Traveling with kids is a wonderful learning opportunity. 

A chance to share the experience and learn about the places you are visiting, the history, geography, language, and culture.  

If you are going to travel to one of those beach resort vacation for kids this summer, here are some fun facts to share with your child as they spend time near the ocean.

Your children, if they are between the ages of two and eleven, will be impressed with your knowledge. They will ask lots of questions so engage their curiosity. 

Children twelve and older may require a bit more convincing to engage in learning activities but if woven into the experience they will absorb the information without a fuss!

Fun Facts About the Ocean

Here are a few facts to memorize about the ocean so you can share them with your kids as opportunity allows:

Blue whales can weigh as much as 30 elephants.

A starfish is not technically a fish.

Dolphins sleep with one eye open.

Sponges don’t have circulatory, nervous, or digestive systems. 

Jellyfish have no brains, heart, bones, or eyes. 

Around 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water.

The Pacific Ocean is so big that it covers almost 30% of the Earth’s surface.

Salmon can live in saltwater and freshwater.

The word “Pacific” means “peaceful sea.”

Sharks do not have bones.

The longest mountain range on Earth is located under the ocean.

The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from the moon.

There are really five oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern.

Sharkskin feels like sandpaper.

Almost 94% of life forms on Earth are aquatic creatures.

The average depth of the ocean is two and one-half miles.

The longest beach in the world is in Brazil.

The blue whale’s heart is the size of a Volkswagen Bug.

The tallest sandcastle ever built was 37 feet tall. 

The ocean is three percent salt.

There could be millions of species of ocean animals that haven’t been discovered.

The Earth’s highest mountain is in the ocean.

It is important to share your knowledge of the world with them because kids remember facts more if they are accompanied by experience. They may not remember if a teacher tells them the depth of the ocean while they are sitting in a classroom, but they are more likely to remember it if they are told while standing on the shore, staring at the vastness.

That’s why traveling with your children is essential. Travel allows your child to connect a fact with an experience. 

Other examples include a better understanding of what a gorge is if they hike the Narrows in Zion National Park.

Studying immigration through Ellis Island will have greater meaning if your kids have visited the Statue of Liberty.

Learning phrases in French will be more meaningful if your child has to ask where the bathroom is while traveling to a French-speaking country.

But we don’t travel with our children so that they can remember more facts. We want our kids to learn about the world around them while also learning how to be better global citizens.

Here’s what we really should be teaching our children as we stroll along the beach.

It’s important to spend time with your family.

Work is an essential part of life, but it is not the most important part of life.

None of us will live forever, so you need to cherish each day.

Silence is beautiful. Listen to the waves. Sometimes humans are just too darn noisy.

We are the caretakers of this world. We need to do all in our power to treat it well.

Hard times will pass, and you will survive. 

Generations who came before us had the same thoughts, feelings, and problems. We have different technology, but our fundamental issues have always been the same.

You are important to me, and I value our time together.

Remember the power of words.

Be content with what you have. Try to push aside jealousy and envy. 

No one is perfect. 

Be around people who make you feel good about yourself.

The world is not, nor will it ever be a fair place.

Sometimes you need to forgive. Sometimes you need to ask for forgiveness.

Treat others the way you would want to be treated. 

Teach these facts to your kids. Share these in your words, actions, and attitudes. 

Enjoy every moment of your beach vacation and cherish the special memories.