Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Activity, Change, Progress

ocean

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

| Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have some fun coral reef activities and play dough invitation to play. Also, grab more ideas on my Coral Reef page and Oceans Unit Study and Lapbook.

June 9th is all about celebrating Coral Triangle Day.

It’s a day to promote ocean conservation and protection, especially in the Coral Triangle.

To mark it, I have fun coral reef activities and a play dough invitation to play.

Additionally, the Coral Triangle includes the waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and the Solomon Islands.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

While coral reefs everywhere are important, the coral triangle gains a lot of attention for its diversity within its waters.

Let’s dive into an ocean of learning about the beauty and diversity of coral reefs and the Coral Triangle.

I have books, hands-on activities, facts, and more.

Summer is the perfect time to learn more about the oceans that surround us and the unique coral reefs in them.

Coral Reef Activities Facts

  • The Coral Triangle is also known as the Amazon of the Seas.
  • Here, in the triangle, live 6 out of the world’s 7 species of marine turtles.
  • It is one of the eight major coral reef zones throughout the world, and it is recognized as a very important place of marine biodiversity and a major priority for conservation.
  • Over 600 different species of reef-building coral make their home in the triangle.
  • 76% of all the world’s coral species are found in the Coral Triangle. The area boasts the highest coral diversity in the world.
  • Researchers believe that the Coral Triangle may be where all Coral Reefs once began.
  • The most endangered species in the area are Yellowfin, Tuna Skipjack, and Bigeye Tuna.

Also, look at some of these fun coral reef books and resources.

Coral Reef Unit Study Resources

Add some of these coral reef unit study resources to your unit study.

Also, look at these hands on ideas to study about the ocean and coral reef.

More Coral Reef Activities and Resources

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Moreover, look at my huge Ocean Unit Study and Sea Turtle Unit Study.

Coral Reef Activities Play Dough Invitation

You will need:

  • 1 cup Flour
  • ½ cup table salt
  • 1 cup of Water
  • 1 Tbsp. Coconut Oil (or vegetable oil)
  • 1 tsp. Cream of tartar
  • Food coloring
  • Optional-essential oils

Also, you will need:

  • Small bowls, cups, or a divided tray
  • Shells
  • Plastic ocean creatures
  • Beads
  • Toothpicks
  • Aquarium pebbles
  • Chenille stems

First, combine flour, salt, water, coconut oil, and cream of tartar in a medium pot over medium-high heat.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Stir constantly until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and is no longer sticky.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Quickly remove from heat and put the dough onto a smooth surface.

When it cools enough to touch, knead it for a few minutes and add food coloring and essential oil mixing well.

This is the perfect time to mix in a fun beachy scented essential oil like coconut or pineapple.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Now that your playdough is ready to go you can begin building your coral reef Hands-on invitation to play.

Grab some small clear cups or use a divided tray to place all your items out in an inviting way.

Cut colorful pipe cleaners down into different lengths.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Put playdough in one bowl, beads and toothpicks in another, chenille stems, toys, shells, and any other little items you have each in their own bowl.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Encourage your child to build an ocean base with the playdough, press chenille stems into it, poke in toothpicks and stack pony beads on them, Add fish and other ocean toys.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Your child can build and rebuild unique coral reefs as they learn about their beauty and importance.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

| Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Your kids will love this fun blow painting coral reef hands-on activity. Also, grab more ideas on my Coral Reef page.

Too, June 1st marks World Reef Day, a day that is a call for everyone to reflect on our beautiful coral reefs as well as come to action to protect and preserve them.

Even if you have never visited them in person, you have surely seen their beauty in pictures or videos.

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

I have a beautiful craft project to share with you which is coral reef blow painting.

It is a unique and fun activity for the kids to make and is a beautiful piece of artwork to hang up in your home as well.

This project is so fun you will probably want to make one yourself.

Coral reefs are important to us because:

  • they hold an abundance of life,
  • reefs protect coastlines from storms and erosion,
  • provide jobs for the community around them,
  • they are a source of food and medicine,
  • and are a source of recreation for those who wish to appreciate them up close.

10 World Coral Reef Day Facts

Next, look at some facts to remember on world coral reef day.

  1. The NOAA estimates that over 75% of the world’s reefs are currently threatened, and within the next 10 years, 90% of reefs will be threatened by human activities.
  2. The biggest threat to coral is climate change.
  3. Corals are animals, not plants, and are the cousins of marine animals like jellyfish and sea anemones.
  4. Corals can move. Adult coral is attached to the ocean floor but larval or baby coral can swim to find a spot to set down anchor.
  5. Coral supports 25% of ocean life, it is much like an underwater forest.
  6. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef system on Earth.
  7. Like trees, coral has growth rings inside that can help determine the age of the coral.
  8. There are over 800 different types of hard coral around the world.
  9. Coral reefs only grow up to a certain water depth which is about 200 to 300 feet.
  10. Corals eat 2 different ways- either by capturing zooplankton that floats near their polyp tentacles or by their symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae.

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

Then look at ways to protect coral reefs.

4 Ways Kids Can Preserve Coral Reefs

1. Choose Reef Friendly Sun Protection.

Many sunscreens hurt the coral reefs causing coral bleaching and stopping its development.

Instead of using sunscreen made with toxic chemicals, focus on practicing sun management cover-up, avoiding the sun during peak hours.

And opt for non-nano mineral-based sunscreen on exposed areas. These sunscreens are made with zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide.

2. Recycle And Dispose Of Trash Properly.

You may think tossing just one water bottle from the boat isn’t a big deal, but imagine millions of people doing that, or carelessly leaving trash on the beach.

These actions have big impacts on marine life including corals.

3. Research When Purchasing Aquarium Fish.  

Avoid buying living coral instead look for imitation corals, if you purchase a marine aquarium fish, make sure that it has been collected in a sustainable way.

4. Spread the Word.

Especially if you live anywhere near these precious coral reefs, you can work together with local groups to educate everyone on how important and precious they are.

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

You can find a lot of information online but here are a few books that I highly recommend you use for ocean studies; they both contain a good amount of information on coral reefs as well as the marine animals that make their home there.

More Coral Reef Ideas

Also, look at these resources for studying coral reefs.

Coral Reef Unit Study Resources

Add some of these coral reef unit study resources to your unit study.

Finally, look how to make this blow painting coral reef hands-on activity.

Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

You will need:

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

Cut straws in half to make it a little easier to blow through and direct your watercolors.

Place a sheet of watercolor paper onto a baking sheet, this can get a little messy.

Using a pipette or small paintbrush drop various sized dots of the liquid watercolor all over the bottom of the page, or you can fill the entire page for a closer up view of the coral reef.

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

Have your child blow through the straw spreading the watercolor droplets around.

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

You may wish to repeat and add more “limbs” or new coral once you see the white space.

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

I like to let some of it dry and do the dots again to create different shades and give it a little depth.

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

Allow it to dry.

Lightly add a watered-down wash of light blue onto all the white space if you like to create water.

Let your picture dry completely.

Younger children will probably want to stop here, and that is totally fine but challenge your older children to add more detail. To do this they can trace around each dried shape with a fine liner black pen to define them a bit more.

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

They can also use markers to add some fish in the painting. Use your books or Google for inspiration.

Once completely dry, lay your painted page under a couple heavy books for several hours to press the paper flat.

Create several paintings, each one will be completely unique just like the beautiful coral in the ocean.

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

| 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have 10 sea shell activities today. And your kids will love making these fun crystal sea shells. Grab more ideas on my Seashore Watching Unit Study and Beach Lapbook.

Sea shell activities are a fun way to explore one of your favorite parts of the beach.

If you find yourself with an abundance of sea shells from your beach visits or you just want to have some seashell-themed fun I have a fun learning activity.

 I have dug up 10 great sea shell activities and put together one of my own for you.

10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

You can observe and describe seashells, identify them with a favorite guide or reference book or use them for a multitude of crafts and activities.

I am sharing a tutorial today for how to make crystal seashells.

This is an activity that can be educational as well as pretty.

Your child can place these glittery shells alongside the plainer ones on your science shelf to remember the fun they had watching them grow crystals.

Gather up handfuls of your favorite seashells and let’s see what kind of fun and learning we can do with them.

10 Stupendous Sea Shell Facts

First, look at these facts about sea shells.

  1. A sea shell is a hard, protective outer layer usually created by an animal that lives in the sea.
  2. Mollusks can make their shells become different colors by eating a variety of colorful food. Eating red seaweed gives some sea animals a red shell.
  3. There is more to the pattern of the seashell than just being pretty. Scientists believe that mollusks use the patterns and colors as engineering blueprints. The design of the shells helps the animal know where to place their mantle, ensuring they grow its shell in the right spots.
  4. People used to use sea shells as currency, even as far back as Pompei.
  5. 90% of shells are dextral, meaning their shells open to the right.
  6. There are over 100,000 varieties of mollusks including snails, clams, mussels, scallops, oysters, and more.
  7. The official term for someone who collects shells is a “conchologist”.
  8. You can guess the age of shells, a scallop, for example, produces about a ridge per day. 
  9. The largest sea shell is the Australian Trumpet, weighing up to 40 lbs.
  10. Sea shells are an excellent source of calcium carbonate making them a great choice for adding calcium to your garden beds.
10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

10 Sea Shell Activities

Get your shell on with these fun and beachy-themed crafts and activities you can do with your sea shells.

  1. Sea Shell Sand Craft
  2. Sea Shell Necklaces
  3. How to Dye Rainbow Seashells
  4. Seashell Science and Math
  5. Storytelling Seashells
  6. Sea Shell Decorations
  7. Sea Shell Craft Project
  8. Ocean-Themed Playdough Invitation
  9. Glittery Seashells
  10. Sand Clay Handprint Keepsake with Seashells
10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

More Sea Shell Activities and Beach Resources

Also, look at more summertime and sea shell fun.

In addition, look at these fun books.

4 Seashells Books for Kids

Add one or two of these books or resources to your unit study about sea shells.

Also, look at some of the science before we make this fun sea shell borax crystal.

Crystal Sea shell Science

Before we soak up the next activity let’s look at some of the science behind it.

First, it is important to know that hot water holds more borax crystals than cold or room temp. 

This is because the hot water molecules move far apart and make room for the borax crystals to dissolve.

You can extend this experiment by trying the same measurements of borax and water with different water temperatures.

As the solution cools down the saturated water molecules come back together and force the particles out of the solution.

They will then land on the nearest surface (sea shells) and then they will keep building up to form crystals.

Once dried you will really be able to see the unique crystal shapes, and how they build on different surfaces like the edges, ridges, cavities, etc/

You can purchase sea shells online or even at dollar tree but how much fun is it to use the ones you found on your last beach vacation?

10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

Finally, let’s make crystal sea shells.

How to Make Crystal Seashells

You will need:

  • Seashells
  • 4 cups hot water
  • ¼ to ½ cup borax
  • Shallow glass container
10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

Directions:

Heat the water in a microwave-safe container.

You can do it in a shallow glass container or a spouted glass measuring cup is perfect for pouring later in the activity.

The water doesn’t have to be boiling but you want it hot, as it is necessary to melt and absorb the borax crystals.

10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

Stir in the borax a few tablespoons at a time, adding more and more until it no longer dissolves.

This means the water is fully saturated.

10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

Place seashells in the bottom of a shallow glass dish and give a little space between each of them.

Lay them down upside down and right side up to observe what happens with the crystallization.

10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

Place the shallow dish in an area where they will not be disturbed.

Wait at least 24 hours before you check them for crystals.

Moving them around and removing them from the water will disturb the crystallization process.

Once they are done lay on a paper towel to dry.

Investigate your shells with a magnifying glass and a favorite resource book.

You can see here that the crystals started filling in the cavity of this conch.

10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

Free Coral Reef Printable Lapbook and Fun Hands-on Unit Study Ideas

| 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a free coral reef printable lapbook. Grab more ideas on my Coral Reef, lapbook ideas, and on my best homeschool unit studies pages.

My coral reef lapbook is a fun one to do anytime of the year.

Besides a coral reef being an ecosystem, you’ll want to learn about the organisms which live there.

Free Coral Reef Printable Lapbook and Fun Hands-on Unit Study Ideas

The Great Barrier Reef is so vast it can be seen from space.

At one time it was thought coral reefs were only in shallow depths, but scientists are discovering that some are as deep as 19000 feet.

However, most coral reefs are found at 150 feet where sunlight penetrates.

What Is Coral

Coral reefs are formed by colonies of tiny coral animals.

It is formed from the hard outer skeletons of tiny animals called polyps.

When the tiny animals die, the old skeletons remain, and new coral animals grow over them.

That is how coral reefs grow.

Too, coral can only grow in warm water because polyps only eat algae.

Moreover, living polyps are what give the coral color. If they die, the reef bleaches. It becomes white or loses it color.

Coral is a type of animal that lives in colonies. Each animal consists of a polyp that is the size of an ant.

Polyps have stinging tentacles which they use to catch small plankton as they drift by.

Coral reefs have a symbiotic relationship with tiny algae called zooanthellae.

The algae live inside the polyp tentacles.

Two Main Types of Coral

There are two main types of coral. One is hard coral with an outer skeleton made of calcium carbonate and soft coral which have bits of calcium carbonate inside their bodies.

Then, add a few of these words to your coral reef unit study and lapbook.

Coral Vocabulary

  • algae – a plant like organism that turns light into energy but does not have leaves or roots
  • coral reef – have been described as underwater gardens and coral polyps have the unique ability to thrive in nutrient poor water
  • ecosystem – a community of plants and animals relying on each other to survive
  • habitat – the place where an organism or group of organisms live
  • polyp– it’s a tiny animal that looks like an upside-down jellyfish and comes in many sizes and shapes
  • phytoplankton – a type of plankton that gets its energy from the sun through photosynthesis
  • zooplankton – tiny ocean animals like some jellyfish

Next add hands-on ideas.

Free Coral Reef Printable Lapbook and Fun Hands-on Unit Study Ideas

Look at these hands-on ideas to study about coral reefs.

Coral Reef Hands-on Ideas

Coral Reef Unit Study Resources

Add some of these coral reef unit study resources to your unit study.

More Lapbook Ideas

Additionally, grab these other free homeschool lapbooks.

Free Coral Reef Printable Lapbook and Fun Hands-on Unit Study Ideas

Coral Reef Printable Minibooks

Also, look at these minibooks which come in the free coral reef lapbook.

  • 1 Color Cover for outside of the file folder
  • 1 Black and White Cover for outside of the file folder
  • 3 Main Types of Coral
  • Anatomy of Coral Polyp
  • Layers of a Reef and Soft and Hard Coral
  • How Fast Do Reefs Grow, Where Do They Form and How Many Formations Can You Name
  • Life At The Reef
  • What is a Coral Reef – Plant or Animal and What is Coral

How to Get the Free Coral Reef Lapbook

Now, how to grab the free lapbook. This is a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get access to my subscribers library and this freebie.

However, not all my freebies are in the library (wink).

I like to keep up to date with what is valuable to you so I can give you more, some freebies you must sign up again on the form below even if you are already a follower.

And it’s the only way I have of freely delivering them to you. Just follow the steps below.

► 1) Sign up on my list.
► 2) Go to your inbox and confirm your email from the automatic reply I sent you. If you’re already a confirmed subscriber, you will not have to do this. You’ll receive the freebie instantly.
 ►3) Last step. look for my reply AFTER you’ve confirmed your email.

How Do Sharks Float STEM Activity Free Shark Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

| 4 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a shark unit study, an easy shark STEM activity, and free shark notebooking pages. Also, grab more ideas on my best homeschool unit studies, Oceans Unit Study and Lapbook, and Coral Reef pages.

A shark unit study is a fun way to learn about these creatures of the deep even if you don’t live near the ocean, I would prefer not to study them up close anyway.

We can get up close and personal through videos, hands-on activities, fun facts, and fantastic books.

Did you know that, unlike many other bony fishes, sharks do not have a swim bladder that gives them buoyancy?

How Do Sharks Float STEM Activity Free Shark Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

To help overcome their tendency to sink there are large amounts of oil in their liver that is less dense than seawater.

 Also, sharks are made of cartilage rather than bone which is considerably lighter.

To demonstrate why that helps sharks float we are going to create a couple of sharks and perform a fun STEM Experiment.

First, look at some facts for your shark unit study.

Shark Unit Study Shark Facts

  • There are over 500 species of sharks.
  • Shark skin feels very similar to sandpaper.
  • The fastest shark is the Shortfin Mako Shark, clocked at 31mph with short bursts of speed up to 46 mph.
  • The largest shark is the Whale shark while the smallest is the Dwarf Lantern Shark.
  • Prehistoric sharks were called Megalodons.
  • Sharks are found in almost every ocean habitat from coral reefs to the arctic sea.
  • Sharks do not sleep as humans do, but instead, they have active and restful periods.

What are Sharks

Sharks are the ocean’s ultimate predators. Some sharks live in the cold polar waters and others prefer the warm tropical seas.

And a shark is a fish because it swims with fins and has gills.

However, it is a cartilaginous fish and not a bony fish.

Shark Food

Additionally, sharks vary in their diet and in the way they hunt prey.

For example, the tiger shark is famous for eating, anything even license plates.

And the white-tipped shark stays in deep water and is famous because it ate shipwrecked sailors during World War II.

In addition, sharks have larger brains than other fish and can have advanced hunting techniques.

Too, many sharks rely on camouflage and being able to sneak up on their prey.

Moreover, others are filter eaters. They swim with their mouth open, suck in water, and filter the food from the water.

Their meal consists of tiny animals and plants called “plankton” floating in the water.

Also, here are some shark vocabulary words.

  • pup – baby shark
  • dorsal fin – a fin on the back of a fish.
  • caudal fin – the tail fin.
  • pectoral fin – paired fins toward the front of the shark
  • cartilage – tough connective tissue which is not bone
  • marine biologist – a scientist who studies marine (ocean) organisms
  • cartilaginous fish – skeletons are made of cartilage like sharks, rays, and eels
How Do Sharks Float STEM Activity Free Shark Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

Next, unit studies are best remembered by doing hands-on activities.

Shark Unit Study Hands-On Activities

Homeschool Shark Unit Study Resources

Add one or two of these fun shark books and resources to your study about sharks.

Too, I have some fun free shark notebooking pages.

How Do Sharks Float STEM Activity Free Shark Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

So, look at the title of these 4 notebooking pages.

  1. Sharks – What Are Sharks and About Shark Senses
  2. What Do Sharks Eat
  3. Shortfin Mako and White-Tipped Sharks
  4. Great White Shark and Tiger Shark

In addition, here are more homeschool unit studies.

More Best Homeschool Unit Studies

MORE SHARK ACTIVITIES

Finally, look at this fun sharks float STEM a;ctivity.

Shark Unit Study – How Do Sharks Float STEM Activity

You will need:

  • 2 water bottles.
  • Craft foam
  • Sharpies
  • Vegetable oil
  • Water
  • A large container.

Fill two water bottles with the exact same amount of liquid – one with water and one with vegetable oil.

How Do Sharks Float STEM Activity Free Shark Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

Decorate the bottles if you’d like to make them look more like sharks.

Use craft foam to make teeth and fins and then you can draw the details like eyes with a permanent marker.

Use hot glue for a quick secure drying adhesive but apply it to the foam rather than the plastic bottle and avoid touching with the metal nozzle.

How Do Sharks Float STEM Activity Free Shark Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

Once everything has dried on your “shark“ you’re ready to test them out in the water.

A large storage tote is perfect for this experiment, fill it halfway full of water and drop in your sharks.

How Do Sharks Float STEM Activity Free Shark Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

Now it’s time for observation and determining the results. What did you notice? 

While the one with water stays somewhat afloat it is more weighted, the oil field shark floats much more effortlessly.

How Do Sharks Float STEM Activity Free Shark Unit Study & Notebooking Pages

Pop in some plastic sharks and turn your tub of water into a fun sensory play activity as well.

How to Get the Free Shark Notebooking Pages

Now, how to grab the free shark notebooking pages. This is a subscriber freebie.

 1) Sign up on my list.
2) Grab the freebie now.
3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!