beach unit study Archives

Who loves a trip to the beach?

*ducks as everyone raises their hand*

While we’re waiting for our family trip to the shore this year, I thought we’d try a fun printable beach unit study with the kids.

Which is how this All About Beaches early elementary unit was born!

There’s so much more to the beach than sand and surf!

There are animals that live on the beach, scientific principles that explain how sand is formed, ways to learn about notable beaches around the world, and more that kids can discover in this printable unit study.

This unit is full of beach-themed activities that you can use with young learners and early elementary students.

Read on to see how to get your copy!

Looking for more beach-themed fun for the summer? Don’t miss our list of beach books for kids and our beach play sand you can make at home!

Printable Beach Unit Study: All About Beaches

To use this printable beach unit study, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer Paper
Pencils
Crayons
Laminator (optional)
Scissors (for separating the flashcards)

All About Beaches begins with a two-page lesson about how sand is formed.

Then we’re on to geography with an activity that helps kids place the locations of beaches around the U.S. and around the world.

A full answer key is located at the back.

Complete a fun unscramble activity to spot the names of animals that live on the beach!

And kids who love word games will have fun with a printable beach word search!

There’s a two-page story about a day at the beach, followed by a grammar exercise to help kids review parts of speech.

Several beach-themed coloring pages are also included!

And little ones can practice counting to ten with beach ball flashcards in English…

…and Spanish too! You might want to laminate these for durability, by the way.

Scroll down to get your copy of our Printable Beach Unit Study: All About Beaches!

Don’t miss these other beach activities for kids!

Make this DIY play sand for some beach fun at home!

All About Beaches Printable Unit Study for Kids

To get your copy of our printable beach unit study: All About Beaches, visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store or check it out below!

If you like using unit studies with your students, I’m sharing a fun beach unit for kids that’s a perfect way to learn about these natural wonders!

I absolutely adore the beach.

What can I say? I’m from Florida.

It turns out that beaches actually provide lots of educational opportunities.

You can learn about animals that live near or on the beach, how beach sand is formed, and weather that frequently occurs near shorelines – just to name a few.

This unit study features plenty of beach activities for kids!

Below, you’ll find beach books for kids, as well as beach crafts and activities kids can try.

You’ll also see educational videos that teach students about how beaches are formed, how waves develop, and what kinds of cool creatures live near the beach!

Read on to see the full list of beach learning ideas. And, check out a free beach scavenger hunt you can pick up too!

Want more beach-y ways to learn over the summer? Don’t miss our printable Beach Ball Counting to Ten Cards!

Learn about geography, science, and more with this fun beach unit study for kids!

How to Use This Beach Unit for Kids

If you feel a little overwhelmed by all of the information in this unit, don’t worry. You can determine how many of the resources to use with your students.

Here’s a suggestion: Take this theme and break it up over a week or two. On one day, you might watch a video and answer the questions.

Then, you can choose a beach learning activity or craft to try. Repeat until you’ve covered the material you wanted from this unit.

Feel free to add any other awesome beach activities you find! I’m sure your students will love them.

Printable Beach Writing Pages

Pick up these free beach writing pages to get started on this beach unit study! They’re perfect for writing down the answers to the questions in the next section.

You can also let students use them to write a report on what they learn or to practice handwriting!

Just the click the image or the link below to have them sent directly to your inbox. You’ll also get our weekly newsletter this Sunday!

>>> Printable Beach Writing Pages <<<

How are Beaches Formed?

It takes many, many years for beaches to form. What makes up a beach anyway?

Watch the short video below and see if your kids can answer the questions that follow.

1. What landform do beaches start from? (Answer: Mountains)

2. How do mountains lose particles? (Answer: Particles from mountains are eroded away and washed down rivers.)

3. How do particles from mountains end up on the beach? (Answer: They sink to the bottom of the river floor and are transported to the shore over time, forming beaches.)

4. Why don’t plants grow on the beach? (Answer: The salty air prevents plants from growing.)

How Do Ocean Waves Form?

Waves also contribute to the shape of beaches.

As they break onshore, waves wash particles away from the beach, eroding sand off the shore and down to the ocean floor.

Watch the following video to learn about how waves form and see if your students can answer the questions below.

1. What causes waves? (Answer: Weather events happening far away from the shore)

2. What determines how big waves are? (Answer: 1) How strong the winds offshore are blowing, 2) How long the winds have been blowing, and 3) How large an area the winds have been blowing over)

3. How do localized winds affect waves? (Answer: Localized winds are winds that blow just a few miles offshore. These winds can cause smaller waves near the beach.)

What Animals Live on the Beach?

Did you know that there are animals hiding in tide pools near the beach?

They hide under rocks when the tide goes out, but they’re there!

Watch this video to find out which animals live in ocean tide pools and challenge your kids to answer the questions that follow.

1. What is the correct name for a starfish? (Answer: Sea star)

2. How did the Leather Star get its name? (Answer: It feels like wet leather when touched.)

3. What animals are sea anemones related to? (Answer: Coral and jellyfish)

4. How long can a nereid worm grow? (Answer: Up to 2 feet in length)

5. Name three types of crabs found on the beach. (Answer: Purple Shore Crab, Striped Shore Crab, Pacific Rock Crab)

6. How are prickleback fish different from most fish? (Answer: They can breathe air.)

7. How long can prickleback fish get? (Answer: Up to 2 1/2 feet in length.)

Beach Activities and Crafts for Kids

Try some of these fun beach-y activities during your beach unit for kids!

Fun Beach Activities for Kids

Share some of these fun beach theme activities for kids!

DIY Beach Play Sand Sensory Activity for Kids

Make up a batch of this DIY play beach sand for beach fun, even when you can't get to the shore!

All About Beaches! Printable Unit Study

Learn about the science of sand, the geography of beaches, and even get some counting practice with this printable beach unit study!

Beach 0-9 Number Playdough Mats

Help early learners practice forming and reading numbers 0 to 9 with these beach themed playdough number mats!

Counting Beach Balls to Ten Learning Cards

These beach ball-themed counting to ten cards are perfect for counting objects and reading number words!

Beach Shoebox Diorama Craft for Kids

Take an old shoebox and turn it into an ecosystem with this easy beach shoebox diorama craft! Printable template is included!

Coffee Filter Crab Craft for Kids

Use just a few supplies you already have to make this beach-dwelling crab craft with kids!

This free printable beach scavenger hunt is a fun way to help the kids spot what they can at the beach!

Printable Beach Scavenger Hunt for Kids

Want to have some simple fun at the beach with the kids?

Pick up this printable beach scavenger hunt and let the kids mark off the things they find!

This is just a suggestion, but it might help: Consider laminating this scavenger hunt and using a dry-erase marker.

Then you can reuse it afterwards!

You can also use this virtually!

Let students watch videos about the beach and challenge them to spot as many of these items as they can in the background!

To get this printable beach scavenger hunt, click the image or the link below to have it sent directly to your inbox!

You’ll get even more fun learning ideas in this week’s newsletter!

>>> Printable Beach Scavenger Hunt <<<

I hope you enjoy using this fun beach unit!

Try some of these other beach ideas for kids!