Ocean Kiddies Activities to Enjoy in Self-Isolation
BY ALLY HUGHES
Missing The Sea? Welcome to your very own ‘Marine Entertainment from your Home’! Each day for the next 10 days, we’ll be releasing a blog article full of juicy, ocean related content for you to explore from the safety of your living room couch...
You all know why I’m writing this article. I don’t even want to mention you-know-what as this article should serve as a catalogue of pure ocean-y escapism to help you get through these days stuck inside away from the salty air, sandy footprints, and soothing sounds of our beautiful oceans. Looking for some fun activities to do with your kids over the upcoming week? Then look no further...
Jeopardy! - Anyone else remember the classic US game show?! Well now you can create your own Jeopardy board! This can follow the Jeopardy style of game play or a more straightforward questions and answers game. I have created a game on Medicines From The Sea and there are lots of other ocean-themed quizzes already created. So why not have a family quiz night with Easter eggs as prizes? You might even learn something new!
Web of Wildlife - Children carry out activities to construct the food chains of five different environments including British coastal waters. All materials can be found here.
Dinner at the Reef: Food Chains - An interactive game aimed at 7-11 year old children to explore food chains and predator-prey relationships in the ocean. Find all the materials and guides at STEM Learning.
Origami boats - Time to get crafting! Follow these instructions and make a bunch of boats to race across the bathtub or sink (use straws to “propel” your boats during races).
Make a compass - I think it’s fair to assume there’s an extra couple of cork bottle tops currently laying around so why not put those to good use by making a compass! All you need is a compass needle (needle, safety pin, hairpin), a magnetiser (nail, screw, magnet), a cork top and bowl of water.
Rope Art - Oooh I’m really giving away my age here, but remember how much fun scoobies were?! Anyway, there are tonnes of things you can do with spare rope, twine, or wool that you have lying around. Make friendship bracelets for your children to give to their friends when reunited, or decorate family picture frames with some DIY rope art. Here are some links for making scoobies, friendship bracelets, and rope frames and coasters.
What do penguins and coral reefs have in common - This Facebook page, run by tropical marine biologist Marji Puotinen, has an abundance of entertainment ideas including activities, lists of resources, and live lessons to engage children (aged 5-11 primarily) with climate change.
Science Buddies - This website is packed with fun science activities for kids that use common items and explore all aspects of science!
STEM-works - A plethora of resources and activities on a range of subjects including space (you get to build your own galaxy!!), robotics, and of course under the sea!
Sharks4Kids - Another website jam-packed with fantastic content for your little nursing sharks (there’s a pun in there somewhere, right?!) including crafts and colouring pages. You can also sign up to arrange a Skype date with a scientist and learn more about these poorly understood creatures.
Meet a marine biologist Mondays - A weekly Q&A session designed for all children. It is organised by Ocean and Research Conservation Ireland and takes place via Zoom on Mondays. Email education.orcireland@gmail.com to sign up or check their Instagram for more information.
Virtual Marine Biology Camp - The Oceans Initiative team stream live every Monday and Thursday (11 am PST) on Facebook and Instagram with content to entertain and educate children about the ocean. They have also started releasing worksheets to go alongside each video.