I remember my parents taking me to the aquarium when I was a kid and obsessing over seeing the sea lions. I had a collection of seals and otter figurines that I proudly displayed in my bedroom and passed a few down to my own children. Now, as a mom, I see that same wonder and awe in my children’s’ eyes when they see the shark exhibit at the aquarium. As your children are searching for their favorite ocean animal or fish, encourage them to discover new creatures and ocean life with our aquarium scavenger hunt printable. This can also be perfect for an ocean themed preschool fieldtrip. Prepare your little fishies for a fun day of discovery and fun!
Learning About Observational Skills:
SCAVENGER HUNT IDEAS FOR KIDS
GOING ON A SCAVENGER HUNT CAN BOOST CHILDREN’S OBSERVATIONAL SKILLS AND HELP THEM RECOGNIZE HOW TO USE THEIR SENSES.
When your child is looking for specific items on the list they will have to classify objects by colors, sizes, shapes and even textures.
As your child finds each item, have them cross off the picture and then draw the object on the second page. Encourage them to use descriptive words including positions and locations.
This activity can be used on a field trip with students or one on one with your own kiddos. What an awesome way to celebrate a preschool ocean theme.
The aquarium scavenger hunt items that are included in this printable are: jellyfish, clownfish, dolphin, eel, sea urchin, seal, octopus, squid, turtle, shark, coral, seahorse, lobster, starfish, and manta ray.
In addition to learning about observational skills, here are some more ideas for what you can teach using the aquarium field trip scavenger hunt:
- What object was the easiest to find?
- What object was the hardest to find?
- What other objects did you find that are not on the sheet?
- What animal or plant did you not see that you wanted to?
What Can Preschoolers Learn From The Aquarium Scavenger Hunt?
FUN SCAVENGER HUNT IDEAS FOR KIDS
STUDENTS CAN USE THE PICTURES AND CORRECTLY MATCH THEM TO THE AQUARIUM-RELATED WORDS.
- Which words start with ‘S’?
- Which words have a ‘E’ in them?
- What pictures contain two separate words?
- Can you think of other words that start with ‘O’ like in ocean?
Why Is It Important For Kids To Participate In Scavenger Hunts?
Besides the fact that kids love running wild and free, there are so many other reasons you should ask your children to find specific objects in a hunt.
Build Problem Solving Skills
Our children will use prior knowledge to investigate and problem solve where they think one of the ocean animals might be hiding. For example, a clown fish might be hiding in some coral.
Teach Teamwork
Have your children work in small groups or pairs to practice brainstorming and team work. Collaborating with a friend can provide us with clues and ideas we may not have thought of.
Get Your Body Moving
I have never met a kid that doesn’t love running outside and searching for ‘treasure’. Your child will engage gross motor skills by exploring and moving those little legs.
Develop Fine Motor Skills
When your child crosses out the objects they have found and draws a picture of the objects, they are using their fine motor skills. This is important for writing, tying shoes, and self-feeding.
Tools you’ll need
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Don’t worry about making a special trip to the store. You can get all the supplies for this activity right here. Click the pictures above to get what you need.
How To Use This Free Aquarium Scavenger Hunt:
Ocean theme preschool activities
This activity is so simple to make and easy for children to understand. If some of the objects are not found in your hunting space, feel free to search the gift shop or look for pictures around the aquarium.
Print out a copy of the printable for each child.
A clipboard or something hard to set the paper on could help with tears or tiny holes in their papers.
Provide each child with a crayon, pen or pencil (and please remind them not to run with a sharp writing tool!).
Be sure to express the importance of staying together especially in crowded, public areas.
Other Ways To Use Printable Aquarium Scavenger Hunt:
Create a Clue
If you feel like your child may have a difficult time finding the objects, create fun clues for them to help them feel successful.
Take a Picture
Instead of, or along with, your child drawing a picture of the object, take their picture beside or close to what they have found.
Sorting the Sea
Have your child sort through the pictures in different ways. For example, sort animals that have red on their bodies or sort by plants and animals.
Our Favorite Ocean Books for Kids:
We can’t live without these!
Once your child’s creativity is sparked with this fun activity, take it a step further with these engaging resources:
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Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist (Women in Science Books, Marine Biology for Kids, Shark Gifts)
Where the Ocean Meets the SandInky the Octopus: The Official Story of One Brave Octopus’ Daring Escape (Includes Marine Biology Facts for Fun Early Learning!)Hello, World! Ocean LifeOcean Speaks: How Marie Tharp Revealed the Ocean’s Biggest SecretSwimmyHow to Catch a MermaidThe Pout-Pout Fish (A Pout-Pout Fish Adventure Book 1)Moonlight Ocean (Lightbeam Books)
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