Virtual Early Explorers: Marine Mammals

May 2021's theme was Marine Mammals!

Child's hands playing with sea otter and whale puppets.

UAMN photo by Jennifer Arseneau.

Activities:

The links are all PDF documents.

 Walrus mask made from a paper plate, construction paper, tissue paper, and yarn.

Crafts:

Make a Walrus Mask: Explore walruses in art and culture by creating your own walrus mask.

Scrimshaw Crayon Art: Create scrimshaw-inspired art by etching designs on paper.

 Kelp forest collage example with a blue ocean, blue yarn, green tissue paper, and colored cutouts of sea otters.

Exploration Activities:

Kelp Forest Collage: Discover the role of sea otters in keeping the kelp forest healthy.

Whale and Krill Tower Game: Explore baleen whales and the huge amounts of krill that support them.

Close up of two hands in a clear container of water. One hand is wearing a blue disposable glove, and the other is in a bag half full of shortening.

Sensory Activities:

Blubber Gloves Experiment: Explore how blubber keeps animals warm in cold water. Watch a how-to video here!

Polar Bear Fishing Game: Play a fishing game and discover the polar bear’s ocean diet.

Watch behind-the-scenes videos of museum staff preparing a  bowhead whale skeleton to be hung in the lobby!

Watch a Blubber Gloves how-to video from SciShow Kids!

Two hands in bowls of ice water. One hand is bare, and the other is in a ziploc bag full of shortening.

 Images by Emily Koehler-Platten and Elisabeth Padilla.

 

 

For activities designed for kids ages 6-12, go to the Virtual Junior Curators page.

 

Return to Virtual Early Explorers homepage.