Activities with Kacey: Underwater Adventures

Kacey the Quality Koala and Maryland EXCELS have been sharing fun and educational activities and mealtime discussion questions for families and child care programs.

The theme of the activities below is “Underwater Adventures.”

To see the latest activities and questions, visit this page or social media!

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Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using the hashtags #MarylandEXCELS and #KaceyEXCELS.

The Maryland State Department of Education’s Division of Early Childhood understands that activities described on this page and in website links are not suitable for all ages. Ultimately, all activities require adult supervision and are not endorsed by the Maryland State Department of Education or Johns Hopkins University.

 

Monday

Paper plate octopus

Make an octopus using a paper plate, pipe cleaners, and colored straws. Your child can decorate the plate with eyes and a mouth for the octopus. With a hole punch or scissors, make eight holes in the bottom half of a paper plate. Loop pipe cleaners through the holes. Cut straws into one-inch pieces. Let your child count the straw pieces as they string them onto the pipe cleaners. If you like, you can glue the straw pieces in place.

Mealtime discussion question: What could you do if you had eight arms like an octopus?

Tuesday

Paper bag jellyfish

Have your child paint a paper bag. As they paint and experiment with mixing colors, talk about the new colors they’re creating. After the paint dries, your child can add paper eyes and cut strips into the bag to create tentacles.

Mealtime discussion question: If you had a jellyfish for a pet, what color would it be and what would you name it?

 

Wednesday

Spiky sponges

Take four sponges and cut them lengthwise into four strips. Take the 12 strips and stack them on top of one another with four strips in each row. Tie a rubber band around the middle to create your spiky sponge. Fill a small bucket or bin with water and let your child have fun with the wet, spiky ball!

Mealtime discussion question: What do you think sponges in the ocean look like?

Thursday

IMPORTANT Note: An adult should be present at all times for water-related activities.

Frozen sea animal rescue

Fill a small bowl or container with water. Add blue food coloring and plastic fish or sea creatures to the water. Place the filled bowl in a freezer. Once the water is frozen, turn the ice mold onto a cooking sheet or into a larger plastic container. Using warm water, paintbrushes, squirt bottles, or droppers, let your child paint or squeeze warm water onto the ice. Watch as the ice melts away. Once the ice melts, your child can play with the sea creatures in the water.

For babies, make ocean-themed sensory bags or bottles. Fill a plastic resealable bag with water and plastic fish or sea creatures. Add some blue food coloring to the water. Using heavy-duty tape, tape all four sides of the bag onto a secure surface, like a high chair tray. You can also fill a plastic bottle with water, then add blue food coloring and small sea creatures or seashells. Glue the top onto the bottle and make sure it is securely closed.

Mealtime discussion question: If you could be any sea creature, which one would you want to be and why?

Friday

Cereal Box Aquarium

Have your child draw a fish, starfish, shark, jellyfish, or another sea creature on paper or cardstock.  Cut a large rectangle on one side of the box to open the box up to create the underwater scene. Decorate the inside of the box with a blue background and add seaweed, sand, rocks, seashells, or any other items you can find around your home. Once you cut out the sea creatures, attach string or yarn to the sea creatures and hang them from the top of the box. Display your aquarium in your home or room.

Mealtime discussion question: If you could safely swim with any sea creature, which one would it be and why?

 

See activities from past weeks:

• Activities with Kacey: You Are Special
• Activities with Kacey: Reptiles
• Activities with Kacey: Movement
• Activities with Kacey: Celebrate Maryland
• Activities with Kacey: Nature
• Activities with Kacey: Zoo Animals
• Activities with Kacey: Transportation
• Activities with Kacey: Stars and Stripes
• Activities with Kacey: Bugs
• Activities with Kacey: Rainbows
• Week of June 1-5
• Week of May 26-29
• Week of May 18-22
• Week of May 11-15
• Child Care Provider Appreciation Week: May 4-8
• Week of April 27-May 1
• Week of April 21-24