Animals & Nature · Colouring and counting worksheet
Under the Sea: Count the Ocean Animals - Free KS1 Worksheet
This free printable invites children aged 5 to 7 to explore an ocean habitat by counting and colouring the sea creatures that live there. The single line-art scene prints cleanly to one A4 page, so it is ready to use at home or in the classroom with nothing more than pencils or crayons.
It links directly to the KS1 Science topic of living things and their habitats. As children count the fish, crab, starfish, seahorse and octopus, you can talk about why these animals live in the sea and how they are suited to a watery home.
Under the Sea: Count the Ocean Animals
Free Animals & Nature worksheet · Ages 5 to 7
Count the sea creatures
Look carefully at the ocean scene. Count how many of each animal you can find and write the number in the box.
- How many fish can you see?
- How many crabs are on the seabed?
- How many starfish can you find?
- How many seahorses are swimming?
- How many octopuses can you spot?
Colour the ocean
Bring the under-the-sea scene to life with your colouring pencils or crayons.
- Colour the seaweed green.
- Colour the fish your favourite bright colours.
- Colour the crab and the starfish red or orange.
- Colour the water around the animals blue.
Under the Sea: Count the Ocean Animalsowee.worldAnswer key
- How many fish can you see? — Count the fish in your picture
- How many crabs are on the seabed? — Count the crabs in your picture
- How many starfish can you find? — Count the starfish in your picture
- How many seahorses are swimming? — Count the seahorses in your picture
- How many octopuses can you spot? — Count the octopuses in your picture
What children practise on this worksheet
This sheet brings together two skills that work well side by side at Key Stage 1. First, children count carefully, touching or marking each creature once so they do not count it twice or miss one out, which builds reliable one-to-one correspondence. Second, they colour the scene, which encourages close looking and the fine motor control that supports early handwriting. Because the picture shows a clearly defined ocean habitat, it also opens up simple science talk about which animals belong in the sea and why.
How to use it at home or in class
Print one copy per child and provide pencils or crayons. Begin by naming the animals together, then ask the child to count each type in turn and write the total in the box. Counting before colouring usually works best, as a finished, brightly coloured creature can be harder to tally. For younger children, you might count the larger animals together first and let them complete the rest independently. The sheet suits a quiet independent task, a paired activity or a whole-class warm-up before a wider topic on the seaside or oceans.
Talking about habitats
A habitat is simply the place where an animal lives and finds everything it needs, such as food, shelter and a safe place to grow. The ocean is a watery habitat, and the animals on this sheet are all suited to it in different ways: fish have gills to breathe underwater and fins to swim, a crab has a hard shell and claws for life on the seabed, and an octopus has soft arms for moving and gripping. Asking 'Could a crab live in a tree? Why not?' helps children grasp the central idea that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited.
Extending the learning
Once the sheet is finished, you can stretch the activity in several directions. Ask children to compare quantities ('Are there more fish or more crabs?'), introducing simple comparison language. You might add the totals together for early addition practice, or sort the creatures into those with shells and those without. For a creative follow-up, children could invent a name for one of the animals or draw an extra sea creature in any spare space, then explain how their new creature is suited to living underwater.
Frequently asked questions
Is this under-the-sea worksheet free to print?
Yes. It is completely free to download and print, with no sign-up required. It is designed to fit on one A4 page so you only need a single sheet of paper per child.
What age and key stage is it for?
It is aimed at children aged 5 to 7, which covers Years 1 and 2 (Key Stage 1). The counting and colouring tasks also work well as a gentle introduction for Reception children with a little adult support.
Which part of the curriculum does it cover?
It supports the KS1 Year 2 Science topic 'Living things and their habitats', where children identify and name animals in their habitats and learn that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited. It also reinforces early counting in Maths.
Do I need any special equipment?
No. You only need a printer, a sheet of A4 paper and some colouring pencils or crayons. A regular pencil is enough for writing the counting totals in the boxes.
How can I make the activity easier or harder?
For younger children, count the larger animals together first and let them colour the rest. To extend older children, ask them to compare amounts, add two totals together, or sort the creatures into groups such as those with shells and those without.
Curriculum links
- KS1 Year 2 Science, Living things and their habitats: identify that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited.
- KS1 Year 2 Science, Living things and their habitats: identify and name a variety of plants and animals in their habitats.
- KS1 Year 2 Science, working scientifically: identifying and classifying through close observation.
- KS1 Mathematics, Number and place value: count, read and write numbers and use one-to-one correspondence when counting objects.
- EYFS Understanding the World links: exploring the natural world around them and noticing similarities and differences between living things.
Made by The Owee education team. Updated 02/06/2026. Free to print and share.
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