Week 2 — Under the Sea
The week children become ocean rescuers — and the week we open our doors. Five days of purposeful play, ending with the Ocean Rescue Mission and our Open House. June 8–12 · Bigs classroom, ages 3.5–5.
This guide pairs with the General Planning Guide and applies it to Under the Sea, built around the Bigs (3.5–5) daily schedule. Week 2 takes the upgrade from "ocean crafts" to a real mission: children aren't decorating fish, they're rescuers with a role and a job. That shift — a child with a purpose — is what makes this week land. It also ends with our Open House on Friday, June 12, so the whole week quietly doubles as preparation for showing families what we do.
Week Snapshot
The Week Builds Toward Friday
Build the ocean, discover it needs help, become rescuers, rehearse — then perform the mission and show it to families at the Open House.
The Daily Rhythm
Every day runs the identical clock — and each day plan below carries it in full, block by block. Four blocks are fixed by the clock — the two snacks, lunch, and quiet time. Everything else is flex: that's the curriculum.
Friday, June 12 — Evening
Families come to see what we do. Your part as a teacher is the classroom and the children — not the event logistics (snow cones, the raffle, and the rest are run by the leadership team). Specifically, your three jobs:
- Build the display. The ocean and rescue table you create through the week become the Open House centerpiece. Build them to be showcase-ready by Friday.
- Rehearse the children. On Thursday, help kids practice "showing" their work — being a proud tour guide of their own ocean.
- Welcome families Friday evening. Be present, warm, and let each child walk their grown-up through the rescue mission.
The good news: the whole week's arc — building the ocean, becoming rescuers, training, rehearsing — is the Open House preparation. You don't plan a separate event. You just do the week well.
Five Days, Fully Planned
Each day is the full run-sheet — every block of the Bigs schedule, in order, so you can print a day and run it from the page. Transition and fixed blocks are kept brief; the flex blocks carry the detail.
Combined arrival care. All classrooms together — quiet free play and a soft welcome until the Bigs room opens.
Opening Circle — Welcome to the Ocean
Bring out a bit of mystery — a shell, an ocean photo, a toy sea creature in a jar. "All week, we're diving under the sea." Build a collaborative list: "What lives in the ocean?" — each child adds one.
Handwash / bathroom. In from circle, before outdoor play.
Outdoor Play · Move Like a Sea Creature
Outside while it's cool. Call a creature, children move like it: swim like a fish, scuttle like a crab, float like a jellyfish, drift like seaweed. Chain the creatures together so kids hold a sequence in mind.
Choice — "Want to be the caller for the next round?" Materials — open space, sun hats, sunscreen on first.
Fixed
Morning Snack
In from outside, wash up. At snack: "Which sea creature was hardest to move like?"
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up after snack, settle toward the craft table.
Craft — Ocean Mural
Begin the shared ocean world the class uses all week. On blue butcher paper, children sponge-paint waves and press tissue-paper seaweed — process, not template. This mural becomes part of the Open House display, so give it room to grow over the week.
Music & Movement
Ocean songs and a sea-creature movement song — drift, glide, wiggle. The cleanup and quiet-down songs carry over from Week 1; lean on them, they're routine now.
Centers / Free Choice — Build Our Ocean (anchor)
The anchor: children build the sensory ocean they'll use all week. Bins of blue water (or blue rice) and toy sea animals; children arrange the sea — who lives in the deep, who lives in the reef. Process-oriented, no template. Your role is to observe, narrate, ask: "Tell me about your part of the ocean."
Handwash / bathroom. Tidy the centers, wash up before lunch.
Fixed
Lunch
Calm, social, unhurried. Teachers sit with the children.
Handwash / bathroom. After lunch, before heading outside.
Outdoor Activity / Play
A short second outdoor block — peak heat, so keep it light: more sea-creature movement in the shade, or a calm shaded game. Move indoors on a hot day.
Fixed
Quiet Time
The quiet-down ritual carries over from Week 1 — same dim lights, same songs. Second week, it should settle quickly.
Wake-up · handwash / bathroom. Lights up slowly, cots away, bathroom and handwash.
Fixed
Afternoon Snack
Gentle and low-key — the day is winding down.
Manipulative — Sort the Sea Animals
A tray of mixed sea animals — children sort them by where they live: deep ocean, reef, sandy shallows. Fine-motor sorting that also seeds the careful-observation habit the rescue mission will need.
Cleanup & room reset. The children help — cleanup song. Reset the room for tomorrow.
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up before the closing circle.
Closing Circle
End-of-day recall: "What did we add to our ocean today?" Give each child something specific to carry home.
Combined Active Engagement — Departure
The classrooms combine for departure. Specific handoffs: "Ask Mateo where the crab lives — he sorted all the reef animals today."
Combined arrival care. All classrooms together — quiet free play and a soft welcome until the Bigs room opens.
Opening Circle — Discover the Problem
Set this up before kids arrive: the sensory ocean now has pretend "trash" (clean recyclables) and a few animals "stuck." At circle, discover it together — with real, calm concern. Then introduce the rule: "Gentle hands. A rescuer is calm and gentle — never grabby, never fast. Show me your gentle hands." Practice it together.
Handwash / bathroom. In from circle, before outdoor play.
Outdoor Play · Calm Ocean / Stormy Ocean
A freeze game. "Calm ocean" — sway gently. "Stormy ocean!" — move big and wild. "FREEZE — the ocean is still." Pure self-control practice: start, stop, regulate. Then a rescue obstacle course — carry a sea animal gently to the "safe zone" without dropping it.
Materials — cones or rope, a "net" (a sheet), toy animals, a safe-zone marker, sun protection.
Fixed
Morning Snack
Wash up coming in. "What was harder — freezing when it was stormy, or carrying the animal gently?"
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up after snack, settle toward the craft table.
Craft — Rescuer Badges
Each child makes a rescuer badge to wear all week — a paper badge they color and put their name on. A small thing that makes the role real: they're not playing, they're rescuers with a badge and a job.
Music & Movement
Ocean songs, plus a "gentle hands" chant set to a tune — sing it, and it becomes a calm cue you can use all week.
Centers / Free Choice — Rescue Training: The Three Steps (anchor)
Children learn the rescue routine they'll use all week. Keep it to three steps — short enough to hold in mind, real enough to feel like a job. Post them as picture cards:
- SPOT — find an animal that needs help in the sensory ocean
- RESCUE — with gentle hands, carefully lift it out
- SORT — carry it to the rescue table, place it in the safe zone
Demonstrate once. Then children rotate through the rescue station in small groups.
"Gentle hands" is inhibitory control — it asks a child to override the natural impulse to grab, and instead move slowly and carefully. It is the skill of the day, and it shows up in every block: the freeze game, the careful carry, waiting a turn at the rescue station.
Narrate it all day. "You wanted to grab fast — and you chose gentle instead. That's a rescuer's self-control." Watch for: a child who pauses, slows, and handles an animal with deliberate care when it would be easier to snatch.
Handwash / bathroom. Tidy the centers, wash up before lunch.
Fixed
Lunch
Calm, social, unhurried. Teachers sit with the children.
Handwash / bathroom. After lunch, before heading outside.
Outdoor Activity / Play
Short, shaded, light — the hottest stretch of the day. Another round of Calm Ocean / Stormy Ocean works well here. Move indoors on a hot day.
Fixed
Quiet Time
Same ritual — dim lights, soft music, the same songs.
Wake-up · handwash / bathroom. Lights up slowly, cots away, bathroom and handwash.
Fixed
Afternoon Snack
Gentle and low-key — the day is winding down.
Manipulative
More rescue-sort practice, or sea-animal puzzles — quiet, careful, hands-busy work that keeps the gentle-hands habit alive.
Cleanup & room reset. The children help — cleanup song. Reset the room for tomorrow.
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up before the closing circle.
Closing Circle
Recall: "What is a rescuer's most important rule?" Let them answer together — gentle hands.
Combined Active Engagement — Departure
The classrooms combine for departure. Specific handoffs: "Ask Sofia about the gentle hands rule — she practiced rescuing the sea turtle all afternoon."
Combined arrival care. All classrooms together — quiet free play and a soft welcome until the Bigs room opens.
Opening Circle — Review the Mission
Let the children recite the three rescue steps — "Spot, rescue, and…?" — and let them finish it. Practice gentle hands.
Handwash / bathroom. In from circle, before outdoor play.
Outdoor Play · Ocean Games
Calm Ocean / Stormy Ocean again — children love a repeat, and the freeze game is self-control practice every time. Add a rescue relay — pairs gently pass an animal down a line to the safe zone.
Materials — toy animals, cones, sun protection.
Fixed
Morning Snack
Wash up coming in. "How many animals do you think you can rescue today?"
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up after snack, settle toward the craft table.
Craft — Make the Rescue Log
Children help make a rescue log chart — a place to mark each animal rescued. A light touch of counting and recall, and a real tool they'll use at the station today.
Music & Movement
Ocean songs — the week's favorites by now — and the "gentle hands" chant.
Centers / Free Choice — The Rescue Mission, For Real (anchor)
Children run the full SPOT–RESCUE–SORT routine at the rescue station, in small groups, until it's fluent. Each child marks their rescues on the rescue log. Your role — coach the steps, narrate gentle hands, ask "what step are you on?" Don't do it for them.
Handwash / bathroom. Tidy the centers, wash up before lunch.
Fixed
Lunch
Calm, social, unhurried. Teachers sit with the children.
Handwash / bathroom. After lunch, before heading outside.
Outdoor Activity / Play
Short, shaded, light — the hottest stretch of the day. Move indoors on a hot day.
Fixed
Quiet Time
Same ritual — by midweek, the room settles fast.
Wake-up · handwash / bathroom. Lights up slowly, cots away, bathroom and handwash.
Fixed
Afternoon Snack
Gentle and low-key — the day is winding down.
Manipulative
Sea-animal counting with the rescue log, or ocean sorting trays.
Cleanup & room reset. The children help — cleanup song. Reset the room for tomorrow.
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up before the closing circle.
Closing Circle
Mention casually: "In two days, our families come visit our ocean!"
Combined Active Engagement — Departure
The classrooms combine for departure. Specific handoffs: "Ask Liam how many animals he rescued — he kept a log."
Combined arrival care. All classrooms together — quiet free play and a soft welcome until the Bigs room opens.
Opening Circle — Tomorrow, Our Families Visit
Build the excitement: "Tomorrow evening, your grown-ups come to see our ocean! Today we do our best rescue work and get our ocean ready to show."
Handwash / bathroom. In from circle, before outdoor play.
Outdoor Play · Ocean Games
Calm Ocean / Stormy Ocean and the rescue relay — joyful, familiar, and it gets the wiggles out before a focused indoor morning.
Fixed
Morning Snack
Wash up coming in. A little buzz about tomorrow is fine — let it carry.
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up after snack, settle toward the craft table.
Craft — Display Labels & Welcome Sign
Make the display items for tomorrow — labels for the rescued animals and a big "Welcome to Our Ocean" sign. Real props for a real event; the children's own hands on the display.
Music & Movement
Ocean songs — practice the one you might sing for visitors tomorrow.
Centers / Free Choice — Full Rehearsal + Practice Showing (anchor)
Two jobs. First, children run the complete rescue mission start to finish — a true rehearsal. Then pair children up to practice being a tour guide: "When your grown-up comes, what will you show them first? Try it on your partner." This rehearsal is what makes Friday evening feel calm and proud instead of overwhelming.
Handwash / bathroom. Tidy the centers, wash up before lunch.
Fixed
Lunch
Calm, social, unhurried. Teachers sit with the children.
Handwash / bathroom. After lunch, before heading outside.
Outdoor Activity / Play
Short, shaded, light — the hottest stretch of the day. Move indoors on a hot day.
Fixed
Quiet Time
Same ritual. A calm rest matters today — tomorrow is a big, exciting day.
Wake-up · handwash / bathroom. Lights up slowly, cots away, bathroom and handwash.
Fixed
Afternoon Snack
Gentle and low-key — the day is winding down.
Manipulative
Final display touches — last labels, quiet sorting of the rescue table so it's showcase-ready for tomorrow.
Cleanup & room reset. The children help — cleanup song. Tidy around the ocean display so it stays set.
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up before the closing circle.
Closing Circle
"Tomorrow our families visit our ocean — and YOU are the guides." A calm, proud note to end on.
Combined Active Engagement — Departure
The classrooms combine for departure. Warm handoffs plus a personal reminder to each family: "We can't wait to see you tomorrow evening — [child] has so much to show you."
Combined arrival care. All classrooms together — quiet free play and a soft welcome until the Bigs room opens.
Opening Circle — Mission Day
Big, warm energy. "Today is our Ocean Rescue Mission — and tonight, our families visit!" Quick review of the three steps and gentle hands.
Handwash / bathroom. In from circle, before outdoor play.
Outdoor Play · Ocean Games
A joyful, celebratory round of the ocean movement games and one last Calm Ocean / Stormy Ocean.
Fixed
Morning Snack
Wash up coming in — a celebratory feel.
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up after snack, settle toward the craft table.
Craft — Ocean Rescuer Certificate
Each child makes and signs an "Ocean Rescuer" certificate to take home — a proud keepsake of the mission. Keep it light; today the mission itself is the main event.
Music & Movement
Favorite ocean songs of the week — celebratory and warm.
Centers / Free Choice — The Ocean Rescue Mission (anchor)
The full mission, performed beautifully. Children run SPOT–RESCUE–SORT with all the care and skill they've built. This is your photo-and-video moment — have the camera staged for the shot list. When the mission is complete, leave the rescue table and the ocean set up and tidy as the Open House display for tonight — don't pack it down.
Handwash / bathroom. Tidy the centers — around the display, not through it — and wash up before lunch.
Fixed
Lunch
Calm, social, unhurried. Teachers sit with the children.
Handwash / bathroom. After lunch, before heading outside.
Outdoor Activity / Play
Short, shaded, light — the hottest stretch of the day. Move indoors on a hot day.
Fixed
Quiet Time
Same ritual — a real rest matters today, with the Open House this evening.
Wake-up · handwash / bathroom. Lights up slowly, cots away, bathroom and handwash.
Fixed
Afternoon Snack
Gentle and low-key — the camp day winding down.
Manipulative
A calm choice, and a final gentle tidy of the display space so it's perfect for the evening.
Cleanup & room reset. The children help — cleanup song. Clean around the ocean display, not through it; it stays set for tonight.
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up before the closing circle.
Closing Circle
Reflect on the week: "What was your favorite part of being an ocean rescuer?"
Combined Active Engagement — Departure
The classrooms combine for departure. Warm handoffs: "See you tonight! [Child] has a whole ocean to show you." For families leaving before the evening event, send the energy with them.
Open House
Families arrive. Your role: be present and warm, and let each child be the guide of their own ocean. The display does the talking — you just make families feel welcome and let the children shine. (Event logistics are run by the leadership team; see the Open House box near the top of this guide.)
This Week's EF Lens — Inhibitory Control
One executive-function skill to plan toward and notice this week. (The full EF primer is in the General Planning Guide.)
Why self-control, and why the rescue mission
Inhibitory control is the skill of resisting an impulse — waiting, slowing down, choosing the careful action over the fast one. It is the EF skill that most predicts how a child handles a classroom, a friendship, and eventually a kindergarten.
The Ocean Rescue Mission is built for it. A rescuer cannot grab — a rescuer must be gentle. A rescuer cannot rush — a rescuer must be careful. The "gentle hands" rule, the Calm Ocean / Stormy Ocean freeze game, the line at the rescue station: every one of them asks a child to override an impulse on purpose. You don't have to add inhibitory-control activities this week — the mission already is one.
Your job is to notice it and name it. Every time a child chooses gentle over grabby, calm over wild, waiting over pushing — say it out loud: "That was self-control." Naming the invisible skill is how a child comes to know they have it.
What inhibitory control looks like in the children this week
- A child who handles an animal with deliberate, gentle care instead of snatching it
- A child who freezes — truly stops — when the "stormy ocean" calms
- A child who waits their turn at the rescue station without pushing in
- A child who stays gentle and focused even through the excitement of Open House day
Brightwheel This Week
One intentional post a day — a photo and a sentence or two. Thursday and Friday double as Open House reminders. Grab the photo, adapt the caption.
What to Have Ready Before the Week Starts
Stage all of this the Friday before. The routines themselves carry over from Week 1 — this list is the theme supplies and the Open House display.