A Quick Note
This post is meant to house all my favorite ocean-themed books and learning resources, but please know I have never gone through ALL of these at one time with my kids! We have done ocean units a few times and each time change the focus a bit—one time was more about whales, another time more about lighthouses and sailing, another time ocean explorers. I follow my kids’ interests! Hopefully this list is helpful to you and not overwhelming.
Without further ado, here are my favorite ocean-themed learning resources!
Nonfiction Books:
All-Encompasing
- Ocean Anatomy by Julia Rothman
- The Big Book of the Blue by Yuval Zommer
- Atlas of Ocean Adventures by Emily Hawkins
- The Sea Book by Charlotte Milner
- A First Book of the Sea by Nicola Davies
- Under Water, Under Earth by Aleksandra Mizielinska
Sea Life
- How Deep in the Ocean? Ocean Animal Habitats by Monika Davies
- Smart About Sharks by Owen Davey
- Whales by Gail Gibbons
- Whales by Kelsey Oseid
- Sea Turtles by Gail Gibbons
- One Tiny Turtle by Nicola Davies
- What Lives in a Shell? by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
- Obsessive About Octopuses by Owen Davey
- Octopuses! Strange and Wonderful by Laurence Pringle
- Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea by Steve Jenkins
- We Travel So Far by Laura Knowles
Coral Reefs
- Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef by Marianne Berkes
- Coral Reefs by Gail Gibbons
- Coral Reefs: A Journey Through An Aquatic World Full of Wonder by Jason Chin
- The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World’s Coral Reefs by Kate Messner
Ocean Exploration
- Exploring the Deep, Dark Sea by Gail Gibbons
- Flying Deep: Climb Inside Deep-Sea Submersible Alvin by Michelle Cusolito
- Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist by Jess Keating
- Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau by Jennifer Berne
- Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea: Marie Tharp Maps the Ocean Floor by Robert Burleigh
- Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle by Claire A. Nivola
Humans & the Sea
- Beacons of Light: Lighthouses by Gail Gibbons
- Boats: Fast & Slow by Iris Volant
Sea Birds
- Watching Water Birds by Jim Arnosky
- On Gull Beach by Jane Yolen
- Gulls, Gulls, Gulls by Gail Gibbons
- Penguins by Gail Gibbons
Fiction Books:
- Hello, Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall
- The Storm Whale by Benji Davies
- Where Ocean Meets Sky by The Fan Brothers
- The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson
- Amos & Boris by William Steig
- Deep Underwater by Irene Luxbacher
- Giant Squid by Candace Fleming
- Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey
- The Little Island by Margaret Wise Brown
- Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle
- A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle
- The Mermaid by Jan Brett
- The Lighthouse Family (Series) by Cynthia Rylant
- Seashells By the Seashore by Marianne Berkes
- Swimmy by Leo Lionni
- The Burgess Seashore Book for Children by Thornton Burgess
Curriculum:
- The Peaceful Press: The Ocean Guide
- Marie Tharp Book Seeds (Blossom & Root)
- Who Was Jacques Cousteau (The Waldock Way)
- Simple Studies: Learning Seashore Animals With Thornton Burgess
I have the Marine Biology Unit from The Good & the Beautiful but have not done it with my kids. I know many people love this!
Printed Resources:
- Ocean Anatomy Prints (Mirus Toys)
- Layers of the Ocean (Chickie & Roo)
- Layers of the Ocean Bottle How-To (Tanglewood Hollow)
- Seashore Animals Nature Study (Steph Hathaway Design)
- Icebergs Study (Green Urban Creative)
- Ocean Themed Printables (Fiddlesticks Education)
- Sea Shells Nature Guide (Brave Grown Home)
- Ocean Animal Groups 3-Part Cards (I Believe in Montessori)
- Ocean Explorers 4-Part Cards (I Believe in Montessori)
- The Little Oak Learning Sea Creatures Field Guide
Just For Fun:
Ocean Bingo (LOVE this game!)
Small Figures for Sensory Play and Learning
Peg Dolls
Schleich Ocean Animals (larger toys – the blue whale is our favorite)
Coloring Books
FOR MORE OF OUR NATURE STUDIES SEE THIS PAGE
THE SILVAN REVERIE 