Our ocean unit has been a favorite! It’s obviously helpful that San Diego is an ocean city, but an ocean unit is wonderful wherever you live. There are so many amazing ocean books. I’m going to share some of my favorites.
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Just choose books based on your child’s age and what you think will engage your child’s interest. I recommend checking out the “Look Inside the Book” feature on Amazon and reading reviews there. Another place to learn about a book is on YouTube. You can typically see the entire book there. If you live outside the U.S., be sure to check out Book Depository for great prices and free worldwide delivery.
Montessori-friendly books use photos or realistic illustrations. They don’t have talking animals or a lot of fantasy. But many books that have fantasy and talking animals are wonderful books, and I love sharing them with children who understand the difference between fantasy and reality. I typically have a majority of Montessori-friendly books for a theme, but I include a variety of books that might not be Montessori-style books but that are simply lots of fun or are classic books that I consider an important part of cultural literacy.
Favorite Ocean Books for Kids
Favorite Ocean Books for Babies and Toddlers
This is beyond a favorite! You can read more about it in this post.
Montessori Book Basket and Shelves with Ocean-Themed Activities
Following are books we’ve enjoyed for our ocean unit! I’ve found that toddlers love even some of the big reference books meant for older kids. We have fun looking at the pictures and adapting the words as needed. I often find even the littlest ones looking at the big books on their own.
I always have related books available throughout a unit. On the top shelf, I have Steve Jenkins’ Down Down Down (an amazing book and one of Zoey’s very favorite books), The Big Book of the Blue (lovely!), and Ocean: a Photicular Book (see below).
On the right side of the shelf ( book on a wooden cookbook holder), I have National Geographic Kids Ultimate Oceanpedia (gorgeous photos and a fabulous reference book!).
Ocean Animal Sensory Bottle with Ocean: A Photicular Book
Ocean: A Photicular Book was a New York Times bestseller. It’s a super-fun book for multiple ages to look at with images that use Photicular technology to make each image like a 3-D movie on the page. It also tells about each ocean animal, including vital statistics such as size, habitat, range, diet, life span in the wild, and threats.
Montessori Book Basket with Books for an Ocean Unit
I have a book basket beside the shelf with a variety of Montessori-friendly ocean books. Look here for more non-fiction ocean books if I don’t have the book you’re interested in linked to yet.
Ocean: A Peek-Through Picture Book is a new and gorgeous peek-through picture book
by Britta Teekentrup! Its rhyming text, beautiful illustrations, and cutouts make it a great book for children ages 3-7.
Update: Ocean Anatomy was just published in April 2020 … and it’s wonderful! A favorite of all my grandkids!
My grandkids all LOVE this book (and the entire series)!
Book Basket with Fiction Books for an Ocean Unit
I have another book basket with fiction books for an ocean unit. Look here for more fiction ocean books if I don’t have the book you’re interested in linked to yet.
I Am Not a Fish! is lots of fun for kids who know the difference between reality and fantasy and enjoy silly stories. There are actually quite a few facts in this book.
More Ocean Resources and Activities
Free Ocean Printables and Montessori-Inspired Ocean Activities
- Free Ocean Animal Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Free Octopus Do-a-Dot Phonics Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Non-Scary and Montessori-Friendly Resources for a Shark Tooth Dig
- Free Ocean Songs and Educational Videos
- Free Relaxing Ocean Sounds and Music for Kids and Adults {Mindfulness Resources}
- Free Guided Ocean Meditations for Kids {Mindfulness Resources}
- Montessori-Inspired Ocean Unit
- Montessori-Inspired Beach Language Activities
- Montessori-Inspired Resources for World Oceans Day
- Montessori-Inspired Ocean Math Activities
- Montessori-Inspired Turtle Activities
- Shells and Starfish Activities + Free Printable from Montessori By Mom
- Free Shark Printables and Montessori-Inspired Shark Activities
- Shark Water-Bead Number or Letter Sensory Bin
- Farm, Zoo, & Ocean Animal Sensory Bottles for Babies and Toddlers
- Montessori-Inspired Toddler Geography Activities with Baby Beluga
- Coral Reef Kit and Sensory Bin
- Letters and Words in the Sand {Montessori-Inspired Beach Phonics Fun}
- Wonderful Whale and Water-Bead Sensory Bin {Free Printables}
- Seashell and Sea Life Nature Tray: How to Teach Vocabulary Using the 3-Period Lesson
- Free Turtle Printables and Montessori-Inspired Turtle Activities
- Free Turtle Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Free Turtle Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Seashell Color Matching {Easy-to-Prepare Variation of Montessori Color Box 3}
- DIY Coral Reef Water Table with Practical Life Activities
- The Ultimate Montessori-Inspired Shark Unit
- How to Make a Simple Ocean Animal Water Table or Sensory Bin Featuring Sharks
- Free Endangered Animal Printables and Montessori-Inspired Endangered Animal Activities
- Free Seashell Printables and Montessori-Inspired Seashell Activities
- Free Seashell Do-a-Dot Phonics Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- Ocean Unit Study Pinterest Board
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I hope you have as much fun with an ocean theme as we’ve had with ours! 🙂
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