Under the sea science activities can teach your child so much more about the amazing creatures that live below the ocean than any worksheet ever could. Also, you’ll love more ideas on my Oceans Unit Study and Lapbook.
I have always been a hands-on teaching mom, preferring an activity to or in addition to books and papers.
Today I have an amazing disappearing octopus ink science experiment for you and more great under the sea science activities to get excited about.
And learn amazing things about the depths by testing saltwater density, watching animals live in action, or creating a memorable ocean themed lapbook.
If you are studying oceans for any length of time a must have reference book for studying undersea science is Ocean Anatomy by Julia Rothman.
I found wonderful illustrations and interesting tidbits about the octopus as well as other ocean creatures inside.
Under the Sea Books For Kids
Next, add some of these books to your home library to add to your unit study or just for fun reading.
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, learn why does an octopus shoot out ink.
We are going to investigate and find out at the same time as we learn how to make food coloring disappear.
Two fantastic science investigations rolled into one with a fun ocean theme.
Take some time to do a few of the other ideas listed with your child.
15 Under the Sea Science Activities
- First up is my Shark and Oceans for Kindergarten Fun Sight Word Activity. While this is heavily language arts based, building the shark together and talking about the makeup of the shark and what they eat turns it into a science lesson as well.
- Find out all about coral chemistry and learn the effects of ocean acidification on coral reefs.
- Learn all about the different layers of the ocean from the trench to the sunlight zone with Fun Making Ocean Layers Soap | Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers.
- Watch one or more of these Live Aquarium Webcams to see sea creatures in action.
- Grab my Free Ocean Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
- Include some sensory play into your learning with Ocean Waves in a bottle.
- How To Make Your Own Edible Beach Sand And Shells: A Creative And Delicious Recipe
- Learn How do Fish Breathe Underwater Fun Activity & Animal Science Homeschool Curriculum.
- Try out the Salt Water Density Ocean Experiments for Kindergarten for kids of a variety of ages and find out what happens to mass in fresh vs. salt water.
- A great selection of plastic ocean animals can be used to observe their features up close, to create sensory bins, dioramas, toppers for cakes, and so much more.
- Have you ever wondered How Does Sound Travel Underwater? This activity is a simple way to find out!
- 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
- Exciting Swiss Family Robinson Activities | From Oyster To Pearl
Before we get into the activity, I have for you let’s dive into how it works so you are ready to amaze and astound your kiddos!
Why Does Bleach Make The Color Fade
Depending on the concentration of bleach and how much you use your ink may fade or completely disappear.
What makes inky water clear up is the sodium hypochlorite in the bleach and that oxidizes the food coloring.
The color molecules remain in the water, but their shape is changed which means that it no longer absorbs and reflects light the same way and loses its color.
Amazing Disappearing Octopus Ink
You will need:
- Large clear bowl
- Plastic octopus
- Water
- Food coloring
- Bleach
- Dropper
First, place your octopus on the bottom of your glass jar or bowl.
Fill the container with water until your octopus is completely covered.
Add a few drops of food coloring and talk about what happens as the water darkens around the octopus. Why do they do that? How does it help them?
The ‘ink’ creates a great veil for them to get lost in, we could barely see him in the water.
Now begin adding bleach a few drops at a time until the water, we started with the blue and while it is a fantastic demonstration for how they use it to hide and escape it would not disappear no matter how much bleach we added.
So to demonstrate our disappearing ink experiment a little better we tried it with yellow which has a much more dramatic reaction to the bleach.
Add the bleach a dropper full at a time and watch the magic happen.
As you add more bleach the yellow begins to disappear almost completely from the water.
Extend the lesson-
Try all the colors to compare the differences, use cold water and also try it with hot water. Was there any difference?
