Mote SEA Shark Pups & Grown Ups
For a two-year-old, a shark is less a fearsome predator than a magnificent question with fins.
By Edit Sarasota Staff
For a two-year-old, a shark is less a fearsome predator than a magnificent question with fins. At Mote SEA’s Shark Pups & Grown Ups, that curiosity becomes the starting point for an early-morning adventure in movement, discovery and shared play—one designed for children ages 2 to 5 and the favorite adults who help them make sense of the world.
The program recognizes something families and educators understand well: young children learn with their whole bodies. A lesson about the ocean may begin with movement, shift into a bit of sign language, and unfold through science-tool exploration, role play and games. The format gives children room to investigate at their own pace while inviting grownups into the experience—not as observers on the sidelines, but as collaborators in the fun.
That blend of play and purposeful learning is particularly at home in Sarasota, a community whose identity is closely tied to the Gulf, its waterways and the creatures that inhabit them. Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium has long connected scientific research with public education and conservation. Mote SEA, the organization’s science education aquarium at University Town Center, extends that mission into a setting where families can encounter marine science in an approachable, hands-on way.
Each month’s Shark Pups & Grown Ups gathering introduces a new theme, and every class is designed to stand on its own. Families can return without repeating the same experience, building a rhythm of exploration that grows alongside their children. For preschoolers, that novelty matters: a familiar structure offers comfort, while a fresh subject keeps the imagination moving. For adults, the class offers a welcome reminder that science education need not begin with a worksheet. It can start with pretending to be an animal, trying out a tool, learning a gesture or following a question wherever it leads.
In a region where outdoor life and environmental stewardship are part of daily conversation, programs like this help make those values personal from the beginning. A child who learns to look closely, listen carefully and wonder about marine life is taking an early step toward understanding the waters beyond the classroom.
Mote SEA’s Shark Pups & Grown Ups takes place Saturday, September 19, 2026, at the Mote Science Education Aquarium, 225 University Town Center Dr. It is intended for children ages 2 through 5 with a favorite adult, offering Sarasota families a playful way to spend time together while discovering the science of the sea.