Coral reefs are home to all the colors of the rainbow—and 25% of all fish species in the sea. From microscopic baby corals to mega-sized sea turtles, there’s room for everyone on the reef. Enjoy a week under the waves with science crafts, activities, coloring, and more.
Please note: While Science @ Home activities are designed to be conducted by kids, some little ones might need adult help with reading instructions and preparing crafts.
Water you waiting for? The reef is ready to explore! Today you’ll get to know these incredible marine ecosystems through five hands-on activities. (30-45 minutes)
Academy educator Aya takes you on a wild, whimsical tour of a coral reef, where you’ll zap up a plankton snack with your stinging nematocyst and learn about the important work that coral reefs do in our ocean.
Here’s your chance to use ALL the crayons as you bring a colorful coral reef habitat to life. Can you find any animals hiding among the coral?
Just like other animals, corals come in all different shapes and sizes, from flat plates to branching arms to mushroom-like orbs. Learn more about the surprising shapes of coral with Academy educator Cassie.
Ever see shapes in clouds when you look up at the sky? In this activity, use your imagination to match different corals to other objects that look similar.
Well, now you know why they call it “brain coral”! Take a closer look at this 3D coral specimen by zooming, spinning, and rotating it with your mouse or your fingers. The skeleton of a once-living coral, this specimen is now part of the Academy’s natural history collections, serving as a resource for scientists and students all over the world.
As you investigate the specimen, think about the four questions below. Share your answers with a friend or family member or just think in your head.
Home is where the anemone is…at least for a clownfish. Today you’ll visit a variety of ocean habitats and learn why there’s no place like home—especially for residents of coral reefs. (45-60 minutes)
Visit some of Steinhart Aquarium’s “a-ray-zing” coral reef creatures with Ray, the talking stingray tour guide.
Clownfish and sea anemones are coral reefs’ cutest roommates. They also help each other out: Anemones provide shelter to clownfish, and clownfish provide nutrients for anemones. Make your own dynamic undersea duo using paper tubes and coffee filters.
Clownfish are safe from the sting of anemone tentacles thanks to a protective mucus coating on their bodies. How will you color the clownfish and its cozy anemone home?
So many cool creatures cruise the reef. Print out and color this coral reef scene. What animals do you see?
The ocean is home to many different animals, partly because there are so many unique habitats within the sea. In this activity, discover what part of the ocean different animals call home: the open ocean, coral reefs, or the sandy bottom.
Say hello to a captivating cast of coral reef characters—and craft a few of your own to keep you company above the surface. (45-90 minutes)
Adventure through the coral reef with Octopus as he makes friends on his way to school in this interactive puppet show.
While you watch this video, think about the four questions below. Share your answers with a friend or family member or just think in your head.
Sea turtles spend almost their entire lives underwater, even though they breathe air. As you create your turtle, imagine paddling through the colorful coral reef. What would it be like to carry your home on your back?
Butterflyfish are a group of fish that live in coral reefs. Like real butterflies, they are often brightly colored, with yellow, orange, black, and white patterns. Many butterflyfish also have an eyespot near their tail to distract predators.
Moorish idols are striking-looking fish that live in coral reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Color them yellow, black, and white—or use your imagination!
Seven species of sea turtles paddle through the world’s oceans. Color this one, along with some of its coral reef neighbors.
Imagine gracefully gliding through thousands of swirling, colorful fish. Now imagine you get to do it every day! Find out what it’s like to be a SCUBA diver at the Academy and why it's such an important job. (30-45 minutes)
Scuba divers don’t just dive in the ocean—they also dive in the Academy! Go behind the scenes with Academy diver Dave to see what it takes to dive safely inside some of our largest exhibits.
While you watch this video, think about the four questions below. Share your answers with a friend or family member or just think in your head.
At 25 feet deep and 212,000 gallons, the Academy’s Philippine Coral Reef habitat is the largest living indoor coral reef on Earth. In this video, see what our divers see as they glide through the warm, crystal-clear water to check up on the reef’s residents.
While you watch this video, think about the three questions below. Share your answers with a friend or family member or just think in your head.
It’s hard work keeping our Phillipine Coral Reef in tip-top shape, but Academy divers rise to the challenge every day, completing important tasks like cleaning windows and introducing new fish into the habitat. (You’ll notice that the divers and fish are moving very fast in the beginning of the video—that’s because we sped the video up to show how long it takes to clean the habitat!)
While you watch this video, think about the three questions below. Share your answers with a friend or family member or just think in your head.
Get ready to explore the coral reef with your own craft snorkel and mask. What might you see underwater? Fish? Coral? A sea turtle? An ocean of adventure awaits!
Finished Day 4 and still hungry for more? Plunge into these extension activities to get even closer to coral reefs.
Maintaining neutral buoyancy is an important skill that every Twilight Zone diver must master. Get a head start with this at-home experiment.
Watch as Academy educator Louise demonstrates the “diver in a bottle” experiment using a plastic bottle and an eyedropper.
Dive beneath the ocean waves and explore the unique and diverse relationships found on a coral reef. Some of these relationships, like clownfish and sea anemones, are symbiotic, meaning both animals benefit from being together.
While you watch this video, think about the three questions below. Share your answers with a friend or family member or just think in your head.
Our Philippine Coral Reef webcam is always streaming, meaning you can watch the underwater action anytime you like!
While you watch this video, think about the three questions below. Share your answers with a friend or family member or just think in your head.
Enjoy an eclectic array of science content for all ages, from distance learning resources to in-depth livestreams.