This Ocean in a Bottle Experiment is a super fun STEM and science activity for kids. The more that you do this experiment, the more impressed the kids are going to be.

For more activities, you can check our Ocean Activities for Kindergarten blog post.

If you’re looking for a fun science activity for kids. this is the one! With just six simple supplies needed, the kids can easily make this in no time at all!

The more that you make fun ocean activities and experiments like this, the more that the kids are going to want to continue on with their ocean learning.

We’ve made this simple science activity about a dozen times or more and it turns out perfectly every single time. Gather up the simple list of supplies that you need to get started.

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Ocean in a Bottle Experiment

We love all types of experiments in our house. They’re the perfect way to get some creative hands-on learning without having to overcomplicate it too much.

We’ve done this simple ocean experiment MANY times throughout the years and the kids always have a blast with it. I love it because it’s fast and easy to do and the kids love it because it just looks really, really cool.

If you’re looking for a fast and easy science activity that the kids can take charge of and complete, you’re not going to want to miss out on this one. It’s a fun and easy way to create something unique, fun, and educational.

Be certain to check out these fun ocean activities for kids as well. The kids will have a blast with this fun family game.

Ocean Books for Kids

These are some of the best ocean books for the kids to read! If you’re doing a fun Ocean experiment, you need to have some books to go along with it! You’re going to love having a good variety of books as well. It’s amazing how a good book can change the course of learning that fast.

These books are all unique in their own way. Some are full of facts while others are full of pictures. You can pick and choose or get them all and let the kids just pile through them. The more books that you can read, the better. Because why not?

If I could have a whole wing of our house dedicated to books, I would. There’s just something so awesome about having books on hand that the kids can just grab and ready. We also like to have a set reading time for everyone to gather around and sit down and read.

Knowing that we’re all spending a few minutes daily diving into a good book is really what it’s all about. The kids are certain to ask for reading on the days that we forget so I keep a stack of books handy for them to grab.

If you’re looking for some great book recommendations for kids, don’t miss out on these!

Hello, World! Ocean Life The Big Book of the Blue (The Big Book Series)Pete the Cat: Pete at the Beach (My First I Can Read)The Rainbow Fish Commotion in the Ocean Stella : The Shark Who Loves Treasure (Ocean Tales Children’s Books)

Now that you know how fun it is to pair up reading and learning, let’s dive into how to get this Ocean in a Bottle Experiment set up!

If you want more activities to do with your preschooler, check out this list of fun Ocean Activities for Preschoolers!

Supplies needed to do this Ocean in a Bottle Experiment

Just gather up the following supplies to get started. Once you have these items, you’ll be ready to go.

1 bottle, 2 liter in size
1 bottle of vegetable oil
Strong tape
Funnel
1 bottle of water
Blue food coloring

supplies for Ocean in a Bottle Experiment

How to do this Ocean in a Bottle Experiment

The biggest thing to keep in mind when you’re doing this experiment is that you’re wanting to make it so that you can see the various layers of the “ocean”.

Add blue food coloring to Ocean in a Bottle Experiment

Adding the water and the food coloring in first is going to be the biggest key. A few drops of blue goes a long way but you can always add in more if you want.

Once you add in the water and the food coloring, you’re going to want to add in the vegetable oil next.

What you’ll notice is that the old saying it true – water and oil don’t mix! This is the key part of what is supposed to happen during this experiment and the kids are going to be in awe.

After you have all the ingredients added, close the lid tightly and give it a good shake. Make certain that the lid is secured or you’re going to have a huge mess!

What you’ll notice is that the oil is going to separate from the water which is going to give it that layered ocean look. You can use this time to talk about the various colors and layers of the ocean and also why the water and oil don’t mix.

Your budding scientist will be so excited to try other experiments from this list of Ocean Science Experiments!

Fun ways to use this experiment

If you’re a household of science activities, it’s so fun to think outside the box and find new ways to use experiments for learning. What you’ll find is that when you slow down and enjoy the process, there are a lot of ways that you can help the kids have fun with learning.

Before anything, have the kids write down their hypothesis about what they think is going to happen during this experiment. Do they have any ideas at all? Jot them down!

Talk to them about how scientists create many different thoughts about how they think that things are going to go before doing an experiment. This is the perfect way to use a fun science activity as a way to have them dive deeper into the science aspect.

As you can see, this is a super fun activity for the kids. They’re going to love the cool colors of this fun ocean activity and will have a blast doing it over and over again. And since it’s so fast and easy to do, you’re going to love it as well!

Just make certain that the lid is on tight or you’re going to have a mess to clean up in the end!