Every year our preschool class learns about ocean life. Sometimes I teach the topic using the letter “O is for Ocean.” Other years, I build the day around the letter U and teach it as “U is for Under The Sea.” Either way, it is so much fun – especially with this under the sea fizzing sensory activity!

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This preschool lesson includes an Ocean Paper Plate Craft that little children just love to make, teamed up with this ocean fizzing activity. As we are winding down at the end of school, I read them the adorable story “The Pout Pout Fish [A Pout Pout Fish Adventure]” It makes for a perfect day.

Adorable children’s story about The Pout Pout Fish

You know how children love surprises? Well, there definitely are surprises built into this sensory experience. The children will each discover a hidden treasure inside their own baking soda ball [how-to make them below] that you have placed in the sensory bin. Just give each student a squirt bottle filled with white vinegar, tinted blue with food coloring. Have them squirt their baking soda ball until it dissolves, revealing a little plastic undersea animal toy, which they can keep.

Think about it. This under the sea fizzing experience introduces them to basic chemistry – vinegar, when it meets baking soda, FIZZES! Of course, before you are finished, add water to the bin to let them play. Kids LOVE to play with the toys in the bin.

How To Create Your Under The Sea Experience

Now, don’t be overwhelmed by all the parts to this activity. It is so easy to put together and worth every bit of the effort. Your kids will love it!

Overview: you will build an “oceanscape” with sea creatures for your students to observe, touch and play with. They will also discover what happens when vinegar mixes with baking soda (FIZZ!!!)

FUN Letter O is for Ocean fizzing sensory experience for kids! #kidsactivities #preschool #sensoryplay Can also be used for Letter U is for Under the Sea Share on X

O is for Ocean preschool fizzing fun #preschool #sensory

Supplies

large clear plastic clothing storage bin

drop cloth for underneath the bin

small plastic toy sea creatures

sea shells

glass aquarium gems

river rocks

baking soda “rocks” that you will make

plastic squeeze condiment bottles

white vinegar

blue food coloring

baking soda (large box)

towels

smocks

dish pan

The bin that we previously used for a colored rice sensory table was perfect for this activity. It is actually a garment storage container that has wheels (wheels are NOT necessary but it just has them) and a lid.

You’ll want to protect your floor. We purchased and inexpensive plastic table cloth meant for a sea themed birthday party. It was a beautiful drop cloth for this activity. A plastic shower curtain liner would work just as well.

How To Make Baking Soda “Rocks”

Scoop dry baking soda into a large mixing bowl.

NOTE: One 8 oz. baking soda box will yield approximately 3 baking soda balls.

Gradually add water till it is a consistency that can be molded into balls.

Place a plastic sea creature toy or small sea shell inside the baking soda ball and mold it with your hands like you would a snow ball.

Gently place it on a tray to dry.

For effect, you may want to use a sea shell to imprint the outside of the damp baking soda rock.

Allow them to dry for at least 24 hours till hard.

Note that you still will want to handle them gently.

Vinegar Squirt Bottles

These plastic condiment bottles will be filled with white vinegar and a couple of drops of blue food coloring.

O is for Ocean fizzing experience for #preschool #ece #STEM

How To Set Up Your Ocean Scene

Spread the table cloth/drop cloth on the floor.

Put the empty plastic bin on top of it.

Arrange river rocks, glass gems and sea shells around the bin.

Stage plastic sea animals all around.

Time for your children to come in and see!

*To keep the vinegar smell off their clothes, cover them in a big t-shirt or smock with sleeves.

** Be sure to use full strength white vinegar. Cleaning vinegar is diluted and will not give the fizz effect that you are looking for.

Kids sensory bin for teaching about under the sea life #oceans

Now, gently place baking soda rocks in the dry bin.

Give a blue tinted, vinegar filled condiment bottle to each child.

Have them squirt a rock and see what happens.

This is the science part! Baking soda + vinegar = fizz

Watch it fizz and see the look of delight on their faces!

After a while, the plastic sea creature will “emerge” from the rock.

Now fill the dish pan with cool water and gently pour it into the bin.

Let them play and have fun!

Letter U is for Under the Sea sensory activity for #preschool and #kindergarten! #kids Share on X

Adorable under the sea preschool craft with blue paper plates, bottle caps and fish crackers. #preschool #kidscrafts #kindergarten

O is for Ocean Paper Plate – Bottle Cap Craft for Kids

Enjoy!

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F is for Fish is one of those fun preschool themes where you can actually have a little fishy friend come to your classroom for show and tell. Talk about fun! If you do not have access to a live fish, the next best thing is to show your students a video.

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Go fishing toy for kids using real water!

On letter F is for Fish day, our class learned about many kinds of fish, where they live, what they eat. Great discussion opener, “What is it like to be a fish?” We made this pretty fish craft to take home and did a sorting activity using Goldfish crackers, too.

Fishing Game Toy Set with rotating board for toddlers!

This craft is versatile, too. You can use it with a Letter F is for Fish theme or with other letter themes such as O is for Ocean, S is for Sea or U is for Under the Sea.

How to make the F is for Fish Preschool Craft

Supplies

Card stock paper (white and light blue)

Multi-Colored Copy Paper

Fish stickers

Glitter

White Glue

Glue Sticks

Child Safe Scissors

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Nat Geo Kids first book of the ocean #ad

Nat Geo First Big Book of the Ocean for Kids

Directions

This craft takes quite a lot of preparation from the adult in charge if it is going to be enjoyed by preschoolers (ages 3 & 4.) Kindergartners and 1st graders should be able to do this craft easily themselves. (Let me know, teachers!)

Print the Rainbow Fish Printable (link below) onto light blue cardstock. I always make a sample for my children to see so that they know what the goal is.
Cut out the pattern. You will want the fish’s tail to be one piece and the face to be another. Also cut out the upper fin and the two bottom fins. I laid them on red paper and cut them out to glue onto the fish on the actual picture. Glue them on to get that part out of the way.
Fish Gills: print circles onto various colors of paper. They will be the gills. I used a pop bottle cap as a pattern to trace around for my first one and that became the pattern for the rest. Cut them out and then cut each circle in half. They will be glued on in layers, overlapping each other. Start at the back and layer them to the front.
Print some pictures of “sea weed” onto green paper. Just go to Google and click images. Then search “sea weed + clip art” and you will find a host of possibilities. Copy and paste the images onto a document, print and cut them out.
Print eyes onto white cardstock. Same deal, search Google images for for clip art of eyes. Copy, paste, print and cut out. Be prepared, some preschoolers will stress out if they don’t have TWO eyes. Good luck explaining that the fish DOES have another eye but it is on the other side! LOL I often lose that argument and just give them another eye. Anything to keep my little kiddos happy!
Complete the picture by adding fish stickers (or you could glue on some Goldfish crackers) and sea weed with a little glitter for pizazz!