Mote SEA Shark Pups & Grown Ups
Before a child can name a shark, they can learn to move like one, investigate like a scientist and discover that the ocean is a place of wonder rather than something distant and unknowable.
By Edit Sarasota Staff
Before a child can name a shark, they can learn to move like one, investigate like a scientist and discover that the ocean is a place of wonder rather than something distant and unknowable. That is the spirit behind Mote SEA’s Shark Pups & Grown Ups, an early childhood STEM program designed to make science feel immediate, playful and shared.
Created for children ages 2 through 5 and their favorite adult, the program recognizes that curiosity at this age is physical. Young learners absorb the world through motion, repetition, imitation and story. In each class, families can expect a mix of movement, sign language, science-tool exploration, role play and games—activities that invite children to participate rather than simply watch. A new theme each month keeps the experience fresh, while the unique format of every class gives returning families another reason to follow their questions.
The shark focus is especially fitting for Sarasota, a coastal community whose relationship with the Gulf is both recreational and deeply environmental. Sharks occupy a fascinating place in public imagination: ancient, powerful and frequently misunderstood. Introducing children to them through age-appropriate science can help replace fear with respect, while opening a broader conversation about marine habitats, animal behavior and the importance of caring for the waters that shape life along Florida’s coast.
The setting adds another layer to the experience. Mote Science Education Aquarium extends the work of Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium into a hands-on environment where families can encounter marine science through exhibits, programming and conversation. Its presence at University Town Center offers a useful bridge between the region’s research-minded institutions and the everyday family rituals—Saturday outings, shared discoveries, a child’s sudden fascination with fins and teeth—that make learning stick.
For grownups, the appeal is not simply watching a preschooler burn off energy. It is seeing how play can become an entry point to vocabulary, observation and early scientific thinking. For children, it is an invitation to explore a subject that feels thrilling precisely because it is real.
Shark Pups & Grown Ups takes place Saturday, October 24, 2026, at Mote Science Education Aquarium, 225 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota. Families with children ages 2 through 5 can make a morning of marine discovery, with an adult ready to move, wonder and learn alongside them.