage them in this learning. Focused on sea life themes , they help children practice these skills while exploring ocean wonders.

Interactive Under the Sea Crafts

Crafts using construction paper: Create colorful sea creatures like fish, starfish, and crabs with your preschoolers to promote the use of scissors and glue. For example, cutting out pufferfish shapes helps refine their scissor skills, while sticking small pieces of paper onto a cereal box turtle shell aids in precision and control.

• Sealife and seashells puzzles: Assemble simple puzzles made from laminated pictures of sea animals. This activity enhances hand-eye coordination and problem-solving abilities.
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Writing centers: Equip your writing center with ocean-themed practice sheets . These pages can have dotted uppercase and lowercase letters to trace, helping preschoolers develop a steady hand. Incorporate images of turtles and other sea creatures beside each letter to keep the activity engaging.

• Ocean unit study: Bring an overall sea life theme to your classroom with Under the Sea Printable Activities that include placing plastic sea creatures into their correct habitats. This builds knowledge about sea animals and refines fine motor skills as kids place them with care.
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What do you think? Are you ready for an Ocean adventure? 

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For more resources, printables, and activities related to the ocean and its inhabitants, please visit the  Under the Sea Activities  page and this  Under the Sea Pinterest board .

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Welcome to Bayfront Child Development Center

Welcome to Bayfront Child Development Center! We are located in the sunny and historic Downtown St. Petersburg, FL. Our classrooms are designed around your child's unique needs, and our curriculum is built from the latest research in early childhood development to help little minds grow. It's our mission from the moment you walk into our center that you feel welcomed and a part of our KinderCare family!

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Meet Danielle LaTour , Our Center Director

At KinderCare Since: 2008

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Meet Danielle LaTour! She is the Center Director at Bayfront Child Development Center in St. Petersburg, FL. Danielle attended Walden University where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Studies, and she has also earned her Director's Credential. She has been with KinderCare for fifteen years, and before that she was a program specialist. Outside of work, Danielle enjoys hiking, kayaking, spending time at the beach, anything outdoors, and exploring state parks. Her favorite quote is, "A person's a person, no matter how small." - Dr. Seuss

Our classrooms are places to thrive!   In our safe and healthy classrooms, your child will be engaged in learning experiences that meet them where they are, both socially and academically. With fun daily activities, passionate teachers, and great friends, a lifetime of confidence starts here. Contact the center director to learn more about our child care options and schedule a tour! 

Bayfront Child Development Center Programs

Infant programs (6 weeks–1 year).

Leaving your baby in someone else’s care is a big step. Everyone at our centers—most importantly, our naturally gifted infant teachers—will work with you to make sure the transition goes smoothly. When you step into our infant classroom, you’ll see how much we want your infant to feel safe, loved, and ready to explore their world.

Toddler Programs (1–2 Years)

Everything in our toddler classroom is designed for little explorers. That’s because a lot is going on at this age. When your child is wandering all over the place, that means they’re learning and discovering new things every day. We’ll help them explore their interests (and find new ones!) as they play and learn.

Discovery Preschool Programs (2–3 Years)

This age is filled with so much wonder and curiosity. That’s why we offer a ton of books and toys and bring artwork down to kids eye level. Children in discovery preschool also begin to learn how we all work together in a classroom. Simple math and science, pretend play, and group play help them get used to a more structured school setting.

Preschool Programs (3–4 Years)

This age is all about expression, when kids really start to form their own ideas about what they want to play and how they want to create. Every day in our preschool classroom, your child will explore science experiments, create artwork, and play pretend—all the skills needed for their big next step: kindergarten!

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When you walk into one of our pre-K classrooms, you’ll see artwork and writing displayed around the room. Labels are everywhere to help kids connect letters with words. You’ll also see pictures on the walls that reflect the families in our community. Your child will also deepen their knowledge in language, math, science, Spanish, and social skills.

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Winter break, spring break, summer break—when school’s out (but you still need to work), you can count on KinderCare to provide a safe and supportive learning environment that’s focused on fun. We welcome children ages 5–12 during school break times and make sure they have a sensational, screen-free experience they won’t forget.

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Phonics adventures® (2 – 4 years).

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“ We have been with BCDC since our son was 10 weeks old and he, now three, hurries down the hall to his classroom to see what the day has in store for him. His day has structure  so he knows what to expect, joy and discovery so that he can learn to love learning, gentle and consistent discipline, caring and attentive teachers and developmentally appropriate expectations.Each time he has graduated to a new room, we lamented parting with the teachers we have bonded with only to be met with another wonderful pair of caregivers and educators that we would, in turn, be sad to leave. Every day we ask our son the same question: 'How was your day today?' and every day it is answered with diverse and enthusiastic answers: 'We saw a magic show!' 'We drew a spider!' 'We planted some beans!' His days have been full of discovery even as an infant which is more difficult to deliver than it sounds.I credit the curriculum, and the care with which it is applied for the overall environment of learning, play, and participation that has helped shape our son into a (mostly) polite and (relatively) well-behaved young boy. It has been a joy watching him grow and evolve as a part of the Bayfront family, and we look forward to several more years.

“ I love to brag about Bayfront Child Development Center.  I brought my one-year-old son there eight years ago and as I watched him move from classroom to classroom, not only did I see him learning new things and hitting milestones, I was also learning how to be a better  parent to my son!  It was my first kid! I valued and needed the advice and encouragement the teachers gave me daily.  He graduated from VPK at Bayfront and attended their summer camp the following summer. They offered classes in math, phonics, music, and even Spanish there. He was placed in gifted soon after in elementary school and I credit his love of learning and confidence to his teachers at BCDC.When my husband and I found out we were pregnant with our second, after our parents, we told BCDC! On the lengthy waiting list we went, because the secret was out how special this little school is. She also started at age one and adores it. When her big brother walks her into school now I often hear him tell her how lucky she is to go to school here.  She says 'I know,' and I know it too.

“ We started at the Bayfront Child Development Center in October of 2013 with  all three of our children attending, At that time, our oldest was three, middle  two, and youngest about 10 months old, We had just recently moved to the area after having excellent child care in our previous location, so our expectations were very high for Bayfront. With us being a military family, despite our children's young ages, this already made our fourth day care, so we really couldn't afford  to have it not be a great place.To say our expectations have been met would be a huge understatement. Bayfront  has truly exceeded every single one of our needs and expectations in helping raise our three children. And truly, that's  what they do, they become an extension of each child's family unit and help raise them. We have seen tears wiped, accomplishments celebrated, and poor behavior redirected. Each of our children's teachers have loved them as though they were their own, and each of the front office staff has done exactly the same. It never fails to amaze us how Beth knows each and every one of the kids' names at the school!With Ryan being stationed  on a ship during the first year of the kids' time at Bayfront, he was gone for more than half of the year. This was a challenge on the whole family, and the kids dealt with a constant roller coaster of Dad being gone, then home for a little while, then gone again. It was a trying time for them and certainly  a hard adjustment for all of us. The staff at Bayfront took the time to understand  how the kids were doing, evaluate why some of their  behavior was changing, and took steps to help the kids through those challenging times. Moreover, they even took the time out to help Gina.At one point  Lisa caught Gina on her way in to pick up the kids, and just simply asked her how she was doing with Ryan being gone so much, and told her if she ever needed anything, even just to call to vent, that she was there for her. This single interaction, while not a required part of Lisa's job, was so meaningful to Gina and demonstrated how wonderful and devoted  to our family's  well-being the staff at Bayfront is. We're  continually impressed by how much the staff knows about our home life too, not just what  they see of the kids during the day.Not enough can be said about the quality of the teachers at Bayfront either. Not a day goes by that we don't wonder how in the world the teachers manage to patiently and calmly teach a classroom full of two or three-year-olds, or how they manage to get the kids to do things they simply refuse to do at home... like listen! It's really a sight to behold when 10 or so three-year-olds are silently walking in a line 'catching  a bubble' coming in from outside. It's amazing it's not pure chaos every moment of the day, or that each of them haven't  lost all of their hair or even pulled it out! The teachers at Bayfront are just such wonderful role models, not only for the kids, but for us as parents too!Unfortunately we're getting ready for another military move yet again, and we'll be leaving Bayfront before the end of the month, and the staff there will be truly missed. It will be extremely hard to say goodbye to the people who have taken such great care of our children, day in and day out, and who have constantly put their best effort into developing them. The teachers and staff at Bayfront have truly become our friends, our teachers, and our family.

“ Bayfront child development center to me is an extension of our family. I have a four and one-and-a-half-year-old attending, and my experience  has been nothing  short of exceptional. The leadership  team, the primary teachers, and every single one of the support staff are remarkable individuals who each have their own unique qualities to offer, which makes them a strong and dynamic team.I have watched  them work together through the years and I am amazed at how everyone is there for the betterment of the children. Each one of them knows my children by name and I feel as though they love them like their own. They demonstrate this with  enthusiasm, giving them love, teaching them life skills, and providing a safe, clean and fun environment every day.Communication is outstanding. The leadership team keeps us up to speed with  upcoming  changes, alerts for sickness going around, and activities  taking place.  We get daily written communication from the teachers about our child's day along with  verbal updates at drop off and pickup. Even the tough issues like poor behavior are addressed in a professional way, always positive, and with avenues presented on how to work through the adversity.There are so many fun activities planned for the kids. It is not uncommon for the staff to use their own resources and personal time to bring a little extra joy to the kids. Holidays are celebrated with amazing activities that truly make lifetime memories for our whole family. Pictures are taken regularly to capture those precious moments that a parent who works full time misses. Creative art projects for every occasion are done using little hands and feet and toes. These masterpieces are absolutely treasured and are keepsakes for a lifetime.Recently my one-and-half-year-old choked on a carrot at lunch time and a teacher reacted immediately, performing the choking rescue for him with great success. Being a RN, I know that acting effectively in an emergency takes courage and training. I am forever  grateful for the amazing staff at BCDC. I would never consider my children attending a different school, and I share my experiences regularly with the community because I'm so very proud of this program and the amazing staff that make it first class and one of a kind.

“ My son has attended  Bayfront Child Development  Center (BCDC) for almost one year. I have been so impressed with both the wonderful teachers and the expansive curriculum. Each time you walk in the door, you feel very welcome at BCDC. You are always greeted with a smile by everyone you pass in the hallway. It's amazing how all the teachers know every family and child so well. Even the ones I haven't officially  met, know my son's name and that I'm his mother.Furthermore, my son's teachers, Ms. Marcy and Ms. Danielle, are especially caring and patient. You can tell that they care about all of their students. They appreciate each child's unique personality and strengths. They are the perfect  mix of silly and serious (which is important to hold the attention of preschoolers) and I love how they post pictures of the children  all over the classroom.The directors, Ms. Kristy and Ms. Beth, are excellent. They are both friendly  and professional and make time to discuss any concerns or answer questions, no matter how busy they are. A couple times when my son has seemed ill or not like himself, one of them called right away to let me know. Similarly, when I have called and asked them to check in on him in his classroom, they are happy to accommodate my request. It's very reassuring to know that my son is in such good hands and that not only do the teachers know my son so well, but that the directors  do too. I know that he is completely safe at BCDC and that gives me great peace of mind.I also wanted to mention that I appreciate  the high-quality  curriculum at BCDC. I believe it prepares children very well for kindergarten. My older son attended  VPK at BCDC (back in the 2011-2012 school year) and though he has been the youngest child in his class, he has done exceptionally well in elementary school thus far. The emphasis on sight words alone really helps make the transition from preschool to elementary school seamless because they have a head start on reading. Similarly, l’d like to note that the optional phonics program is great and I highly recommend to anyone. It's definitely worth the investment.

“ My three-year-old daughter Adyson has been attending Bayfront Child Development Center since she was an infant. I was initially drawn to the daycare center for two specific reasons. The first  reason is the hours of operation. No other  daycare center in the area opens as early as Bayfront CDC.The second reason is the location. Bayfront CDC is located on the same  campus as Bayfront Health St. Petersburg which is my place of employment. As a parent and especially as a first time mom, it is difficult  to leave your child in the care of others. Knowing how close she is to me while I'm working  was a tremendous burden lifted  from my shoulders. I know if she needs me for anything I can get to her in minutes.Over the years I have learned that  Bayfront Child Development Center is so much  more than a convenient location and excellent hours of operation. I want to thank you for your incredible patience and for teaching my daughter to be patient. For everyone's friendly smiles and for making Adyson smile every day. For the attention you give each of your students and somehow still make Ady feel like she's  the only one that counts. Adyson is learning more and more every day, she's becoming a confident, inquisitive and polite little girl. I thank you from the bottom of my heart  for playing such a big part in who she becomes! I am so appreciative for the love and  care your staff  has given not only to Adyson but to all of the students at Bayfront Child Development Center!

“ Raising two children with both parents working and without the support of local family members can be challenging. When my daughter was born in 2012, my husband and I decided to explore our child care options beyond the center where we were currently enrolled. At the same time, BCDC was opening their enrollment to the entire community of St. Petersburg.Ms. Lisa provided  us with a very thorough tour of the facilities, answering a multitude of questions (my mother was a director of a child care center for over 25 years, so you can imagine the inquiry she endured). Ultimately, we decided to move my three-year-old son and enroll my infant  daughter with the school.We remain part of the BCDC family today. My son, a graduate from the VPK program, will be entering first grade next year and is exceeding our expectations in regards to his knowledge and understanding of the world around. His self-confidence and ability to interact with all those around him openly is partly due to the time he spent with his BCDC teachers and classmates. My daughter is currently in the three-year-old room where she is learning her letters, beginning to write  and plays all day long. It gives my husband and I comfort to know that the time our children are/were away from us is being spent with caregivers who are taking a vested interest in nurturing their body, mind and spirit.

“ Our children have been attending BCDC for the last 18 months and we are extremely happy with the care and education they are receiving. We knew when we initially  toured the center while expecting our second daughter that this was an environment that would keep our girls safe and cared for in addition to laying a foundation for learning. One of the most important things to us when deciding where to send our children was the staff of the school, and in that I feel like we have hit the lottery. I cannot say enough how much we have enjoyed all the teachers that have taught the various classes the girls have been in.From infant  to toddler  to preschool, we couldn't  be happier. Our children are excited to go to school every morning, and when we pick them up they're  excited to show us what they've learned or worked  on that day. It gives us, as parents, great peace of mind to know they're being well taken care of and great pride to see their minds developing. We've all heard the saying 'It takes a village to raise a child,' and we are happy to have BCDC on this adventure  with us.

Frequently Asked Questions

What accreditations does kindercare have.

We are your trusted caregiver. Our centers are state-licensed and regularly inspected to make sure everything meets or exceeds standards, including child-to-teacher ratios and safe facilities. Our centers aren’t just licensed—most are accredited, too! Find out more .

Do you offer part-time schedules at Bayfront Child Development Center?

Everybody’s schedule is different. We’re happy to offer quality, affordable part-time and full-time childcare. Drop-in care may also be available. Reach out to your Center Director to learn more.

How does naptime work at Bayfront Child Development Center?

Our teachers meet every child’s needs during naptime. Our teachers know how to get babies to nap. In fact, they are pros at getting children of any age to nap. Visit our article on " 10 Ways We Help Kids Get a Great Daycare Nap " to learn more.

Do you support alternative diets?

We strive to be as inclusive as possible. To that point, we provide a vegetarian option at mealtime, take care to not serve common allergens and can adapt menus based on your child’s food sensitivities. If your child has additional needs, we’ll work with you to figure out a plan.

Are meals included in tuition? Can I choose to send my child with lunch?

We provide nutritious meals and snacks developed by a registered dietician to meet the needs of rapidly growing bodies and minds. If your child has special dietary requirements and you would prefer to bring in their lunch, please make arrangements with the center director.

Does my child need to be potty-trained?

Every child begins toilet learning at a different age. Until your child shows an interest in toilet learning, we’ll provide diaper changes on an as-needed basis. When your child shows an interest, we'll discuss how to work together to encourage toilet learning .

About KinderCare

Child Care You Can Trust

It’s more than daycare, it’s kindercare.

Whether your child is just starting to explore the world or on their way to big-kid school, we have exactly what they need to foster their love of learning and build confidence. See proof that our Early Foundations® curriculum  prepares kids for kindergarten, elementary school, and beyond!

Accreditation

Leading the way as america’s most accredited child care provider..

Accreditation means that every aspect of our programs, from teacher training and classroom safety  to our top-notch curriculum, is backed by third-party experts who’ve given their seal of approval.

Learn more about accreditation

Meet Our Classroom Heroes

From ABCs and 123s to social-emotional skills and problem-solving, our amazing teachers build kindergarten readiness and Confidence for Life™. See how they bring learning to life  at every age and stage!

Babies Are Reaching New Milestones

Babies are giggling, wiggling, and exploring the world one tiny step at a time! In our infant classrooms , little ones are discovering language, experimenting with problem solving, and practicing social and emotional skills.

Toddlers Learn Through Creating, Playing, and Exploring

Toddlers are on the move! At this age, that’s totally normal as they learn and discover the world around them. In our toddler classrooms , they’re building confidence through creating art, learning their ABCs, imaginative play, and so much more.

Discovery Preschoolers Practice Independence

Preschoolers are building so many new skills, prekindergarteners are doing art, stem, letters, and more, teachers you can trust.

When we say we’ve got the best teachers around, we really mean it. You can rest assured that every team member clears rigorous national and state background checks. Plus, our hiring process includes the Gallup® Talent Assessment to make sure we hire educators who have that special something it takes to work with kids.

8-time Gallup® Exceptional Workplace Award Winner

Every year we check in with our amazing team to survey how engaged they are, and for 8 years running we’ve earned the Gallup® Exceptional Workplace Award! We’re the first and only early childhood education provider recognized, and one of just two companies worldwide to receive the honor eight years in a row.

Peace Of Mind From Drop-Off To Pick-Up

Child care isn’t just about caring for children—it’s about families and communities too! We’re committed to valuing the experiences and traditions you bring with you and honoring them within our community. Whenever you step through our front door , you’ll know that you’re in a place where your family is safe, happy, and celebrated for who they are. Read on to see the KinderCare difference.

Stay In Touch With The KinderCare App

Ever wonder what your little learner does all day? Download the KinderCare App . With a few taps, you can send messages to your center director, check on your child’s progress, and even get photos of all the fun they’re having. Here’s a sneak peek of how it works !

Find Your Partner In Parenting

Our teachers join forces with families to help kids become lifelong learners while building confidence to live happy and healthy lives. Take a moment to watch a KinderCare teacher and mom chat about how we’re the ultimate partners in parenting.

Hear From Families Like Yours

When it comes to  deciding on a child care center , we know there’s nothing quite like hearing from the KinderCare community.

“As a parent, I entrust my greatest blessing to the staff at KinderCare every day, and I am grateful for the loving care and guidance he receives."  - Becky T.

Get Judgment-Free Tips And Innovative Ideas

If you haven’t yet, check out our KinderCare blog . It’s where you can find answers to your questions about parenting, education, and health and safety, and even get inspired to bring more learning home. See how you stay in the loop .

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