Ocean Friends Small World Play
This ocean-inspired SEL activity encourages children to create stories, explore emotions, and practice social problem-solving through imaginative small world play. As children act out feelings and relationships, they strengthen empathy, communication, and emotional understanding.
Instructions
Create an ocean small world play area using the materials.
Invite children to explore and create stories with the ocean animals.
Encourage children to discuss how the characters may be feeling.
Explore friendship, kindness, and problem-solving through storytelling.
Support children in creating positive solutions for challenges that arise during play.
Materials
Ocean animal figures or toys
Blue fabric or sensory materials for water
Seashells, stones, or ocean loose parts
Small containers or trays
Emotion cards or feeling prompts (optional)
Learning Benefits
empathy development
perspective-taking skills
storytelling and narrative language
friendship and cooperation
emotional understanding
imaginative thinking
communication skills
social problem-solving
Infant & Toddler Adaptations
Offer larger ocean figures, fabric, and sensory materials for children to explore safely together. Model simple storytelling, emotion words, and social language while encouraging children to move characters, act out feelings, and explore relationships through imaginative play.
