Friends of the Sea
Friends of the Sea is an innovative new initiative from SEA LIFE and the SEA LIFE TRUST, encouraging children age 7-11 to develop knowledge, empathy and active citizenship skills through the lens of ocean conservation.
Through a series of challenges, children will consider what it means to care about the living world around them, understand the ways we can protect it, and work collaboratively to initiate change in their wider communities.
The aim of the initiative is to nurture and instil a love of the ocean within children and young people of today. In this way, we can create a future society that is truly made up of friends to the sea.
Ready to go? Just follow these simple steps to becoming Friends of Sea!
Step 1. Request your Friends of the Sea challenge pack
Subscribe and receive your free challenge pack (age 7-11), including challenge cards and activity suggestions. At the same time you'll become part of the community, receiving new challenges, exclusive content, resources and toolkits to continue learning and develop your pupils knowledge, empathy and citizenship skills. You’ll also have the opportunity to guide programme content and share stories with other teachers helping young people feel a positive connection with the Ocean.
Developed with flexibility in mind, from quick and easy classroom resources to wider, whole-school projects and community initiatives. The challenges cover core subject objectives in England and Scotland for ages 7–11 but can be adapted to suit younger and older. They also cover elements of the PSHE and Citizenship curriculum in England.
Step 2. Select your conservation challenge card (age 7-11)
Encourage children to think about how they can protect the environment with simple day-to-day actions. Create a fin-tastic guide to recycling, write sea-saving recycling manifestos, investigate the negative impact of carbon emissions and create a school energy record.
| Skill | Challenge Card | Learning Outcomes |
| Recycling Champion | Create a School Recycling Plan | Guides, Recycling Manifestos and Posters |
| Earth Protector | Reduce Your Carbon Footprint | Carbon Footprints and School Energy Records |
Time to complete each challenge card: 1-2 lessons.
Encourage children to think about how they can celebrate the ocean and advocate for it. Create a jaw-some ocean party plan and learn what it takes to be able to call yourself an ocean ambassador.
| Skill | Challenge Card | Learning Outcomes |
| Climate Change Connoisseur | Have an Ocean Party | Party Plans, Invitations and a Party Event! |
| Splashing Sea Ambassador | Become an Ocean Ambassador | An Ambassador Programme, Assembly and Badges |
Time to complete each challenge card: 1-3 lessons.
Encourage children to create campaigns that mobilise the wider school or local community to take action. Plan a school-wide campaign to help protect our oceans and/or organise a local waterway or beach clean.
| Skill | Challenge Card | Learning Outcomes |
| Conservation Campaigner | Create a School Campaign | Campaign Materials, Petition and Presentation |
| Pollution Control Officer | Organize a Waterway or Beach Clean | Clean-Up Plans, Posters and Litter Collection Records |
Time to complete each challenge card:1-5 lessons
Encourage children to join-up with SEA LIFE Aquarium experts across the UK to learn about local and global ocean conservation projects, inspiring them to become young pioneers in the field of ocean conservation
| Focus on | Challenge Card | Learning Outcomes |
| Endangered Species | Marine Rescue: Otters | A Fact-File for Ozzy and Ola the Sea Otters |
| Tackling Pollution | Marine Rescue: April the Olive Ridley Turtle | An ID Chip for April for Olive Ridley Turtle |
|
Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release |
Seal Hospital | An Instruction Manual for Stranded Seals |
|
Restoration of Nature |
Coral Reef Rescuers | A Coral Reef Rescuers Display for the Classroom |
Time to complete each challenge card:1-2 lessons
Step 3. Share your work with us
Help us to engage others to protect, advocate and campaign for our oceans, by sharing your students work us, so we can showcase it on our social platform and in our campaign communications. Email educationuk@merlinentertainments.biz or tag us on X @SEALIFE_Schools with the hashtag #SEALIFEFriends.
Step 4. Visit your local SEA LIFE Aquarium
A visit to any SEA LIFE Aquarium in the UK is an invaluable way to develop children’s knowledge and empathy for the ocean and the creatures that live there. As students walk around the aquarium, they will engage with prompts and information boards that aid understanding of the threats to these creatures and their habitats, learning how they can support ongoing efforts to protect them.
