We have finally begun setting up our Ocean Exploration Room! This Exploration Room will change several times next year (that's the goal anyway) with our different themes throughout the year.
We are just beginning and this is our first room! Please keep in mind that this room is still in progress! But I couldn't resist sharing our hard work so far!
The left shows our reading center - complete with a "reading pool!" The right is a close up of the netting.
So cute!
These are sitting areas for the reading center - boogie boards and beach chairs. (And of course the pool!) We will also have rafts and beach towels that kids can spread out to lie on!
Next is our science center. Books; shells; plastic, rubber, and stuffed sea creatures; pan balances; wave-in-a-bottle; and sorting cards.
This a cute board (in progress!) above the blocks/building center, which will have blocks, boats, and maybe some creatures.
Next, we have our puzzles center. Right now it appears to be a rug with puzzles on it. (In progress!)
What kind of Ocean Exploration Room would it be without sand and water tables?? We have shells, toys, shovels, buckets, and we plan to have a "sink or float" activity to use at the water table as well.
The back door with Dollar Tree window gels!
This will be the math center. we have connecting fish, counting fish, magnetic numbers, fish counting books.
This is the art center area. 6 classes will be sharing this room, so we wrapped the walls in paper for our little artists to display their work for all to see! (That paper is actually the same color blue as the bulletin board above, not sure why it came out green here!)
We covered the shelves (that have become junk collectors for 4K and 5K over the last 2 years!) with a pirate ship table cloth and a grass skirt! Cute! (Hey is that Nemo!?)
These are cut-outs that a fellow-K teacher/friend's husband made for us and we had the kids paint them! Look out fishy! :)
"A Whale of a Tale!"
Smaller fish cut-outs, painted by the kinders!
Another cut-out - the anchor! We used more grass skirts to cover the back of the dramatic play area.And the towels are draped over the back of a dowel shelf. (You can see the other side below!)
The "inside" part of the dowel shelf - dramatic play has floppy sun hats, flip flops, leis, goggles, sunglasses, and we plan to add trunks and sundresses!
Dramatic play will include a restaurant and Shell Shop! This little picnic table will be the restaurant/picnic area!
Pretty net over the Play Doh area.
Water table. (No water in it yet - it leaks. ANY SUGGESTIONS to plug the hole??)
Sand table.
Writing Center
Exciting...wait for it...the bathroom door! :)
This tank will hold the growing animals. We got some animals that take 96 hours to grow to full size. We are thinking of making a chart for each animal or class so we can all keep track of each others' animals!
Blocks is below this area.
Math center also has a Nemo-look-alike! That pink fish on the right is hanging from the ceiling.
Personal Writing Area - if anyone wants to make a surprise, or not be bothered while working on a project.
Ok, more photos of the Ocean Room!!
This lovely sign is just outside the door!
The "ocean" in the hall is just waiting for creatures to swim into it!
More things have been added to dramatic play! And there is still more to come!
"Welcome to the Shell Shack!"
