14 Creative Ocean Activities for Kids

Hands-on ocean activities are a great way to learn about the largest bodies of water on the planet and all the things that live there.

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The ocean is a big place – it covers about 70 percent of the planet Earth. And there’s something amazing and mysterious about the underwater world of sea creatures that makes it a great topic for learning about in the summer.

We collected over a dozen fun and educational ocean activities, including experiments, crafts, and activities to get kids moving. Most are appropriate for kids of all ages, though younger kids may need a bit more help. You’ll find activities to learn about how the ocean works and the creatures that live there.

Looking for a few less messy activities? Download these beach and ocean life printables!

Become a Happy Camper!

Ocean sensory bin

This ocean sensory bin from Team Cartwright is edible! Follow their tutorial to prep this fun hands-on activity ahead of time, then let your kids dig in to search for treasure. Younger kids should be supervised to make sure they don’t put the inedible pieces in their mouths.

Paper sea creatures

Visit Crafting Jeanine for a template and tutorial to make a paper shark, octopus, puffer fish, and jellyfish. Each of these simple paper sea creatures is made with construction paper, scissors, and glue. It’s a great activity for younger kids to practice fine motor skills and for older ones to study animals.

Life-sized blue whale

The blue whale is the largest animal on the planet. That can be hard to visualize, but you can draw a whale with chalk with tips from KC Edventures. You’ll need a really big space, like the sidewalk in front of your house (and your neighbor’s house) or at a park. Kids will love this giant visual aide!

Ocean in a bottle

Make a classic ocean in a bottle activity with oil and water. You can even add plastic sea creatures or other small items for extra fun.

Blue ocean in a jar with plastic animals.

LEGO sea creatures

If you have a basic LEGO brick set, your kids can build these LEGO sea creatures. Little Bins For Little Hands shows how to make an octopus, whale, and crab. There are also links to create a shark and a narwhal.

Coral reef craft

Visit The Craft Train to see how they made a coral reef craft using tissue paper. It even lights up in the dark, which would be a fun way to introduce kids to bioluminescence. (Yep, some sea creatures really glow in the dark!) This would be a fun activity without any lights too.

Paper chain octopus

Learn about octopuses and make your own paper chain octopus via Woo Jr.! Note that for this tutorial they included 6 legs due to space, but you could make the body larger or attach some to the back to include 8.

Paper plate submarine

Make a paper plate submarine with Red Ted Art to explore under the ocean. This is a really cute activity and the finished submarine rocks back and forth. Older kids will love adding details and turning their sub into a collage, while younger kids can practice cutting and pasting.

Seahorse art

Use a creative watercolor art technique to create beautiful seahorse art. This activity from The Crafty Classroom is fun for kids of all ages and isn’t as messy as other types of painting can be.

Ocean density experiment

Follow this activity at From Engineer to Stay-at-Home Mom for a lesson about the layers of the ocean that’s also a density experiment. Not only do they include step-by-step instructions, but you’ll also find all the science behind why.

Ocean pollution sensory bin

Unfortunately, an important part of learning about the ocean is also learning about pollution. Simple Everyday Mom has a brilliant way to teach this in an age-appropriate way by making an ocean pollution sensory bin. Follow their tips for setting up the bin, plus several activities kids can do using it.

Ocean current experiment

Kids love learning through hands-on activities and an ocean current experiment is a great way to show how water moves. This is a really unique visual aid that you can create using water and food coloring.

Ocean yoga

Take a break from sitting and doing activities to try some ocean yoga poses from Pink Oatmeal. They’re simple enough for preschoolers, but older kids will enjoy doing them too. You could even find a calming ocean sounds recording to play while your kids do some of the poses.

Watercolor resist ocean art

Create a drawing with wax crayons and paint over for watercolor resist art. The result is a lovely, colorful underwater scene. You can use this technique to make a realistic ocean scene. Or use your imagination and add mermaids, sunken treasure, or fantastic sea monsters!