World Ocean Day for schools

This year World Ocean Day for Schools was a festival celebrating our ocean connection.

On Monday 8th June 2020 we brought the wonder of the ocean from the deep blue to homes and classrooms around the globe. Our interactive line up was bursting with ocean advocates, live ocean films, science lessons, music performances, yoga, breath-work, storytelling and much more!

Click the links below to explore what happened on the day 💙

9:00am: World Ocean Day kick-off

Lizzie Daly will open the festival!

Join us with Lizzie Daly to get the day kicked off!

We will learn how every second breath comes from the ocean via an animation, some Ocean breathing and movement exercise with Richie Norton and hear from others, including Pulau School in Pitcairn, celebrating World Ocean Day around the world!

Age: All ages
Duration: 30 mins

9:30am: Rockpool Ramble at the National Marine Aquarium

Join NMA live from their fantastic Aquarium facility with a spot of rockpooling and exploring the Plymouth Sound zone. Ask questions and learn about the amazing animals that live in and around their local waters.

Age: All ages
Duration: 30 mins

10:00am: Preparing to connect zone

Learn how to breathe like a dolphin

Sara Campbell will be hosting an amazing workshop teaching us how to connect with our inner dolphin and learning how freedivers, big wave surfers & underwater photographers have learned the art of breathing to help them do what they do in the ocean.

Age: All ages
Duration: 30 mins

Virtual World Oceans Day Celebrations

The Environment Agency in collaboration with the WWF, will be hosting a live broadcast about the Ocean. You will be able to hear talks from a number of EA experts alongside amazing footage and talks from the WWF.

Age: 7-11
Duration: 60mins

10:30am: Ocean Learning Zone

One Planet, One Ocean - MCS (need to preregister)

A blend of online and offline activity, this session will introduce the concept of our world ocean and global responsibilities and we'll create a collaborative Schools Ocean Manifesto from participants ideas.

Age: 9-11
Duration: 90 mins
Resources needed: Computer or tablet.

Incredible Oceans TV Live! Get Your Questions Ready

Have you ever had a question about our ocean or the creatures in it? Here’s your opportunity! Ask a team of marine experts as they answer your questions in this live session.

Age: 5-7
Duration: 30-45 mins

Explore your Creative, Happy & Healthy Blue Mind

We are all connected to water but did you know a trip to the beach is really good for your health? Join Blue Health Coach Lizzi to discover how time spent around water can make you happier, healthier and more creative.

Age: 11+
Duration: 20mins

Exploring the Arctic Ocean with Encounter Edu (need to preregister)

Join Encounter Edu for an Arctic adventure and find out what scientists have discovered about the changes in the frozen north.

Age: 7-11, 11+
Duration: 45 mins
Resources needed: Pen and paper

Beyond The Blue with Swim Dem Crew

Beyond The Blue is a documentary that explores the origins of inner city swim club Swim Dem Crew and what it means to build community through swimming. Founder Nathaniel Cole gives us an introduction into the club and tell us how spending time in water has made him a more environmentally conscious person.

Age: 11+
Duration: 15 mins

Pollution Problems with Ocean Conservation Trust

Join OCT as they explore the content of a whale's stomach. What's supposed to be there and what's not? Find out and discover what we can all do to think Ocean in our day to day lives.

Age: 6 - 11 yrs
Duration: 10 mins
Resources needed: Download and print worksheet.

Shark Conservation with Eco Action Families Live (need to preregister)

Join Free-diver and Scuba Instructor Greg as he talks about the importance of sharks in the ocean and how we can help turn the tide on the decline of these incredible animals. And get your questions about sharks answered at the end of the talk!

Age: 7-11, 11+
Duration: 60 mins
Resources needed: Download this worksheet for after!

Homeschool with Common Seas

Join the Common Seas crew on a journey to understand plastic pollution and, most importantly, what you can do about it. Find out about Home School Activities with Common Seas – 16 simple, fun, inspiring and free to download activities to help you become a Sea Champion.

Age: 5-7, 7-11
Duration: 45 mins
Resources needed: After watching this session, you can go to Home School content, to do even more!

Quarantine periods with City To Sea

Since 2017 City To Sea have been lifting the lid on the hidden plastic in period products. Big-brand disposable period products are a potential health hazard, cost around £6,000 over the menstruating lifetime and cost the earth. Menstrual products are currently the 5th most common item found on European beaches – more widespread than single-use coffee cups, cutlery or straws.

Learn more in this 6 part video!

Age: 11+
Duration: 6 mins

1:00pm: Ocean creative Zone

Using Art to Save Our Seas with Pangeaseed

An introduction to using art as a catalyst to give our oceans a voice followed by an exercise in ARTivism to explore the connection between ocean health and human health.

Age: 7-11, 11+
Duration: 30 mins
Resources needed: Coloured chalk, a place to draw outside or paper.

Create an ocean story with Fabled

Laura Hamm from Fabled gives you all the tools you need to create your own ocean story in this video workshop.

Age: 7-11
Duration: 30 mins
Resources needed: Pens and paper.

How to Cross an Ocean: SUP or Swim?

Learn more about crossing oceans, currents, marine animals and ocean hazards from the world record holders Chris Bertish and Yoshi the sea turtle.

Age: 7+
Duration: 25 mins
Resources needed: Pens and paper.

Blue yoga with Natalie Fox

Stretching our inner sea with yoga, breathing and movement to create flow!

Age: All ages
Duration: 15 mins
Resources needed: Mat and space to move.

Author Reading with Sarah Roberts

Author and wildlife expert, Sarah Roberts, reads her book ' Somebody Swallowed Stanley' and shares animal facts, in this mini lesson on ocean plastic.

Age: 3-7
Duration: 20 mins

Micro plastics art with Mandy Barker

Join international award winning photographer Mandy Barker as she shares her work with marine plastic debris & sets you a challenge to create your own piece of micro plastic art.

Age: 7+
Duration: 20 mins
Resources needed: Plastic waste & scissors.

How to make a rain gauge and why!

Through a short video, follow easy instructions on how to make a rain gauge and why it's a simple but really good way to begin to understand our weather more.

Age: 5-11
Duration: 15mins
Resources needed: Large bottle, scissors, pen, ruler & tape.

Top Tips to help Clean Up!

Join author Nathan Bryon and illustrator Dapo Adeola as they share clean up tips, taking inspiration from their latest book, ‘Clean Up!’ where Rocket sets off on a plastic-pollution mission to the Caribbean.

Age: 5-7
Duration: 7 mins

Make it up with Street Artist Midnight

Join artist Midnight for a craft session creating some amazing underwater creatures!

Age: 7+
Duration: 15 mins
Resources needed: Plastic bag, plastic bottle, cardboard, pens or paints, glue & string.

Habit-hats Create Challenge with OCT

Make a fabulous Ocean inspired hat! Watch the video to pick a habitat, then gather together your craft materials and start creating your ocean accessory. The bigger the better!

Age: 3-7
Duration: 30 mins
Resources needed: A long strip of card or paper, colouring pens or pencils, glue, any extra craft bits you want to add as decoration and a stapler.

Change the world with Little Turtle Turns The Tide

Hear author Lauren Davies read the story of the Little Turtle that hatches a plan to save the world from plastic pollution and learn how you too can make a difference and be an Eco Hero!

Age: 3 - 7
Duration: 20 mins

Surf A Wave Around The World with Kaimiloa project

Kaimiloa project takes you into the ocean to learn all about the waves and dig into communities from different places and times that enjoyed surfing just like you! Get inspired, imagine and design your surfboard.

Age: 5-7
Duration: 15 mins
Resources needed: Rope, paper, colouring pencils or pens.

The Sea Monkey Project

Complete the Sea Monkey plastic education comic book and become a part of the Sea Monkey Crew!

Age: 5-7, 7-11
Duration: 10 mins
Resources needed: Download and print this workbook. Colouring pencils or pens.

Craft a cuttlefish with Kim Hillyard

Join author-illustrator Kim Hillyard to craft your very own colourful paper cuttlefish

Age: 5-7
Duration: 5-6 mins
Resources needed: Two pieces of plain white A4 card, glue, scissors, paint, paintbrushes, water (in a jar) and a selection of coloured pens or pencils.

Animating Water with Elly Strigner

Learn how to animate water using simple techniques and easy to use software.

Age: 7+
Duration: 10 mins
Resources needed: large cardboard box, cardboard scraps, scissors, blu-tac, glue, crayons, coloured pens or paper, clingfilm, cheap hair gel, empty cup or jar, smartphone. Download app ‘Stop Motion Studio’ (free). Additional: pebbles, building blocks.

Hammerhead Shark Lesson and Craft with Sharks4Kids

Learn about great hammerhead sharks and make your own hammerhead shark from a toilet paper roll

Age: 5-10
Duration: 35 mins
Resources needed: Download and print this worksheet. Toilet roll, cardboard, paints, scissors, black pen.

All the way to the ocean by Joel Harper

Sit by and enjoy Joel Harper's brilliant animated story, All the way to the ocean. A cautionary tale about two friends who learn how our rubbish can go all the way from city to sea!

Age: 5-7
Duration: 20 mins

Waves of Optimism with SAS

While we cannot easily access the ocean at the moment, we can still send waves of ocean optimism across the UK through the Surfers Against Sewage #WavesOfOptimism campaign.

The idea is simple; turn your windows into part of the biggest ocean art gallery Surfers Against Sewage has ever coordinated!

Age: 5-11
Duration: 20 mins
Resources needed: Download and print this worksheet and follow this instruction guide. Coloured pens or pencils

4:00pm: Songs for the Ocean

featuring a lineup of music artists from around the world

Get on your feet as an amazing lineup of brilliant music artists and ocean advocates sing their songs for the ocean!

Featuring (in order) - Gretta Ray, One More Song, Tin Pigeons, Plastic Mermaids, Lisa Hannigan, Jack Cullen, Andy and The Odd Socks, Miles Goodall, Amelia Caesar, Ziggy Alberts

Not one to miss!

Age: All ages
Duration: 45 mins

6:00pm: Films for the Ocean

Sit back and relax with our final act for the day. A series of awe inspiring short films about extraordinary ocean stories courtesy of the Ocean Film Festival

Age: All ages
Duration: 1 hour

Post festival: : Continue your blue learning

Set your own Plastic Challenge this July

This July help us to stop ocean plastic pollution by setting yourself a #PlasticChallenge. Make one change or go all in, it's up to you. Sign up now for free information, tips and ideas on cutting down throughout the month of July.

Age: All ages
Duration: Varies
Resources needed: More info in this briefing!

Get your World Ocean Day for Schools t-shirt!

Pick from a great selection of tees with these year's illustrations and logos. These tees are not only organic, and manufactured by wind power, they also has the We Are Ocean graphic on the back and helps support the ongoing mission of www.weareocean.blue

Age: Kid & Adult sizes!
Duration: Until they grow out of it! 😉

Guide to Home School with Common Seas

We’re excited to launch Homeschool with Common Seas! From turning a plastic bottle into something useful, to learning about how plastic is made by creating your very own slime, these 16 activities are fun, free and easy-to-use. Share what you have learnt with #SeaChampions online?!

Age: 5-7, 7-11
Duration: 16 home activities that take from 10 to 45 minutes to complete.