World Ocean Day Activities for Schools, Students & Families: 17 Must-Try Ideas

03/06/2025Last Updated: 03/06/2025

Every June 8th, World Ocean Day invites us to celebrate the vast, mysterious blue that covers over 70% of our planet. But beyond just admiration, it’s a powerful reminder of our shared responsibility to protect our oceans. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or environmental enthusiast, World Ocean Day activities offer a fun and meaningful way to engage kids and students in ocean conservation.

From classroom projects to creative crafts and interactive games, there’s no shortage of ways to inspire the next generation of ocean advocates. If you’re wondering what are some activities for kids about ocean pollution, or seeking hands-on World Ocean Day activities for kids in school, you’re in the right place. These activities are not only educational but also deeply engaging — helping children understand the impact of ocean pollution and how they can make a difference.

In this post, we’ll dive into a range of World Ocean Day activities for students and kids, perfect for home, classrooms, or community groups. You’ll find ideas suitable for various age groups, interests, and educational goals — all while keeping the experience fun, memorable, and impactful.

So, let’s make waves of change — starting with simple yet powerful actions that can spark a lifetime of ocean stewardship.

What is the World Ocean Day 2025 theme?

Content Summery

The theme for World Ocean Day 2025 is “Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us.” This theme emphasizes the importance of nurturing our sense of wonder about the ocean, recognizing its vital role in sustaining life on Earth, and inspiring collective action to protect it. By fostering curiosity and appreciation, the theme encourages individuals and communities to engage in ocean conservation efforts.

Additionally, the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, scheduled to take place in Nice, France, from June 9 to 13, 2025, will focus on the overarching theme: “Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean.” This conference aims to support urgent actions and partnerships to implement Sustainable Development Goal 14, which pertains to the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas, and marine resources.

Together, these themes underscore a global commitment to ocean conservation, highlighting the need for both individual inspiration and collective action to ensure the health and sustainability of our oceans for future generations.

Celebrate the Sea: 17 Fun World Ocean Day Activities for Kids and Students

Celebrating World Ocean Day is a great way to teach children, students, and even adults the importance of our oceans. Whether you’re looking for World Ocean Day activities for kids, fun school-based events, or educational projects on ocean pollution, these 17 activities are crafted to be both meaningful and enjoyable.

🌊 1. Ocean-Inspired Arts and Crafts

Category: Creative Learning | Ages: 4–12

Children love expressing themselves through art, and crafts are a perfect hands-on way to explore marine themes. Try these easy, engaging ideas:

Egg Carton Sea Turtles: Use egg cartons, paint, and googly eyes to create adorable turtle crafts.
Recycled Ocean Collage: Have kids collect clean waste like bottle caps and wrappers to form a collage of an ocean scene. This introduces the concept of marine litter.
Jellyfish in a Bottle: Using a clear bottle, water, food coloring, and plastic bags, children can create a jellyfish floating in its habitat.

Ocean Inspired Arts and Crafts for kids DIY Cards

These activities not only foster creativity but also serve as great World Ocean Day activities for kids in school, incorporating environmental lessons in a tactile way.

🧪 2. DIY Ocean Pollution Science Experiments

Category: Educational STEM | Ages: 8–16

For kids who enjoy a more scientific approach, experiments are a powerful way to explore environmental topics. These are especially useful as World Ocean Day activities for students in middle or high school.

Oil Spill Cleanup Challenge: Simulate an oil spill in a tray using water, oil, and feathers. Challenge students to clean it up using cotton balls, dish soap, and sponges.

Microplastics Exploration: Use glitter or small beads in water to represent microplastics. Discuss how these affect marine life.
Saltwater Density Layers: Teach about ocean currents by layering water of different salinities with food coloring.

These science-based World Ocean Day activities make complex environmental issues understandable and memorable.

📚 3. Ocean-Themed Story Time & Reading Challenges

Category: Language & Literacy | Ages: 3–10

Books offer a magical gateway into ocean ecosystems and the creatures that live there. Hosting an ocean-themed reading day is perfect for World Ocean Day activities for kids in classrooms or libraries.

Recommended books include (Buy On Amazon):

“The Pout-Pout Fish” by Deborah Diesen
“Commotion in the Ocean” by Giles Andreae
“Somebody Swallowed Stanley” by Sarah Roberts (a story about plastic pollution)

Create a reading challenge or storytime circle, followed by a discussion or craft project. Pairing stories with reflection helps instill empathy for ocean life and introduces activities for kids about ocean pollution in a subtle, age-appropriate way.

🎥 4. Host a Mini Ocean Documentary Screening

Category: Multimedia Learning | Ages: 6+

Visual content is one of the most powerful ways to raise awareness. Choose age-appropriate documentaries or short videos about marine life and the threats oceans face.

Suggestions:

Blue Planet (BBC) – various age segments
A Plastic Ocean – for older students
National Geographic Kids – ocean-focused episodes

After the screening, engage children with reflection questions, poster-making, or solution-focused discussions on how they can help.

This is one of the most impactful World Ocean Day activities for students who need a visual and emotional connection to the subject.

🗑️ 5. Schoolyard or Neighborhood Cleanup

Category: Action-Based Learning | Ages: All Ages

You don’t need to be near a beach to help clean up the ocean. Organizing a local trash pickup teaches children how waste from inland areas can still reach marine environments via storm drains and rivers.

Make it fun:

Give prizes for “weirdest item found”
Track how many plastic items are collected
Tie it to science lessons about watersheds

Schoolyard or Neighborhood Cleanup ocean day activities

These World Ocean Day activities for kids in school create a strong link between personal responsibility and global impact.

🐟 6. Virtual Ocean Exploration

Category: Tech & Discovery | Ages: 7–16

Thanks to online resources, kids can now dive into coral reefs or explore the deep sea from their classrooms or homes.

Top virtual tools:

Google Earth Ocean Layer – explore global marine zones
NOAA’s Ocean Explorer – real-time deep-sea exploration
Monterey Bay Aquarium Live Cams

These tools let students “visit” marine habitats, adding depth to lessons on biodiversity and pollution. Great for World Ocean Day activities for students when field trips aren’t possible.

✍️ 7. Ocean Poetry & Creative Writing

Category: Creative Expression | Ages: 9+

Invite students to write poems, stories, or journal entries from the perspective of a sea turtle, coral reef, or even a piece of plastic!

Writing prompts:

“A day in the life of a dolphin”
“How I survived the Great Pacific Garbage Patch”
“What would the ocean say if it could speak?”

This combines language skills with empathy-building and is one of the most creative World Ocean Day activities for kids across age groups.

🧩 8. Ocean-Themed Puzzles and Games

Category: Play-Based Learning | Ages: 4–12

Learning doesn’t have to feel like work. These interactive games make World Ocean Day activities for kids fun and memorable:

Ocean Bingo: Use cards with marine animals or ocean pollution symbols.
Matching Games: Match marine creatures to their habitats or threats.

“Trash Sort” Relay: Use bins labeled “Recycle,” “Compost,” and “Trash” and let kids sort different items quickly.

Ideal for stations in classroom settings or community events.

🎭 9. Skits and Role-Plays on Ocean Pollution

Category: Performing Arts | Ages: 7–14

Drama is a fantastic way for students to engage deeply with environmental themes. Have them write and perform short skits about ocean pollution or marine life rescue.

Examples:

A turtle trapped in a plastic ring
A coral reef speaking about bleaching
Fish in a polluted sea trying to survive

This allows for creativity, teamwork, and emotional learning—perfect for World Ocean Day activities for students who learn best through performance.

🐬 10. Adopt a Sea Creature (Symbolically)

Category: Global Citizenship | Ages: 6+

Many organizations allow you to “adopt” a marine animal, such as a dolphin, shark, or sea turtle. These symbolic adoptions fund conservation efforts and include a certificate, photo, and fact sheet.

Good platforms:

World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
Sea Turtle Conservancy
Oceana

Use this as a launch point to learn about the animal, threats they face, and how kids can help. A meaningful way to personalize World Ocean Day activities for kids.

🎨 11. Poster Contest: Protect Our Oceans!

Category: Visual Advocacy | Ages: 6–16

Encourage students to design posters with slogans like:

“Keep the Sea Plastic-Free”
“Every Drop Counts”
“Protect What You Love”

Display them in school halls or host a digital gallery. Poster contests are a classic, effective way to get students thinking about how to raise awareness through art.

🧭 12. Create an Ocean Facts Scavenger Hunt

Category: Inquiry-Based Learning | Ages: 7–12

Prepare clue cards with questions like:

“Find a fact about the deepest ocean trench”
“Which marine animal has the largest brain?”
“Name one danger of ocean pollution”

Hide them around your classroom, schoolyard, or community center. Scavenger hunts promote collaboration and critical thinking, making them perfect World Ocean Day activities for kids in school settings.

🥗 13. Ocean-Friendly Cooking Session

Category: Life Skills | Ages: 10+

Teach students about sustainable seafood and plastic-free packaging by hosting a cooking class or demo.

Ideas:

Make fish-free sushi using veggies
Prepare snacks with zero-waste ingredients
Discuss how food choices impact ocean health

You can link this with nutrition, ecology, and real-world decision-making.

📢 14. Host a “Blue Day” School Event

Category: Whole-School Engagement | Ages: All Ages

Have everyone wear blue, decorate classrooms, and rotate through ocean-themed activity stations. Include:

Craft tables
Ocean-themed trivia
Story stations
Science exhibits

A great way to bring the whole school together in celebration, especially for World Ocean Day activities for kids in school environments.

📸 15. Ocean Photo & Video Challenge

Category: Digital Expression | Ages: 12–18

Challenge students to take or edit photos/videos that showcase the beauty of oceans or raise awareness about pollution.

Prompts:

“Before and after: beach cleanup”
“A plastic-free day”
“Why I love the ocean”

This works especially well for older students who enjoy media creation and social sharing.

🐚 16. Virtual Guest Speaker or Marine Biologist Q&A

Category: Career & Conservation Insight | Ages: 10+

Invite marine experts, divers, or local environmentalists to speak to students via video call. Let students prepare questions ahead of time.

Topics may include:

Ocean careers
Real-world conservation work
Ocean health and climate change

This adds authenticity and inspiration to your World Ocean Day activities for students.

💻 17. Pledge Wall or Digital Commitment Board

Category: Environmental Stewardship | Ages: All Ages

Create a wall where students can write or post their pledges like:

“I will reduce plastic use”
“I will learn more about marine animals”
“I’ll never litter again”

Digitally, use platforms like Padlet or Google Jamboard to make this interactive even in remote classrooms. Ending on a note of personal commitment is a powerful conclusion to any day of learning.

World Ocean Day isn’t just a date on the calendar — it’s a movement, a call to action, and a perfect opportunity to nurture ocean-conscious minds. Through engaging and age-appropriate World Ocean Day activities, we can turn awareness into action and curiosity into care.

Whether you’re organizing World Ocean Day activities for students, hosting an event with World Ocean Day activities for kids in school, or simply looking for impactful ideas to do at home, every activity counts. From hands-on recycling projects to ocean-themed storytelling and interactive games about marine ecosystems, these experiences help children grasp the reality of ocean pollution and the power they have to help.

So next time you ask, “What are some activities for kids about ocean pollution?”, remember: the best ones educate, empower, and inspire. And when kids learn to care about the ocean, they grow into adults who fight to protect it.

Let’s keep the tide of awareness rising. Share this post, start a conversation, and most importantly — take part in activities that make a splash for a better, cleaner ocean.

FAQ: World Ocean Day Activities & Ocean Awareness

1. What are some activities for kids about ocean pollution?

There are many fun and educational activities to teach kids about ocean pollution! Some of the most effective include:

DIY Oil Spill Experiment: Let kids simulate cleaning up oil spills using feathers, water, and dish soap to understand how pollution affects marine life.
Trash Sorting Relay: Teach recycling by having kids race to sort items into “Trash,” “Recycle,” and “Compost” bins.
Plastic-Free Challenge: Challenge kids to go a day without using any single-use plastics and track their progress.

Ocean Pollution Collage: Use clean trash and recyclables to create an art piece showing the impact of marine litter.
Story Writing or Drawing: Encourage kids to imagine and draw how sea creatures feel when they encounter pollution.

These World Ocean Day activities for kids help children understand the importance of keeping oceans clean in a hands-on, age-appropriate way.

2. Why is June 8 World Ocean Day?

June 8 is celebrated as World Ocean Day because it marks the date when the concept was first proposed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. It was officially recognized by the United Nations in 2008.

The day serves to raise global awareness about the vital role oceans play in our lives and to encourage efforts to protect marine ecosystems from threats like overfishing, plastic pollution, and climate change.

3. How many oceans are there in 2025?

As of 2025, there are five officially recognized oceans:

Pacific Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Indian Ocean
Southern (or Antarctic) Ocean
Arctic Ocean

In 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization designated the Southern Ocean as the fifth ocean, surrounding Antarctica. These five oceans are interconnected and together make up one global ocean system, covering over 70% of the Earth’s surface.

4. How do you explain World Ocean Day to children?

You can explain World Ocean Day to children by saying:

“World Ocean Day is a special day on June 8 where people all around the world learn about the ocean and how important it is. The ocean gives us air to breathe, food to eat, and fun places to explore. But sometimes, the ocean gets dirty because of things like plastic and pollution. On this day, we do fun activities to learn how to protect the ocean and keep it clean and healthy for animals, plants, and people too!”

Keep the explanation positive, simple, and action-oriented to inspire kids to care and take part.