This is part of my 15 minute focus series, simple hands-on science for preschool, kindergarten and early elementary.

Supplies: paper (watercolor paper is best if you have it. I didn’t), oil pastels, blue liquid watercolor mixed 1:2 with water, salt shaker

If this is their first introduction to oil pastels, first let them explore writing with them, drawing lines and circles. Then demo how to draw something, they copy, demo something else, and so on.

• Fish: make a circle or an oval. Draw a triangle tail. Draw a partial triangle (or a sideways V) to make the fin. Add an eye and a smile.
• Octopus: Make a circle. Draw 8 lines coming down from it for legs. Add 2 eyes and a smile.
• Turtle: Draw a circle. Make a small circle to be the head, and then 4 legs.
• Shark: make an oval. Draw a triangle tail. Draw a triangle on top for the dorsal fin.

Encourage them to make lots of sea creatures. While they do, sing the song Slippery Fish, singing about the creatures you’ve just drawn.

Now demo how to paint over their drawings with watercolor – notice how it doesn’t stick to the drawings – it pulls away from the oil pastel. (Watercolor resist.) I just had one container of liquid watercolor I passed around and we took turns painting.

After they’ve all painted and while it’s still wet, show how when you sprinkle salt on the painting, it looks like bubbles. After you leave it to dry, the salt will shake off but there will still be the bubbly effect in the paint.

Then, read your favorite book about the ocean.