**Note: This page is not affiliated with any official organisers of 'Shark Awareness Day'. It is an awareness day widely celebrated to highlight the importance of sharks and their conservation. For general information, please refer to reputable online sources, and for wider shark conservation efforts, consider exploring organisations such as the Shark Trust or WWF.
Understanding Shark Awareness Day in EYFS & KS1
Shark Awareness Day, celebrated annually on July 14th, is a fantastic opportunity to challenge misconceptions about sharks and teach young children about these magnificent creatures of the ocean. It's a day dedicated to highlighting the vital role sharks play in marine ecosystems and why their conservation is so important.
For early years settings, nurseries, preschools, childminders, and Year 1 and Year 2 classrooms, this day provides a unique and exciting theme for exploring marine life, ecology, and the importance of looking after our oceans. It's about inspiring awe and wonder for nature, encouraging curiosity, and fostering a sense of responsibility for all living creatures. This day offers great planning ideas and inspiration for engaging activities that really resonate with young minds.
Why Is Teaching About Sharks Important for Young Children?
Integrating lessons about sharks and ocean conservation into your practice with young children (aged 0-7) is incredibly important for fostering scientific understanding, empathy, and environmental stewardship. During their early years, children are highly curious about animals and the world around them.
Challenging Misconceptions: Many children develop fears of sharks from media portrayals. This day helps to dispel myths, replacing fear with fascinating facts about their diversity and behaviour.
Understanding Ecosystems: Sharks are 'apex predators,' meaning they are at the top of the food chain. Learning about them helps children grasp the concept of balance in an ecosystem and how each creature plays a part.
Biodiversity and Conservation: It introduces the idea of different species and why some are endangered, fostering an early understanding of conservation and the importance of protecting all animals.
Ocean Literacy: Exploring sharks naturally leads to discussions about oceans, marine environments, and pollution, encouraging a broader sense of responsibility for our planet's largest habitat.
Scientific Inquiry: Learning about shark adaptations (e.g., how they swim, what they eat) can spark scientific curiosity and encourage observation skills.
Empathy for Wildlife: By learning about sharks as essential parts of our planet, children develop empathy and a desire to protect them, rather than fear them.
Engaging Activities for Shark Awareness Day (0-7 Year Olds)
Making Shark Awareness Day a fin-tastic success is easy with these planning ideas and activities perfect for EYFS and KS1 children. The focus is on discovery, creativity, and celebrating these incredible ocean inhabitants! Many of these early years and year 1 activities can be supported by the printable resources we have available.
Here's some inspiration for bringing the wonder of sharks into your setting: (Please use your own discretion and knowledge of your children to ensure appropriateness of each activity and safety concerning any materials given and activity undertaken.)
Shark Fact Finding Mission: Begin by sharing some amazing facts about sharks! Use simple, positive information to counter any scary ideas. Our 'Whale Shark Activity Pack (FREE)' includes Fact Posters x3 that are perfect for a lesson input, offering stimulating visuals and information.
Ocean Sensory Play: Create an ocean-themed sensory bin or tray using blue water beads, coloured rice, or fabric. Add toy sharks and other ocean creatures. Discuss their habitats and how we can protect the ocean.
Shark Counting Adventures: Integrate maths by counting sharks, fins, or teeth! Our 'Whale Shark Activity Pack (FREE)' includes a Number Slice Activity (1-10) and a Number Slice Activity - Colouring Version (1-10), which are great for number ordering and scissor practice.
Shark Body Parts Exploration: Using visual aids, teach children about the different parts of a shark's body – fins, gills, tail, and eyes. Our 'Whale Shark Activity Pack (FREE)' offers 'Body Parts' x3 resources (fully labelled, initial sounds only, and blank) to support this learning.
Draw and Write About Sharks: Encourage children to draw their favourite shark or imagine a new one. For older children, provide prompts for writing simple sentences or facts they've learned. Our 'Whale Shark Activity Pack (FREE)' includes Draw and Write Sheets x3 (blank, wide lines, and narrow lines) to accommodate different writing abilities.
Shark Role-Play: Set up an "underwater" area with blue fabric or netting. Children can pretend to be different sharks swimming gracefully through the ocean, or researchers studying them. Provide toy cameras or clipboards for added realism.
Shark Puzzle Challenge: Use our 'Whale Shark Activity Pack (FREE)' 4-piece puzzle to encourage problem-solving and fine motor skills while reinforcing shark imagery.
"Sharks Are Amazing!" Poster Creation: Provide children with a large sheet of paper and art supplies. Encourage them to create a poster celebrating sharks, drawing pictures and writing down facts they've learned. Our 'Whale Shark Activity Pack (FREE)' also includes an A4 Poster and an A4 Poster - Colouring Version that can serve as inspiration or be coloured by the children.
Movement and Imitation: Play some calming ocean sounds or music and encourage children to move like different types of sharks – gliding like a whale shark, darting like a mako shark.
These activities offer great inspiration for making Shark Awareness Day a memorable and impactful experience in your early years and Key Stage One setting, fostering a positive view of these vital ocean creatures.
To explore ideas surrounding additional early years events, please visit our 'Special Dates Calendar' page.
Printable resources to support teaching & learning surrounding: ‘Shark Awareness Day’
Additional Pages you may like to explore which cover relevant &/or Connected themes
More Early Years Event Pages for July
Explore special dates (including awareness dates, festivals, celebrations & events) relevant to your EYFS & KS1 children
Browse our ‘Special Dates Calendar’ page using the link below. You’ll find calendars for every month of the year to aid your planning!
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Disclaimer:
This page is for educational purposes only and is intended to support early years and primary practitioners with ideas and resources related to 'Shark Awareness Day'. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by any official organisers of this specific awareness day, as it is a widely celebrated observance. We do not claim any rights to specific trademarks or official materials associated with this day. For general information, please refer to reputable online sources, and for broader shark conservation efforts, consider exploring resources from organisations such as the Shark Trust or WWF.
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