For the Frozen Ocean activity, start by filling either your large bin or smaller bins with water and blue food coloring. Mix it around and add in your marine life animals. Put your bin in the freezer. You can freeze the bin overnight in which case it will be frozen solid. Hand your little ones some scooping tools and a bowl of water to start melting it away.
The other way to play that I totally think is even more fun is only partially freezing the bin. I originally put this in the freezer right after my son went down for his nap. Fast forward 3-4 hours later and I needed an activity for him. I opened the freezer to check on it and the outer area of the bin was frozen but was holding water in the center. I thought this would be more fun and I was right! I handed my son warm water and some smashing tools and he had a blast smashing the ice to get the animals out.
A perfect activity for a hot summer day!
