Every summer my family takes off to the beach to play in the sand, explore tide pools, and listen to the waves as we get some summer reading done. Even though we live on an island the beach is different, there is something magical about it, and I love using that magic as a theme for preschool. These beach activities for preschool are great for the classroom but work just as well at home in your backyard or kitchen table. These beach activities for preschool are all grounded in play and exploration, no strict step by step which makes them great choices for centers or free choice time.
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Adding shells, sea life figurines, and glass gems turns fun slime into incredible slime!
My daughter made this slime using blue glitter glue, staflo liquid laundry starch, and extra fine blue glitter. Here recipe is 1 bottle of glue, and “dashes” of the staflo until the glue is slippy and then knead in the glitter. I’m telling you this is the best slime I have ever used. If you want a full step by step tutorial for making slime watch this video of me doing it live. Of course, use blue glitter glue and glitter instead!
This was probably the most popular sensory table of the year in my classroom. You will need some blue rice, sea animal figurines, a blue pool noodle sliced into circles, sparkly pom poms, gems, and dish scrubbers. Oh and some fun things to scoop and pour with. The mix of so many textures is always a hit, and the figurines promote pretend play and language development.
This is such a simple activity but using the Zoo Sticks tongs makes it so much harder and gives students a great fine motor as well as hand-eye coordination workout!
There are a lot of ways to use this microscope in your science area, but I think my favorite is to explore nature like shells with it. Children can explore more carefully with this microscope, and I love to see them find something outside and proclaim “Let’s see what this looks like under the microscope!”
How cool is this? How calm and careful do children have to be to make a good imprint? I love playdough because it’s so calming and this activity is a great addition to that trend. Sit and explore your beach hunt findings ( or if you are landlocked you can get shells at the craft store or here).
Need some beach themed books? I’ve got you covered! Check out the full list here.
For more ocean, beach, and sea animal activities including circle time lessons, crafts, a book list, and even a fingerplay check out our Under The Sea thematic unit. It has over 45 pages packed with lesson plans and activities with an under the sea theme.
