When you were little, did you ever pretend to be a mermaid at the beach or in a swimming pool? Are your little ones just as fascinated with the ocean as you were? If that’s the case, they’ll love it when you turn your home into a mermaid grotto! The best part? Each area will provide an opportunity to learn something new about a subject they’re genuinely excited about!
Sensory Room
Sensory bins are an excellent idea for children because they can explore different sights and sounds (if you choose to incorporate sound) while learning. To complete this activity, you need a bin, water, aquarium gravel or sand, and toys.
Keep in mind that using water reduces the sand’s ability to stay in place. By adding small toys such as treasure chests, a mini castle, fake gems, and mermaid toys or ocean animals, the children have a great ocean exhibit to play with! The toys can be found for cheap at places like the Dollar Tree, so this activity is a great way to learn without busting your budget.
Mermaid Target Practice
No, we’re not attacking mermaids, just putting them back where they go. Using a piece of cardboard, cut four ocean holes (make them slightly wavy instead of circular) and have your children paint the ocean onto the cardboard. Add shells, artificial moss, or other accessories to make it look like home. Then use soft toys (stuffed fish or mermaid plushies or the soft bath toys from the Dollar Tree), and throw them into the holes to help the creatures get home. The best part is that you can take your family to Council Crest Park, enjoy the view, and have a picnic at the same time if you want to bring the lesson outdoors.
Treasure Chest
Anyone who’s watched The Little Mermaid knows that Ariel didn’t collect money; she collected treasures from the human world. This one is the easiest on the list because you don’t need to buy anything. Collect toys and other objects such as sunglasses, hair ties, pencils, and whatever you think a mermaid would like, and arrange them in a dedicated area. The idea behind this activity is that you can explain to your children the different materials the items are made of, which of the items can attract magnets, or which materials don’t allow heat to travel through them.
Mermaid Math
This one will be more fun for younger children who are learning addition and subtraction, though you can do this with fractions and other levels of mathematics as well. What you’ll do is make mermaid flash cards (or print them online) in the shape of puzzle pieces, and your children find the answer and the corresponding puzzle piece, and put them together. Both pieces can be brightly colored with an ocean theme and mermaids swimming to make it more fun while your child learns!
Coral Reef
No mermaid grotto is complete without a coral reef, and this one is easy to do! This site explains how you can create an easy coral reef with a glass dish, cardboard, and a few other ingredients. However, this activity involves ammonia, so you’ll need to ensure your children are careful and that your room is well ventilated. Although the crystals you create last only about three days, the results are excellent.
Ocean Currents
For this activity, you’ll need a baking dish, water, ice, and food coloring. As an additional option, you can add ocean creatures and a mermaid toy to make it more fun and interactive. You’ll need to fill a clear baking dish about halfway with cold water and add about three drops of the blue coloring. Be sure not to do too much, or you won’t see what you need to. Add approximately two cups of ice, then stir before letting it sit for approximately three minutes. At the same time, the ice is melting; boil four cups of hot water. Add four drops of red food coloring to make the water darker, and slowly and gently pour the red water into the cold water.
The result will be that you see ocean currents as the hot water moves through the cold water. The water that mixes replicates what happens in the ocean, and it’s fun for your children to watch!
Additional Activity Ideas
Because mermaids are so popular, there are a variety of additional ideas that can work well for your mermaid grotto!
- Teaching you how to make recycled sea creatures
- Creating beautiful mermaid slime!
- Making your own aquarium
- A variety of crafting ideas for mermaid fun
Ready To Explore The Ocean?
Having a mermaid day and setting each room of your house up for fun can be a great way to interact with your little ones and let them have a great time. So grab your mermaid tails and get swimming!
Jenifer Dale is a writer that has a passion for reading and helping others. When she is not writing, she loves cooking, crocheting, and spending time with her family.