Hello, little ocean explorer!

Rays are sea animals that look a bit like flying kites under the water. Lets learn why they glide and how you can pretend to be one!

What a ray looks like

• Body like a flat pancake with big wide wings on each side. These wings are called pectoral fins.
• A tail that looks like a kites string.
• Eyes on top and mouth on the bottom.

How rays glide like kites

1. Big wings push water: Rays move their wide fins and push water so their body can glide forward, just like a kite is pushed by the wind.
2. Some flap, some ripple: Manta rays flap their wings up and down like a bird. Stingrays often move by making a ripple along the edge of their wings, like a wave.
3. No legs needed: The water holds them up, so they dont need to swim with legs. Their wings do the work.

Easy fun facts

• Manta rays can be as wide as a small car, but they are gentle.
• Some rays like to hide in the sand and others swim out in open water.
• Many rays eat tiny food called plankton — they open their mouths and swim to catch it.

Pretend-play: Be a gliding ray

1. Stand with your arms out wide like wings.
2. Breathe in deeply and slowly move your arms up and down like a manta ray flapping.
3. Or move your arms in a slow wavy ripple from your shoulders to your fingertips like a stingray.
4. Let your feet slide slowly on the floor so you feel like you are gliding over the ocean.

Draw a ray (easy steps)

1. Draw a big rounded diamond or oval for the body.
2. Add two big triangle-wing shapes on the sides.
3. Draw a long thin tail coming out from the back.
4. Put two small circles for eyes on top and a little smile underneath.
5. Color and add spots or patterns — make it your own!

Rays are like underwater kites that can be calm and graceful. Ask an adult to help you find pictures or videos of manta rays and stingrays so you can see them glide.

Want a short rhyme to remember?

Wings wide, tail long and free,
Rays glide softly through the sea!

Have fun pretending and drawing!