
Ocean animal activities for Early Years are a powerful way to engage young children in hands-on learning. Young learners are naturally captivated by ocean life. From the impressive humpback whale to sea turtles and powerful sharks, marine animals spark curiosity and create valuable opportunities for learning across science, language, movement and social-emotional development.
For Early Years educators across South East Queensland, these ocean theme early childhood activities provide a meaningful way to connect children with their local marine environment while aligning with the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). Through hands-on exploration, storytelling and sensory play ocean activities, children develop an understanding of the natural world while strengthening communication, social and thinking skills.
Below are simple, engaging marine animal activities that can be easily incorporated into your Early Years program.
👉Check out our marine education incursions for Early Years
Shark Activities for Early Years
Sharks are often one of the first ocean animals children recognise. Their unique features and behaviours make them ideal for early learning ocean activities.
Shark Sensory Play Activity
Set up an ocean-inspired sensory tray using water, sand, toy sharks, shells, blue stones or glass pebbles, and green ribbons to represent seaweed.
Encourage children to explore and describe their discoveries using words such as fast, sharp, smooth, swim, ocean.
This sensory play ocean activity supports language development, imaginative play and early science skills.
Shark Movement Activity
Invite children to move like different ocean animals:
- A fast-moving shark
- A slow turtle
- A large whale
- A tiny fish
This activity promotes gross motor development while reinforcing descriptive vocabulary.
Shark Storytelling Activity
Read a shark-themed book such as Clark the Shark by Bruce Hale and ask children:
- Where does the shark live?
- What does it eat?
- How does it move?
Children can then create their own stories through drawings and discussion, supporting early literacy and ocean learning activities.
👉Check out our marine education incursions for Early Years
Whale Activities for Early Years
Humpback whales migrate along the Queensland coastline each year, making them an ideal focus for marine education in South East Queensland.
Whale Migration Activity
Create a migration pathway indoors or outdoors where children can:
- Move like whales
- Jump over pretend waves
- Swim around obstacles
- Follow a migration route
This introduces migration concepts and supports EYLF science activities.
Whale Sounds Activity
Play whale sound recordings and encourage children to:
- Listen carefully
- Describe what they hear
- Create their own whale-inspired sounds using instruments
This builds listening skills, creativity and curiosity about marine life.
Whale Size Comparison Activity
Help children understand whale size by measuring their length outdoors using markers or cones.
Ask questions such as:
How many children long is a whale? Is a whale bigger than a car? Could a whale fit inside our classroom?
This supports numeracy skills and hands-on learning with ocean animals.
Turtle Activities for Early Years
Sea turtles are a favourite in ocean animals for preschool learning and are ideal for exploring life cycles.
Turtle Life Cycle Activity
Use pictures or objects to show the stages of a turtle’s life:
- Egg
- Hatchling
- Young turtle
- Adult turtle
This helps children understand life cycles in a simple and engaging way.
Turtle Hatchling Game
Create an outdoor play experience where children act as turtle hatchlings making their way to the ocean.
Add obstacles such as rocks, driftwood and sand dunes to explore real-world challenges turtles face.
Turtle Nest Sensory Activity
Fill a tray with sand and hide small “eggs” made from balls or stones.
Children can gently dig and discover the eggs while learning about nesting behaviours.
This supports preschool ocean theme ideas and sensory exploration.
👉Check out our marine education incursions for Early Years
Building Language Through Ocean Activities
Ocean-themed learning provides excellent opportunities to develop vocabulary.
Introduce descriptive words such as fast, slow, large, small, smooth, gentle, deep and shallow.
Encourage simple comparisons:
- Sharks are fast
- Whales are large
- Turtles are slow
These sentence structures support early childhood marine learning and communication skills.
Teaching Ocean Conservation
Even young children can begin to understand how to care for the environment through ocean education programs in QLD.
Discuss questions such as:
- How can we keep beaches clean?
- What happens if animals eat rubbish?
- How can we protect marine life?
These conversations help develop empathy, responsibility and environmental awareness.
Why Ocean-Based Learning Works
Ocean animal activities for Early Years naturally inspire curiosity, exploration and wonder. They support development across multiple learning areas while building a strong connection to local marine environments.
For educators across Brisbane and South East Queensland, these experiences also create meaningful links to local wildlife and coastal ecosystems.
👉Check out our marine education incursions for Early Years

Bring Marine Education to Life
Ocean Life Education provides engaging marine education incursions for Early Years services across South East Queensland.
Our programs give children the opportunity to:
- Meet live marine animals
- Explore ocean habitats
- Discover incredible local marine life
Through interactive, hands-on learning, we deliver early learning incursions in Queensland that bring science, sustainability and ocean awareness to life.
Book your Ocean Life Education incursion today and inspire an apprecaition of the ocean in your Early Years setting.
Book a Primary Ocean Science Incursion for Your School
Thank you for reading: Ocean Animal Activities for Early Years: Sharks, Whales & Turtles
Author: Hayley Gee, Marine Educator, Ocean Life Education





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