How big are Ocean Animals?

This easy at-home STEM activity is a great way for children to engage with science in a meaningful and entertaining way!

How big are ocean animals? You may have read facts about the length and size of ocean animals, but it can be challenging to imagine what that looks like. In this activity, use chalk to measure out the dimensions of ocean animals in order to help visualize the true size of ocean giants.

Find an outdoor area with lots of space. If it’s summer or a weekend, a school parking lot or playground might be a good idea. Bring the measuring tape with you and a bucket of sidewalk chalk.
Decide which animals you want to map out by looking at the ocean animal size sheet. You may have heard that average great white sharks can be around 15 – 16 feet long, but what does that really look like?
Mark a starting place. Measure the length of your desired animal and make another mark at the end. Then, either draw a line between the two marks or the outline of your animal. You can add details like gills, teeth, or fins to make it more lifelike, but be sure you label each animal. Soon you will have an ocean of giants and you want to make sure you remember which is which!

Try laying down on the sidewalk and seeing how many “you’s” it takes to make each animal. A great white shark might be the same length as four of you!
Compare the length of different animals.