Preschoolers are learning to count, and pictures of the ocean and beaches can help children practice counting. Ask the students to count how many fish they see, how many beach balls, crabs, sharks and other objects. Bring ocean-themed items, such as plastic fish, to class and have the kids count them.
Children in preschool are also learning the concept of shapes. Bring pictures of simple ocean and beach items to school. Ask the students to name the shape of each item, such as a star fish and a beach ball. Another activity is to give each child a shape to trace on a piece of paper, then have him make an ocean creature out of it. For example, have the child trace a circle and draw a tail and a face on it to create a fish.
Sorting is an important lesson children learn in preschool to help them classify objects. Bring a variety of ocean-themed items to class. Ask children to sort them into categories. For example, instruct the children to sort the objects by color or by shape. Divide the children into groups and give them magazines. Ask them to find pictures of items that fall into certain categories and cut them out.
In addition to practicing counting, children in preschool need to work on number recognition. A fishing game can help them recognize numbers. Cut fish out of construction paper, add a paperclip and write a number on each fish. Have the children catch the fish with a magnetic fishing pole and ask them to say the numbers written on the fish they catch. You can also create a scavenger hunt game with numbered items, asking the children to say the number shown on each object they find.