Have some fun with Under the Sea Activities!

Check out the fast and fun activities below if you’re looking for something to do in between working on your literacy goals!

Try and find 12 differences between these two pictures! Stumped? Check out the answer key here.

Try fun STEM activities at home to learn more about the ocean. These hands-on experiments can help you understand how ocean systems work in real life. Always remember to ask an adult for help when you need it.

Fun with the Archimedes Principle! 

Archimedes was an ancient Greek mathematician and scientist who made many contributions to physics, engineering, and astronomy. One law he discovered is called the Archimedes Principle. 

The Archimedes Principle states that when an object is put in water, the water pushes up on it. This push is called buoyancy. How much push depends on how much water the object moves when it goes into the water. If the push is strong enough, the object will float, if the push is not strong enough, the object will sink.

Let’s try! 

Supplies:

  • A tub, bin, or bowl of water
  • Coins
  • Fruit
  • Toys (make sure they are okay to be wet!)
  • Aluminum foil
  • Piece of paper and pen for writing your predictions
a drawing of Archimedes

Directions:

    • Use the paper and pen to write your prediction (also known a guess) about what items you think will float and what items you think will sink.
    • Fill the bin/bowl with water.
    • Test the objects and see if your guess is correct!

Aluminum Foil Test:

    • Crumple one piece of aluminum foil into a ball, and make the other one into a boat shape. Which one floats?
    • Use some aluminum foil to make different shapes and see what floats the best.

Were your guesses correct? What items floated? What items sank?

Create an Ocean in a Jar!

This activity will help you to learn about the zones of the ocean!

Supplies needed: 

  • Large, clean, clear jar (large enough to hold 3 cups of liquid)
  • 5 clean bowls
  • 5 clean spoons
  • Food colouring (green, blue, and red)
  • Funnel
  • ½ cup corn syrup
  • ½ cup dish soap
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup cooking oil
  • ½ cup rubbing alcohol

1. Pour the ½ cup of corn syrup into a bowl. Add drops of green, blue, and red food colouring. Mix it well until it turns black and then use the funnel to add it to the jar. This is the hadal zone.

2. Pour the ½ cup of dish soap into a clean bowl. Add red and blue food colouring. Mix until it turns purple and then use the funnel to add it to the jar. This is the abyssal zone.

3. Pour the ½ cup of water into a clean bowl. Add green food colouring. Mix until it turns dark green and then use the funnel to add it to the jar. This is the midnight zone.

4. Pour the ½ cup of cooking oil into a clean bowl. Add blue food colouring. Mix until it turns blue and then use the funnel to add it to the jar. This is the twilight zone.

5. With the help of an adult pour the ½ cup of rubbing alcohol into a clean bowl. Add one drop of blue food colouring. Mix until it turns light blue and then carefully use the funnel to add it to the jar. This is the sunlight zone.