Under the Sea theme – Hopping into Kindergarten

One of my favorite end of the year, approaching summer themes is UNDER THE SEA! There is so much you can do with ocean and under the sea themes in kindergarten and early childhood.

Ocean animals are very engaging and offer lots of opportunities for students to explore and ask questions. Many kindergarteners know the names of many ocean animals, and can identify them in pictures, but don’t know too much else about them. I always loved wowing my students with octopus facts (one of my personal top favorite animals).

Check out my Under the Sea No Prep Printables on my TPT store by following this link. Perfect for last-minute sub plans in kindergarten in May or June.

In this post, I wanted to share some of my recommended ocean books beyond the classics like Rainbow Fish (nothing wrong with the classics either! Just nice to see some newer or less heard-of options). I hope you’ll “dive” in with me as we explore ocean early childhood/kindergarten friendly books and classroom ideas.

Shark Lady (2017) Jess Keating

I love this book for many reasons, particularly because it combines cool shark facts with a fearless female scientist! Your little readers will be intrigued!

Inky the Octopus (2018) Erin Guendelsberger

I’ve been a long-time fan of octopus, ever since I read the book Soul of an Octopus (2015) by Sy Montgomery. Maybe you’ve watched the new National Geographic Secrets of the Octopus on Hulu/Disney, read Montgomery’s newest book Secrets of the Octopus, or seen the May 2024 National Geographic magazine featuring the octopus. They are truly fascinating creatures, and it’s never too early to start learning about them! In Inky the Octopus, the main character Inky narrates his escape of his aquarium. Based on a true story!

One Tiny Turtle (2005) Nicola Davies

Sea turtles go on such a wild adventure from egg to turtle, and this book is a beautiful telling of this journey that your children are sure to love. (I do have emergency sub plans/no prep printables to accompany this book, you can check them out by following this link to my TPT store.)

Apart from ocean animals, an under the sea theme offers opportunities to address all of the following:

Beach activities (snorkel, scuba, volleyball, swimming, building sand castles, reading…)
Ocean/Water/Beach Safety
Sun Safety
New Vocabulary
Seashell Exploration (Click this link to see my seashells science center.)
New careers (marine biologist, diver, veterinarian, ecologist, fisherman, lifeguard, scientist)

There are endless ways to bring under the sea fun into your classroom in May or June as you are wrapping up the year. Bring in beach towels for a fun “reading on the beach” day – and project ocean waves as students practice reading! Write sight words on a beach ball, toss around in a small group, and practice reading the targeted words, whichever word your hand lands on as you catch the ball! Set up a seashell science center for free exploration with magnifying glasses. Beach and ocean themed fun is sure to engage your students, even as the summer excitement grows around the school!