Ocean Life for Homeschoolers: A Charlotte Mason-Style Sea Study

Explore the strange and beautiful creatures of the ocean with this hands-on homeschool study complete with nature, art, music, & more!

Discover the Deep Blue Sea with Our “Ocean Life” Curriculum

Ready to explore the vast, uncharted depths of the sea? This Charlotte-Mason homeschool curriculum welcomes you into the world of ocean creatures, big and small. Complete with everything you need for a 4-week study, our open-and-go curriculum makes life simple for the homeschooling family!

With ocean-themed nature study cards, music and poetry studies, a creative art lesson, living books, tea time recipes, and more, Ocean Life keeps things engaging and FUN for learners young and old! Your children will uncover fascinating (and sometimes strange) aquatic life with a range of hands-on activities and immersive lessons, bringing the beauty of the ocean to life.

Whether you have younger children or teens, this curriculum has something for everyone to enjoy. So grab your copy—and your swimsuit—and get ready to go on an aquatic adventure your family won’t forget!

Ocean Life Tea Time Recipes & Reading

Tea times are some of the most delightful moments in Charlotte Mason homeschooling. That’s why we have included these delicious (and adorable!) ocean-themed recipes, one to accompany each tea time reading selection we have chosen for you! Take a sneak peek at each dessert below.

Shark in the Water Cheesecake
M&M Fish Cupcakes
Ocean Wave Crinkle Cookies
Frosted Starfish Cookies

Make one recipe each week, and have it with tea while you read and discuss our ocean-themed tea time story. It’s the perfect way to dive into reading—all while creating lasting memories with your family!

Add an Ocean Poem to Your Tea Time:

Additionally, we have selected several ocean-themed poems for this curriculum, sure to make a splash! Read them, talk about them together as a family, and then write them down to get a deeper understanding (and practice handwriting!) using our copywork sheets for primary grades through high school. Here is a sample of one of our favorite pieces:

Sea-Fever
by John Masefield

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

Explore the Ocean’s Depths with the 150+ page “Ocean Life Morning Time Session”!

Explore the vast ocean with our beautifully crafted “Ocean Life Morning Time Session!” This 150+ page guide has everything you need to study the ocean’s unique creatures through creative, hands-on learning activities.

Inside, you’ll find:

4-week Calendar with each subject scheduled on it
Prayer and scripture memorization
Copywork selections from Psalm 93, Mark 4:25-41, Psalm 107:23-30, Sea Fever by John Masefield, The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, After the Sea-Ship by Walt Whitman, and The Sound of the Sea by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in primary, elementary, cursive, and a notebook sheet for high school students (and moms)
Memory Work: Prayer and scripture memorization of Psalm 93, Mark 4:25-41, and Psalm 107:23-30
Living Books recommended reading list
Artist & Picture Study: Rembrandt van Rijn, John Singleton Copley, Katsushika Hokusai, and J.M.W. Turner, with biographies for each and four printable art pieces
Composer Study: Classical Ocean-Themed Music, with four music pieces (+ listening links)
Hymn Study: Eternal Father, Strong to Save, with sheet music and listening links
Folk Song Study: The Fish in the Sea, with sheet music and listening links
Poetry Study: Sea Fever by John Masefield, The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, After the Sea-Ship by Walt Whitman, and The Sound of the Sea by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Calm at Sea by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and The Prosperous Voyage by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
4 Teatime Recipes: Shark in the Water Cheesecake, Fish M&M Cupcakes, Frosted Starfish Cookies, & Ocean Wave Crinkle Cookies
Three Storytime Teas and a Fable Teatime: The Sea King’s Victory, The Fish Girl, and The Sea King’s Gift, by Andrew Lang, and “The Shipwrecked Man and the Sea” by Aesop
Handicraft: Seashell Trinket Dish
Art Lesson: Coral Reef
Nature Study: Ocean Life Nature Study
And more!

Ready to go on an ocean expedition? Get your guide today and let your adventure begin!

Purchase the Ocean Life Morning Time Session for Only $47

Coral Reef Art Lesson

Coral reefs are often called the “rainforests of the sea.” They are built by tiny animals called “coral polyps,” which are similar to anemones and jellyfish. Like vibrant, underwater cities, coral reefs are full of bright and colorful fish: clownfish, angelfish, parrotfish, butterflyfish, sea turtles, and many more aquatic creatures.

In this lesson, we will explore the colors and shapes of a coral reef, creating a vibrant underwater scene inspired by one of nature’s most beautiful ecosystems. Among the coral and sea plants, we will also draw a few fish found in a coral reef!

Enjoying your art lesson too much to stop? Grab these lessons from the Masterpiece Society to keep the fun going!

Under the Sea: Mixed Media Art for Kids K-2

Watercolor Whimsies: Summer Edition

Living Books to Explore Ocean Life in Your Homeschool

From squids to sea anemones, check out these living books to dive further into the study of ocean life!

We hope you enjoy your ocean adventure!

If you’re looking for a way to bring joy, wonder, and creative learning to your homeschool days, Ocean Life is just the place to begin. It’s more than a simple study of sea creatures: it’s also a chance to cultivate curiosity, connection, and a lifelong love of nature. We can’t wait for you to explore the wonders of the deep blue sea!