Aquarium PLAY PACK is a vibrant and imaginative resource designed to transform your classroom into a lively, underwater-themed play space. Created to spark creativity and real-world role-play, this engaging pack encourages students to explore the roles of aquarium keepers, guides, cashiers and visitors while developing essential literacy, social and problem-solving skills.

Through dramatic play, students immerse themselves in a variety of activities that simulate life in an aquarium setting. From feeding animals and leading tours, to checking water temperature and selling souvenirs in the gift shop, learners build oral language, cooperation and early numeracy in a fun and meaningful context. The wide range of printable materials—including signage, checklists, vocabulary mats and role badges—makes it easy to set up and customise your play space to suit your classroom needs.

This resource is ideal for early years settings where play-based learning is valued, and supports cross-curricular outcomes in literacy, mathematics and social-emotional development. The pack is available in our basic fun font and all Australian state fonts to meet your classroom preferences.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• ✅ Develop oral language and vocabulary through themed dramatic play
• ✅ Practise cooperation, turn-taking and responsibility through role-based activities
• ✅ Apply early numeracy skills in real-world contexts (e.g. gift shop and café transactions)
• ✅ Foster creativity and curiosity through exploration of marine life and aquarium settings

What’s Included:

• Aquarium-themed job role badges (keeper, cashier, guide, visitor)
• Signage, bunting and labels for setting up your aquarium space
• Vocabulary word mats featuring marine animals and aquarium terms
• Gift shop and café price lists and role-play printables
• Keeper checklists and animal care task cards
• Themed play printables to enrich interactive learning

Materials Needed:

• Printed resources from the play pack
• Classroom props (e.g. soft toys, sensory bins, play money)
• Optional: clipboards, costumes or aquarium-themed décor for added immersion

How to Use:

• Set up your dramatic play space using signs, bunting, and printed materials
• Assign students different roles such as aquarium keeper, cashier, or guide
• Encourage students to use the vocabulary mat to describe marine animals and actions
• Use the keeper checklist to guide students through pretend aquarium duties
• Support mathematical learning by using the café and gift shop resources with play money

Ideas for Classroom Use:

• 💡 Use in small-group rotations to foster turn-taking and collaborative play
• 💡 Display student drawings and sea creature labels as part of an Aquarium Art Gallery
• 💡 Set up writing prompts like “A Day in the Life of an Aquarium Keeper” to extend learning
• 💡 Invite students to research a sea animal and deliver a ‘keeper talk’ to their classmates

Top Teacher Tips:

• 💛 Enlarge checklists and signage to A3 for clearer visibility in dramatic play corners
• 💛 Encourage students to rotate through different roles across the week
• 💛 Use recorded ‘tours’ or class presentations as an opportunity to practise public speaking

Aquarium PLAY PACK is an exciting way to bring marine life, vocabulary and real-world scenarios into your classroom. Dive into creative play, build meaningful connections, and inspire curiosity with this hands-on learning experience!