Underwater Week

This week our classroom turned into an underwater world filled with science, movement, art, and discovery. Every day the children explored the ocean in a new way, whether they were creating waves, meeting deep-sea creatures, painting jellyfish, or practicing how different animals move. It was one of our most immersive themed weeks yet.

Floating and Sinking Science

We opened the week with a hands-on science experiment: two jars of water, carrot slices, and a question about what floats and what sinks. One jar held fresh water and the other held salt water. The children carefully observed what happened as we placed the carrots inside. They noticed that salt water holds objects up differently than fresh water.

A few curious scientists also compared the taste of the two waters using a supervised fingertip dip. They immediately recognized the difference between salty and fresh. This small moment of sensory discovery helped them understand the ocean in a concrete way and built early scientific thinking.

Waves and Ocean Animal Exploration

Our large ocean sensory bin quickly became the heart of the classroom. It was filled with water, scoops, and a collection of unique sea creatures including manta rays, lionfish, sharks, turtles, an octopus, and the deep-sea anglerfish.

As soon as the children began exploring, the bin transformed into a moving ocean. They created waves by pushing water gently back and forth, then tried larger motions to see how the animals reacted. The creatures “swam,” drifted, hid, and reappeared as the children experimented with different patterns of movement.

They practiced identifying each animal, describing shapes and colors, and learning simple facts. One favorite moment was learning how an anglerfish uses its small glowing lure like a built-in flashlight in the deep ocean where the sun cannot reach.

During these conversations, we also talked about real ocean waves. Some children remembered seeing waves at the beach, while others weren’t sure or said they hadn’t noticed them before. Together we looked at pictures and promised to pay attention next time. This sparked thoughtful connections between classroom play and real-world experiences.

Underwater Movement Play

To carry the theme into the body, we added ocean-inspired movement activities. These motion invitations help strengthen coordination, balance, and spatial awareness in a fun, age-appropriate way.

The children practiced

• swimming motions like fish gliding through water

• hopping motions inspired by dolphins leaping above the surface

• pinching motions like crabs opening and closing their claws

These whole-body activities helped them imagine how different animals move and brought an added layer of playfulness and physical learning into the theme.

Underwater Coloring Exploration

Our underwater coloring pages sparked expressive creativity. Many children chose to color most of the page blue to represent the deep ocean surrounding everything. Others added shapes, seaweed, bubbles, or waves.

This activity supported early mark-making, fine motor development, and the ability to communicate ideas through art. It was wonderful to see each child decide what “underwater” meant to them.

Sea Turtle Craft

Our sea turtle craft encouraged careful hands and thoughtful sequencing. The children created turtle shells using green collage squares on paper plates, then added the head, legs, and tail. Each child arranged their pieces in their own way, resulting in a collection of turtles that were all completely unique.

This activity supported cutting practice, gluing skills, attention to detail, and the ability to follow multi-step instructions while still making creative choices.

Jellyfish Day

Jellyfish Day might have been the highlight of the week. We began by painting bright jellyfish Once dry, the children added long ribbon tentacles and eyes to bring their jellyfish to life.

We paired the craft with a gentle movement activity where the children practiced floating, wiggly jellyfish motions around the room.

When the jellyfish dried completely, we turned them into ornaments and decorated our daycare tree. The children were incredibly proud to see their creations hanging up for everyone to admire. Families later shared how happy the children were to bring their jellyfish home and add them to their own trees.

A Week of Discovery

Underwater Week brought together science, sensory exploration, art, movement, and early research skills in a way that felt joyful and natural for the children. They learned how salt changes water, how waves move, how different sea animals behave, and how deep-sea creatures survive in darkness. They strengthened fine motor skills through collage work, practiced coordination through movement play, and expressed themselves through art and storytelling.

It was a full week of curiosity, confidence, and creativity, and we loved watching the children discover the ocean in so many interconnected ways.