Celebrate one of the oceanβs cleverest creatures with curious questions, amazing adaptations, and eight-armed fun!
World Octopus Day celebrates one of the oceanβs most fascinating animals... a clever, curious creature with eight arms and some truly extraordinary adaptations. Today is the perfect excuse to dive beneath the waves and discover what makes these mysterious animals so remarkable!
Octopuses or Octopi? You may have heard octopi, but octopuses is the standard English plural. The word octopus comes from Greek (not Latin) so thereβs no need to change the ending to -i!
by Sy Montgomery
Meet Inky, the real-life octopus who became famous after escaping from an aquarium in New Zealand and finding his way back to the ocean.
This fascinating picture book is a wonderful introduction to just how curious, flexible, and clever an octopus can be. As you read, notice each problem Inky encounters… and how his unusual octopus abilities help him find a solution.
Reporters try to answer a few important questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? Maybe your octopus squeezed through a tiny opening, slipped out after dark, camouflaged itself along the way, or used its clever arms to solve a tricky problem. You can even interview an imaginary witness and add a quote to your report!
Bonus: Give your newspaper a name and add a short caption beneath an illustration of the escape.
Octopuses are masters of disguise. They can change their color and appearance to blend into their surroundings, but today weβre going in the opposite direction!
Follow along with this colorful art lesson and paint a rainbow octopus with a different color on every arm.
Camouflage Challenge: Your rainbow octopus isnβt exactly dressed for hiding. Where could it possibly blend in? Imagine the perfect underwater hiding place for all eight colorful arms.
Every adventure has another path to follow. Choose a trail and see where your curiosity leads!
Octopuses don’t simply hide behind rocks. Special structures in their skin help them rapidly change their appearance, and some can even alter their skin texture to better blend into their surroundings. Watch camouflage in action and discover some of the surprising reasons octopuses change their appearance.
Wonder Challenge:
How does camouflage help an octopus survive? Look for examples of how it can help with hunting, protection, or communication.
Octopuses are considered some of the most intelligent invertebrates on Earth. In fact, an octopus has the largest brain-to-body ratio of any invertebrate, and scientists have watched them solve puzzles, open containers, navigate mazes, and figure out clever ways to escape. Even more surprising, much of an octopusβs nervous system is spread throughout its arms rather than concentrated entirely in its head.
Wonder Challenge: Look up a video of an octopus solving a puzzle or opening a container. What does it do that makes you think it is solving the problem rather than acting randomly?
Octopuses live in oceans around the world, from warm tropical reefs to chilly polar waters and the deep sea. Find and name the five oceans on a world map: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic.
Wonder Challenge: Which ocean is closest to where you live? Can you find an octopus species that lives there?
Would you rather...
Print & Plan
Keep todayβs book pick, writing prompt, family activity, and discussion ideas together in one colorful overview.
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Every National Day is a starting point for curiosity! Read, write, play, and explore together as ordinary days lead to unexpected discoveries.
Follow curiosity, not the calendar. Choose the adventures that spark your interest and enjoy them whenever the time is right. β¨
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