Ocean Sensory Bin

STREAM Activity: Ocean Sensory Bin

Let’s Dive Into The Deep!

Activity best for children ages three and up

March is Women’s History Month! A time to celebrate and honor the incredible contributions of women throughout history and recognize how they’ve shaped the world we live in today. Did you know this celebration started as a week-long event in 1978 organized by educators? It became a month-long celebration in 1987 when Congress made it official. Now, every March we get to look back at the amazing things women have done and say thank you to the women who motivate us everyday.

One woman who inspires us to explore and ask questions is Marie Tharp. She was a geologist, someone who studies rocks and minerals to understand how the earth is built. She was also an oceanic cartographer, a person who makes maps of the ocean. Did you know Marie Tharp helped create the very first map of the Atlantic Ocean floor? Before her, no one really knew what the bottom of the ocean looked like, it was a mystery! Inspired by the book, Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea, we’ll explore a part of Marie’s world by creating our own sensory bin. It’s a fun way for all little scientists to learn to explore the ocean just like Marie Tharp.

VOCABULARY

  • Contributions: The things people do to help make a difference in the world.

  • Geologist: A scientist who studies rocks, minerals, and the Earth’s structure.

  • Cartographer: A person who makes maps to show places or features like land or the ocean.

  • Ocean Floor: The bottom surface of the ocean, which can have valleys, mountains, and hills.

GUIDING QUESTION

  • Why do you think it’s important to learn about our world, like the ocean?

  • What tools do you think Marie Tharp used to help her make her maps?

  • How do you think the ocean floor is different from land?

MATERIALS

  • Plastic bin

  • Sand

  • Blue food coloring

  • Decorative shells

  • Sea animal toys

  • Water

  • Measuring cup

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1

Pour your sand into one side of the bin. Make sure not to fill it up all the way to the top, as it can overflow once we add our water.

Pour sand into bin

STEP 2

Use the decorative seashells as a type of barrier or dam for your sand. This will help separate the water and sand nicely.

Add shells to the bin

STEP 3

Using a measuring cup (2 cups works well!) fill the empty side of your bin with water. You are more than welcome to add more or less water and sand, depending on the size of your bin.

Add water to the other side of the bin

STEP 4

Add 2 drops of blue food coloring to your water to mimic the ocean’s color. For a pop of color and to represent the salt in the ocean, you can add glitter to your ocean!

Add food coloring and glitter to your "ocean"

STEP 5

And you’re all set! Now you can explore your ocean sensory bin with the help of your sea animal toys!

Add sea creatures to your ocean sensory bin