We’re doing a creative activity to learn ocean currents for kids. And look at my page Oceans Unit Study and Lapbook for more ocean activities.
Too, an ocean currents sensory bin is the perfect hands-on activity to combine sensory play with real-world learning.
And you can fill the sensory bin with items that bring learning to life like sea creatures and even boats along with a way to show the currents moving.
For example, a fan or even straw that the child blows through can be used.
So this activity teaches basic oceanography about how warm and cold water currents behave. Kids feel the contrast of cold and warm water, and engage with color, motion, and texture.
Children see how temperatures affect movement in water.
OCEAN BOOKS FOR KIDS
Next, look at some of these ocean books for kids.
16 Ocean Books for Kids Who Love to Read and Be Read To
Choose a few of these ocean themed books to go along with your study of the Oceans. Whether you're looking for a spine for a unit study or literature, you'll love this roundup.
Join Danny Meadow Mouse, Jimmy Skunk, and Reddy Fox as they explore the seashore and take a closer look at the habits and habitats of the creatures they find. Discover the Seahorse, Shrimp, Crab, Anemone, Gull, and so many more.
The Burgess Seashore Book for Children is a wonderful way to introduce young ones to the fascinating world beneath us and is a perfect compliment to earlier books in this series, the Bird, Animal, and Flower books.
This edition is complete and unabridged with all of the beautiful illustrations by W.H. Southwick and George Sutton
Seaside Naturalist is an illustrated guide to marine plants and animals includes the characteristics of protozoa, arthropods, sponges, mollusks, reptiles, birds, fish, and mammals.
The book opens by explaining how different types of animals are able to breathe and survive underwater, and the different families to which they belong. Subsequent pages are dedicated to specific creatures, including sea turtles, whales, sharks, stingrays, and seahorses, and show varied life in specific habitats, such as a coral reef or deep sea bed. The Big Book of the Blue also explores the underwater world thematically, looking at animals in danger, learning how to spot creatures at the beach, and discovering how to do our part to save sea life. Beautiful and filled with fascinating facts, young, curious readers won’t be able to tear their eyes away from the page.
Island of the Blue Dolphins begins with a young girl named Karana who is living on the Island of the Blue Dolphins (fancy name, right?) with her younger brother, Ramo, and sister, Ulape. One day, a group of Russian hunters (Aleutians) land on the island to hunt for otter. This is when the trouble really begins.
Once upon a time in France, a baby was born under the summer sun. His parents named him Jacques. As he grew, Jacques fell in love with the sea. He dreamed of breathing beneath the waves and swimming as gracefully as a fish. In fact, he longed to become a manfish. Jacques Cousteau grew up to become a champion of the seas and one of the best-known oceanographers in the world. In this lovely biography, now in paperback, poetic text and gorgeous paintings come together to create a portrait of Cousteau that is as magical as it is inspiring.
A beautiful edition with 110 images from the 1875 English edition. Use Amazon's Look inside feature to compare this edition with others. You'll be impressed by the differences. Don't be fooled by other versions that have no illustrations or contain very small print. Reading our edition will make you feel that you are traveling the seas with Captain Nemo himself.
More than 100 original illustrations by Louis Rhead. You want to read this book with illustrations.
An introduction by W. D. Howells.
Nicely formatted text in an easy-to-read font.
A beautiful cover from the 1891 edition.
Embark on a captivating tour of the waters that cover 70 percent of our planet! See our oceans come to life in mind-blowing detail. This is the ultimate children’s visual encyclopedia about the awe-inspiring blue planet!
How did a nineteenth-century dressmaker revolutionize science? Jeanne Power was creative: she wanted to learn about the creatures that swim beneath the ocean waves, so she built glass tanks and changed the way we study underwater life forever. Jeanne Power was groundbreaking: she solved mysteries of sea animals and published her findings at a time when few of women’s contributions to science were acknowledged. Jeanne Power was persistent: when records of her research were lost, she set to work repeating her studies. And when men tried to take credit for her achievements, she stood firm and insisted on the recognition due to her.
Follow Rothman’s inquisitive mind and perceptive eye along shorelines, across the open ocean, and below the waves for an artistic exploration of the watery universe. Through her drawings, discover how the world’s oceans formed, why the sea is salty, and the forces behind oceanic phenomena such as rogue waves. Colorful anatomical profiles of sea creatures from crustacean to cetacean, surveys of seafaring vessels and lighthouses, and the impact of plastic and warming water temperatures are just part of this compendium of curiosities that will entertain and educate readers of all ages.
Do you know a kid who’s captivated by what goes on beneath the ocean’s surface? This amazing entry into ocean books for kids is packed with hundreds of incredible facts for hours of underwater exploration. Pages of full-color pictures feature life in and around the sea including fish, dolphins, and shipwrecks!
Dive into the mesmerizing world of bioluminescence with "All About Bioluminescence." In this captivating book, readers embark on a journey through the depths of the ocean to discover the extraordinary glow-in-the-dark creatures that inhabit its mysterious realm. From the enchanting sea angel to the infamous anglerfish, each page is filled with stunning illustrations and fascinating facts about these luminous beings.With a focus on deep-sea dwellers, readers will uncover the secrets behind bioluminescence and learn how these creatures use light to communicate, camouflage, and lure prey. But the adventure doesn't stop there! "All About Bioluminescence" also includes hands-on activities like a glow stick experiment, allowing readers to experience the magic of bioluminescence firsthand.
One of the most enduringly popular adventure tales, Treasure Island began in 1881 as a serialized adventure entitled "The Sea-Cook"in the periodical Young Folks. Completed during a stay at Davos, Switzerland, where Stevenson had gone for his health, it was published in 1883 in the form we know today.Set in the eighteenth century, Treasure Island spins a heady tale of piracy, a mysterious treasure map, and a host of sinister characters charged with diabolical intentions. Seen through the eyes of Jim Hawkins, the cabin boy of the Hispaniola, the action-packed adventure tells of a perilous sea journey across the Spanish Main, a mutiny led by the infamous Long John Silver, and a lethal scramble for buried treasure on an exotic isle.
In Oceans and Seas! With 25 Science Projects for Kids readers ages 7 though 10 dive into the underwater world of some of the most amazing landscapes on Earth. On this amazing underwater adventure, kids experience the ocean’s tropical reefs and spot crabs, sea sponges, and thousands of kinds of fish darting in its crags and folds. They’ll meet a giant squid with eyes the size of dinner plates and an mbrella-like bioluminescent jellyfish.
From both a historical and scientific point of view, above and below the surface, this engaging guide brings the world’s oceans to life through fun facts, illustrations, and in-depth information. Interactive activities appear throughout, ranging from making solar stills and simple fishing spears to experimenting with a homemade diving bell and figuring out how much water it really takes to survive. With the oceans being the least explored environment on Earth, this reference illuminates some of the most incredible and surprising plants and animals as well as how to survive and navigate these vast expanses.
An intricate study of tide pool life is presented in text and pictures through the story of Pagoo, a her-mit crab.
Also, look at these other activities to learn about ocean currents.
OCEAN CURRENT FOR KIDS ACTIVITIES
And if you want to do another one for a little older child, look at my post Humboldt Who? Hands On to Understand Ocean Currents & Their Effect On The Galapagos Islands.
- Ocean Currents Minibook
- How do ocean currents move and how does this affect navigation.
- Learn about ocean currents with a few simple items from your kitchen.
Also, look at more ocean activity for kids.
OCEAN HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS
- Free Under the Sea Worksheets : Dive into the Ocean’s Wonders
- Crafty Ocean Adventures: How to Make a Paper Plate Stingray
- How To Mix Glow In The Dark Slime Ingredients To Make Awesome Ocean Slime
- Exploring The Ocean With Ice Experiments: Simple Sea Animal Rescue
- How to Make an Ocean-Inspired Sea Shell Necklace | 8 Summer Beach Crafts
- Ocean Unit Study Ocean Layers Hands-on Fun Activity
- Shark and Oceans for Kindergarten Fun Sight Word Activity
- Making Ocean Layers Soap
- Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids
- How to Make a Fun Paper Plate Fish | F is for Fish
- Under the Sea Science Activities With Amazing Disappearing Octopus Ink
Finally, look at this ocean currents sensory bin.
OCEAN CURRENTS SENSORY BIN
First, look at this easy list of supplies:
- Large plastic bin or clear container
- Cold water
- Blue food coloring
- Red food coloring
- Ice cubes
- Pot or kettle for boiling water (handled by adults only)
- Ocean animal toys (fish, whales, sharks, etc.)
Fill the bin. Pour cold water into the sensory bin, filling it about halfway.
Add color Add a drop or two of blue food coloring to the cold water and stir gently until the color is evenly distributed.
Then add ocean animals. Drop in ocean animal toys. These add fun and encourage pretend play during the experiment.
Chill the water. Add ice cubes to the bin and gently swirl the water so it becomes the same cold temperature throughout.
This helps create a more dramatic effect when adding warm water later.
Prepare the warm water (adult step). Boil 2- cups of water and add a drop or two of red food coloring. Carefully carry it over to the sensory bin.
Observe the ocean currents. Slowly pour the red warm water into one corner of the cold blue water.
Watch how the red water swirls and rises through the cold water, mimicking the movement of warm ocean currents.
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