Dive into an underwater adventure this week! From sea creatures and ocean-inspired pottery to creative crafts, stories and imaginative play, we’re bringing the magic of the ocean to life. There’s something for every little explorer, whether you’re heading out, creating at home or joining us at the studio.
For ages 4–12 • Mix and match the ideas to suit your family
SUNDAY 30 AUGUST
Home Activity: Create an Under-the-Sea Sensory World
Turn a tray, bowl or shallow container into your own underwater world. Add blue water, shells, stones, toy sea creatures, leaves or anything else you can find. Make seaweed from paper or wool and create little caves and hiding places. Then let the children invent stories about the creatures that live in their ocean.
Find the downloadable page with instructions here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t-a-171-new-ocean-sensory-bottle
If you can find glow in the dark paint, this one is a must!:https://za.pinterest.com/pin/294704369391007390/
Ocean Creature Hunt
Take a walk outside and imagine you are exploring the ocean floor. Look for things that could become sea creatures in your imagination — a curled leaf could be a shell, a small stone could be a turtle, and a stick could become a piece of driftwood. See how many underwater-inspired discoveries you can find.
MONDAY 31 AUGUST
Studio Activity: Sea Creature Vase
Time: 15:30 pm – 16:45 pm
Cost: R275 per class
Contact Sarah to book: 082 457 8177
Get creative with clay and make a fun sea-creature-inspired vase. Think octopus arms, fish, shells, waves or your own imaginary ocean creature as you turn a simple pottery project into something completely your own.
Home Activity: Make a Paper Plate Jellyfish
Create a colourful jellyfish using a paper plate, paint, paper, wool or ribbon. Decorate the body with patterns, eyes and bright colours, then add long tentacles underneath. Hang your jellyfish up and make a whole underwater family if you feel like creating more than one.
Here are three different ways to do it:
Wool: https://za.pinterest.com/pin/294704369391007425/
Cardboard: https://za.pinterest.com/pin/294704369391007426/
Ribbons: https://za.pinterest.com/pin/294704369391007428/
TUESDAY 1 SEPTEMBER
Outing: Under-the-Sea Explorer Day
Go to the JHB Zoo to the aquarium in the “Animals of the Amazon” section, or go to your local pet shop aquarium. Spend some time watching how the creatures move, what colours you can spot and how many different shapes and sizes you can find.
Challenge the children to choose one creature they would love to learn more about. What does it eat? Where does it live? How does it move? When you get home, draw your favourite creature and add three interesting facts.
Home Activity: Design Your Own Sea Creature
Invent a sea creature that has never been discovered before. Give it a name, draw what it looks like and decide where it lives, what it eats and what special ability it has. Maybe it can glow in the dark, change colour or breathe underwater!
WEDNESDAY 2 SEPTEMBER
Studio Activity: Octopus Snack Plate
Time: 15:30 pm – 16:45 pm
Cost: R275 per class
Contact Sarah to book: 082 457 8177
Create a playful octopus-inspired pottery plate. Add your own colours, patterns and details to make a unique piece that brings a little bit of the ocean to the table.
Home Activity: Ocean Salt Painting
Draw an underwater picture using glue to make waves, fish, shells and seaweed. Sprinkle salt over the glue, let it dry and then use watered-down paint to gently add colour. Watch the colours travel along the salty lines and create a magical ocean effect.
THURSDAY 3 SEPTEMBER
Studio Activity: Starfish Pencil Holder
Time: 15:00 pm – 16:15 pm
Cost: R275 per class
Contact Sarah to book: 082 457 8177
Create a practical pottery pencil holder inspired by the sea. Decorate it with starfish details, ocean colours, shells or your own underwater patterns and turn it into a colourful addition to your desk.
Home Activity: Make an Ocean Suncatcher
Bring a little bit of the ocean to your window! Create a colourful shark suncatcher using clear plastic, markers and a few simple decorations. When the sunlight shines through, watch your shark glow with ocean colours.
Find the instructions here:
https://www.diymadeeasy.com/suncatcher-shark-craft/
FRIDAY 4 SEPTEMBER
Studio Activity – Art Club: Pom Pom Jellyfish Keychain
Time: 9:30 am – 11:30 am
Cost: R350 per class
Contact Sarah to book: 082 457 8177
Spend the morning creating with friends at The Fragile Pottery Co. And make creative jellyfish keychain pom poms with wool.
Home Activity: Make Fluffy Ocean Slime
Create your own fluffy, cloud-like slime inspired by the colours of the ocean! Follow the recipe to make soft, stretchy slime, then add your favourite ocean-inspired colour and imagine you’re playing with a little piece of the sea.
Recipe: https://lindahagans.com/non-sticky-slime-recipe-easy
SATURDAY 5 SEPTEMBER
Library Adventure : Find an Under-the-Sea Book
Visit your local library and choose an ocean-themed book to read together. Look for stories about fish, whales, mermaids, sea explorers, pirates or life beneath the waves. Let the children choose the book that catches their imagination.
Older kids that read Narnia in our first week can try The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by CS Lewis.
Younger kids can also listen to the reading in this 1hour version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuLL-kMqFgg
Write Your Own Sea Adventure
After reading your book, create your own underwater adventure. Imagine that you can breathe beneath the sea and set off to explore a secret underwater world. Who will you meet? What will you discover? Will you find a hidden treasure, a mysterious creature or a lost city beneath the waves?
Give your story a title, write it down and draw a picture of your favourite part. Younger children can tell their story aloud while an adult writes it down for them.