Ocean Habitat Sensory Bin for Preschool Exploration
An ocean habitat sensory bin for preschool is the perfect hands-on way to dive into life under the sea! During our zoo-themed summer camp, I set up two water-based versions of this center—one for large group play and another for table-top exploration—and both kept students fully engaged. For children who did not choose to play in the water, I made a dry version of an ocean habitat sensory bin. These activities introduce ocean animals and how they find food, shelter, water, and space in their underwater homes.
I used this pond sensory bin during our preschool camp unit on zoo animals, but it works great for pond studies, frog units, and more.
What Is a Habitat?
A habitat is the place where an animal lives. Every animal needs food, water, shelter, and space. Ocean animals live in saltwater habitats full of plants, rocks, coral, and open space. Some animals—like fish and sharks—swim in open water. Others—like octopuses, crabs, or seahorses—need places to hide, like under rocks or in seaweed.
In a zoo or aquarium, ocean animals have carefully built habitats to keep them healthy and safe. Zookeepers make sure each animal gets the right kind of food and a place to rest and explore.
Introducing the Ocean Habitat Sensory Bin
Before opening the bins, I asked the children:
- Can you tell me what animals live in the ocean?
- Do you know what these animals eat?
- What might they hide behind or under to find shelter?
We looked at photos of ocean animals and watched how they move or hide.
Finally, before opening the sensory bins, we went over our classroom guidelines for water play, including keeping the water in the bins (as much as possible) and washing hands after play.
What’s in the Ocean Habitat Sensory Bins?
We set up multiple bins including our large outdoor table and smaller indoor bins using shallow trays and dishpans.
Large Water Bin at the Outdoor Sensory Table:
This version was great for full-group, outdoor use:
- Base: Blue aquarium gravel
- Add-ins: Large smooth and jagged rocks, plastic sea animals, artificial greenery
- Tools: Plastic tongs, small containers, scoop nets
- Optional: Plastic lids (For our bonus challenge)
Children moved animals around the bin, hid them under rocks and used the tongs and nets to “rescue” or sort creatures. It sparked a lot of conversation and cooperative play!
Bonus Challenge: We floated lids on the water and tried to see how many animals, such as sea otters and seals, would stay on the lid before it sank. This ideas came from our Sink or Float Preschool Activity: Will the Boat Sink?
Tabletop Water Bin:
This version worked well for indoor or small-group time:
- Base: Blue glass beads plus water
- Add-ins: Same sea animals, greenery, and rocks
- Tools: Small containers and tongs
This bin became more of a fine motor and imaginative play station, and the smaller format allowed children to focus on placing animals intentionally—especially when it came to hiding them.
Bonus challenge: Students tried to wedge greenery under rocks to make hiding spots and hide animals like seahorses or crabs in the scene. They hid a blue and green fish in the glass beads and told me that it was camouflaged. Can you find it?
Toddler-Friendly Ocean Bin
To adapt for toddlers, I made sure all materials were safe, oversized, and easy to grasp. I avoided small items like aquarium gravel and glass beads.
- Base: No gravel or beads—just water
- Add-ins: Larger ocean animals (like bath toy-style fish and seals),
- Large rocks, both smooth and bumpy
- Sturdy greenery
- Tools: Plastic cups or scoopers
- Large Plastic Lids
This picture show smaller items than I normally use. We used small animals and made sure an adult was present at all times to keep the toddlers safe. Children enjoyed splashing and exploring. They especially loved balancing animals on the plastic lids and watching them tip or stay afloat.
Dry Alternative:
If you want to skip the water, this dry version still offers tactile and imaginative play:
- Base: Ground corn cobs (small animal bedding) for sand
- Water: Chunks of blue pool noodles
- Add-ins: Plastic sea animals, artificial greenery, smooth and textured rocks
- Tools: Scoops, tongs, small bowls or containers
Students especially enjoyed hiding animals inside the center of the pool noodle slices—a fun fine motor challenge and a great way to build storytelling around where sea creatures live.
This version provides similar opportunities for pretend play and science talk—without the mess!
Learning Benefits
This ocean habitat sensory bin for preschool builds:
- Science understanding of ocean ecosystems and animal needs
- Language skills through animal names, action words, and storytelling
- Fine motor skills with tongs, nets, and scooping
- Collaboration through shared storytelling and problem solving
Set Up and Storage Tips
- Use a towel or mat under bins to catch spills
- Store sea animals and plants in labeled bags
- Use separate containers for rocks, tongs, and scoopers
- Keep glass beads or gravel in zip bags for future use
Related Posts and Resources
Set up a zoo in your classroom using everyday materials. Preschool Zoo Habitat Activity: Create Animal Habitats
This paper folding craft helps students explore animal habitats through fine motor craft.
Here’s a free movement game that you can play indoor or out.
