Free Preschool Science Activity Ocean Animal

In this free preschool science activity (kindergarten too!), students get to learn a little about pufferfish, and make some art using paint and recycled toilet paper rolls. In addition, they practice fine motor skills and  counting.  This small group activity works well during an Ocean Animals themed unit.

What students can learn from this Preschool Science Activity

• Science by gaining an understanding of life science through the study of changes in organisms over time and the nature of living things.
• Art by using a variety of media and materials to create drawings, pictures, or other objects.
• Math by counting up to 20 by ones.
• Fine Motor (small muscle) practice by demonstrating more precise control needed to use everyday objects. 

Materials needed:

• Pufferfish printable
• Paint (I used liquid watercolors)
• Toilet paper rolls (you can make 4 “spines” out of one toilet paper roll)
• Scratch paper (to practice).
  

Setup:

Review the skills/standards above and decide which (or all) standards will be part of your instructional goal(s).
Print the informational poster.
Decide what pufferfish size and version you plan to use, make copies, and cut if necessary. There is a half sheet, whole sheet and versions that include students writing how many spines their pufferfish has.
Flatten the toilet paper rolls. Pinch the creases hard for a pointy spine.  Cut them in half by the width, and then in half by the length. This will give you four separate “spines,” the students can stamp with.  

Pour paint into a shallow dish.

Directions:

1. Share the information on the poster. Point out the spines on the pufferfish. Tell the students they will make their own pufferfish with spines using paint and cardboard.
2. Allow the students to experiment with the method by passing out scratch paper.
3. When the students are ready, demonstrate by modeling with your own pufferfish and encourage counting by saying, “I’m going to put 10 spines on my pufferfish. One, two, three…” and then write down the number.
4. Pass out the pufferfish printable. To encourage counting, ask them how may spikes they plan to put on their fish. When they are finished with their project, let it dry.

If you like science themed activities and ones with real photos, you might want to take a look at this bundle of animal puzzles.  They are self-correcting puzzles that go great in your science center for independent use.

You might also like to extend students learning from this activity with other ocean themed resources.  Learn more here.