We're learning about fish as part of our study of animals.

I'm choosing a variety of activities to meet the needs of all children in our classroom.

Our fish theme is continued through all subject areas to enhance studies.

It's my goal to provide as many sensory experiences as possible as kids are learning to keep them regulated and learning the material.

Fish Unit with Free Printables

Fish Sight Word Match Up

The kids have chosen one of two options when selecting this work.

1.  Match up fish/ocean pictures with words to separate picture and/or word cards.

2.  Practice writing sight words printed on picture cards.

Source: I found these at 3 Dinosaurs as part of one of her great ocean packets.

Fish Themed First Letter Sounds

The kids place glass beads on the correct first letter of the word. 

They can use the matching cards in the previous activity if they need help with answers.

Source: I found these cards at 3 Dinosaurs as part of the ocean packet.

Fish Themed Prewriting/Writing Skills

The kids trace lines and words.  I use white board markers and sheet protectors so I don't have to waist so much paper.

Source:  These activities came from 3 Dinosaurs ocean packet.

Shure Fish-N-Learn Magnetic Fishing Numbers

I removed all of the non-fish ocean animals and everyone had fun fishing for numbers with these materials and then writing them down on the paper provided. 

Even Bulldozer, who really struggles with writing, was willing to try, just to play with the fish.

Options are endless with this activity, however, our kiddos spread out the fish on the floor, hooked one, identified the number aloud, and then wrote it on the paper provided.  

They did this for as long as they wanted.

Fish Counting Grid Game

The kiddos have almost grown out of this game, but I figured we'd play it one last time this week.  I can't believe how much they have learned this year!

Each kiddo rolls the dice, identifies the correct number, and places the corresponding number of goldfish on grid pieces. 

They repeat process until entire grid board is covered.

Source:  I found this game at Pre-K Pages.

What Fish Comes Next?

The kids cut out images at the bottom of the paper, glue images in the correct spots, completing the patterns.

Source:  I found this activity as part of the packets at 3 Dinosaurs.

Okay, I'm going to take the license to brag a little bit, just because, well...  This deserves attention! 

Princess is 3 years old, and suffers from a lot of issues.  Despite these issues, Princess has fabulous fine motor skills and an IQ of over 124.  Still, learning time can be such a battle sometimes.  

One day during our fish week, while I was doing learning time on my own, (Daddy usually helps.) Princess selected the pattern activity. 

I explained that she would have to do it herself, because I was helping Bulldozer and well.. She did!  The entire thing!  I am so proud of her!

Fish & Their Oceans

This wasn't my most favorite activity, but it did introduce the 5 oceans.

The kids identified fish and ocean on cards.  

Then they group cards by ocean.  

Once finished, select three fish and write their names and what ocean they live in.

Source:  I found these at www.bogglesworldesl.com.

Where do Fish Live?

This activity was inspired by a book my son took out from the library. 

As always, I was trying to find an activity that would be a challenge for Dinomite, since animals are his world and he knows far more about them than I do.  

Identifying oceans was way too easy for him so, with the help of my husband, we came up with this activity.

There were six categories or choices of where the fish live:
1.  Warm Salt Water
2.  Cold Salt Water
3.  Warm Fresh Water
4.  Cold Fresh Water
5.  Hatches in Fresh Water, Lives in Salt Water
6.  Hatches in Salt Water, Lives in Fresh Water

Each location could be matched to two fish cards.  Matching numbers were on the back of each set of cards so the kids (and Mommy) would know the answers.  

I designed all of the cards using pictures I found online.  It turned out pretty well!

To save those who are interested, the time and effort it takes to research which fish live where:
1.  Warm Salt Water-Manta Ray & Great White Shark
2.  Cold Salt Water-Atlantic Cod & Smooth Flounder
3.  Warm Fresh Water-Catfish & Piranha
4.  Cold Fresh Water-Brook Trout & Northern Pike
5.  Hatches in Fresh Water, Lives in Salt Water-Coho Salmon & Sturgeon
6.  Hatches in Salt Water, Lives in Fresh Water-European Eel & Cougar Eel

Source:   I created this activity. The Fish Habitat Cards are a Subscriber Only Freebie. For your copy, follow the directions at the bottom of this post.

Fish vs. Other Sea Creatures

The kids cut out ocean life animals.  

They glued them in the proper boxes-fish or other sea creatures.

Source:  I found this activity at 3 Dinosaurs.

Shark Bingo

We're not really at the point where the kids are ready to play bingo with each other yet, however we are developing the skills needed to make that happen.  

This was a great multi-step matching activity.  

Dinomite did great with it.  

Princess learned it pretty well.  

Bulldozer really struggled with it. 

I'm not sure he ever got the concept.

The kids matched the letters, colors, and shark cards with the squares on the board.  

This can be used as a matching activity or a Bingo game.

Source:  I found this FREE game at Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational.

Lacing Fish

I found these at my local Dollar Store.  I love great deals!  

We had never done lacing cards before until this week.  

Princess became extremely frustrated with them and almost destroyed them.  

Dinomite decided to try them and practiced every day.  

It only took two days and he did it perfectly by himself!  

I was super excited and very proud of him!

Drawing Fish

I have this thing about the subject of art.  

It drives me crazy spending a lot of time prepping for a craft or major art project, making it, and then just tossing it afterwards, or storing it in a drawer until I finally toss it a few months later.  

The same goes for basically any art project.  

Don't get me wrong, the kids do enjoy them, but unless they're going to be a gift for someone or part of a holiday or thank you card, I try to avoid them.

In place of these projects that use lots of paper and create lots of mess, I'm focusing our art time to drawing... and a few other things.  

Dinomite has this fear of drawing.  

Everything must be perfect before he'll ever attempt anything.  

When it comes to his daily journal he freaks out more when it comes to drawing the picture than he does writing the sentence.  

I thought perhaps "How to Draw" cards might help him out a bit and build his confidence.

I found the seahorse cards at Art Projects for Kids.

The fish cards were at How to Draw Animals.

Dinomite was super excited when he saw the cards.  

This was his first independent drawing including the fish and seahorse.  

Later on during the week, he went and brought out the cards to use as part of his journal drawing.  

I'm so excited to find art lessons that work with my pet peeves and that build Dinomite's confidence.

Princess isn't afraid of them either.  She looks at the cards as a reference though. It's really cute. She'll look at them and then decide how she's going to draw her own fish.

Lastly, as part of our fish week, we took a trip to our local Bass Pro Shop to see all of the fish and see if we could identify any of them.  Dinomite did a great job! 

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