Discovery Station has partnered with the Judy Center of Washington County, Washington County Free Library, The Hub at USMH, and Washington County Reads to bring hands-on STEAM education to the little ones in your life!
Overview
This sensory activity brings the ocean and all its marvels to your home and can help your child develop important skills like:
- making observations and predictions (What will happen when you add food coloring to the water?)
- counting (How many sea creatures are in the bag? How many shells?)
- learning to follow directions and ordinal numbers (1,2,3, what comes next?)
- cooperation (you will be working together and taking turns to do this activity)
- building vocabulary (What are the names of the sea creatures? The ocean is an environment.)
Supplies Needed
- Ziploc Bags
- Blue food coloring
- Clear packing tape
- Sand
- Shells
- Plastic Sea Creatures
- Container to mix the items together
Instructions:
- Add the blue food coloring to a medium bowl of water and mix together. Set the mixture aside.
- Pour the sand into the bottom of the Ziploc bag.
- Have your child add seashells and sea creatures. As them to identify the animals that they see!
- Pour the blue water into the bag. The blue water represents ocean water!
- Close up the Ziploc bag and then wrap a piece of tape over the seam to make sure it is sealed tightly.
- Place the bag on a table (you can use another piece of tape to hold it in place, if desired.) Your child can manipulate the contents of the bag to create a sensory exploration of the ocean!
Extend the Learning: Have your child tell you a story about what is happening in the ocean. Write it down and let your child draw a picture about the story.
Books about the ocean:
I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry
Commotion in the Ocean by Giles Andreae