GAMES & ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES
UNDERSTANDING
MARINE DEBRIS
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS EDITION
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
Office of Response and Restoration
Marine Debris Program
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
For more great activities, information, and 
what you can do to prevent marine debris visit
http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/
The activities in this educational document were modified with permission from the “Understanding Marine Debris: Games and Activities for Kids of All Ages” book created for the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program by Sheavly Consultants, Virginia Beach. 
http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/
1      Identifying the Problem
What is Marine Debris?
2       Picture Crossword           
Types of Marine Debris
3       Marine Debris Word Find 
Tons of Trash!
4
Coloring Activity
Go Fish!
5
I Spy Debris
Mangrove Cleanup
6       Debris Match Up
What Do We Find?
7       Coloring Activity
Beach Cleanup
8        Secret Code
Be a Debris Detective!
9        Debris Disposal Maze
Where Should You Toss It?
10        Answer Key
I D E N T I F Y I N G T H E P R O B L E M
When you have finished, write down 
what the non-circled pictures have in 
common. Can you guess what “Marine 
Debris” is? (Answers on page 10).
http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/
For more great activities, information, and what you can do to prevent marine debris visit http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/
What is Marine 
Debris?
1
Take a look at the pictures below. Circle the items which you
believe ARE NOT types of marine debris or ocean trash.
PLASTIC BAG
COCONUT 
CIGARETTE
FOOD WRAPPERS
BOTTLE CAPS
STRAW
PLASTIC BOTTLE
GLASS BOTTLE
EGG SHELLS
METAL CAN
CAR TIRE
STYROFOAM
SEAWEED
OVEN
DIAPER
SEASHELLS
P I C T U R E C R O S S W O R D
http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/
For more great activities, information, and what you can do to prevent marine debris visit http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/
Types of Marine Debris
MARINE DEBRIS COMES 
FROM MANY SOURCES
ABOVE: 
The litter items at the top of the 
page come from people on land 
such as beachgoers, picnickers, and 
those who improperly dump their 
trash.
BELOW: 
The litter items at the bottom of the 
page are generated by people at 
sea such as boaters, fisherman, and 
passengers on cargo or cruise ships. 
(Answers on page 10)
1 DOWN: BABY 
______
3 DOWN: ___-_____ 
HOLDER
4 DOWN: FOOD OR CANDY 
___________
5 ACROSS: _________ TRAP
7 DOWN: _______ 
CAPS
8 ACROSS: 
BOAT 
________ 
9 ACROSS: 
FISH ______ 
11 ACROSS: STYROFOAM 
____________
10 ACROSS:
________ 
WATER BOTTLE 
12 DOWN: 
_______ CAN
13 DOWN: 
FISHING 
____
14 DOWN: 
PLASTIC 
_______ BAG
15 DOWN: 
SNEAKERS OR 
______
16 ACROSS: 
CHILDREN’S _______
17 DOWN: 
PLASTIC 
_______
18 
DOWN: 
FLOAT 
OR 
_______
19 ACROSS: 
_________ GEAR
20 ACROSS: 
KNOTTED ____
21 ACROSS: _________ 
LINE
2 DOWN: ________ 
CAR TIRE OR GLOVES
14 ACROSS:
________ 
BOTTLE 
6 ACROSS: FISHING ____
2
http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/
M A R I N E D E B R I S W O R D F I N D
Litter comes from many sources, from boats on the water to 
beachgoers and fisherman along the shore. Even litter from 
your house can make it into the ocean if it’s not disposed of 
correctly! Hidden below are just some of the marine debris that 
litter our oceans. See if you can find them all!
For more great activities, information, and what you can do to prevent marine debris visit http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/
Tons of Trash!
3
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CUP
DIAPER
FISHING NET
FISHING LINE
FLOAT
FOAM CONTAINER
FOOD WRAPPER
GLASS BOTTLE
GLOVE
LID
LOBSTER TRAP
LUMBER
METAL CAP
PLASTIC BAG
PLASTIC BOTTLE
PLASTIC CAP
PLASTIC PACKAGING
ROPE
SHOE
SODA CAN
STRAW
TINY TRASH
TIRE
TOY
UTENSIL
These hidden words are found horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. (Answers on page 10).
C O L O R I N G
A C T I V I T Y
http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/
For more great activities, information, and what you can do to prevent marine debris visit http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/
Go Fish!
4
I S P Y D E B R I S
http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/
Mangrove Cleanup
Oh no! These 
mangroves sure are a 
mess! Help me clean 
them up by circling all 
the debris hidden in 
this picture. 
3 rope pieces
3 plastic bags
5 plastic 
water bottles
2 foam food 
containers
5 plastic 
straws
(Answers on page 10)
For more great activities, information, and what you can do to prevent marine debris visit http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/
5
The debris you see in this picture 
represent debris that volunteers have 
picked up in mangroves at the St. Thomas 
East End Reserve during the 2018 & 2019 
Annual Great Mangrove Cleanup Events! 
T O P I T E M S F O U N D 
I N M A N G R O V E S
1)
2370 Plastic Bottles 
2)
1133 Plastic Pieces 
(represented by straws; these 
would be too small to see in a 
photo like this!)
3)
668 Foam Packages or Pieces
4)
563 Plastic Bags. 
D I D YO U K N O W ?
D E B R I S M A T C H U P
http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/
For more great activities, information, and what you can do to prevent marine debris visit http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/
What Do We Find?
6
Did you know that beach cleanups have been going on in the USVI for 
more than 30 years? Let’s take a look at the things that volunteers 
find the most when picking up debris on our sandy beaches.
1
2
3
4
5
FOOD 
WRAPPERS
GLASS 
BOTTLES
PLASTIC 
BOTTLES
STRAWS & 
STIRRERS
CAPS/LIDS
Listed below are the 5 most commonly found items from past beach cleanups. 
Match up each debris item with its rank by drawing a line between matching pairs 
(ex: 1 = item found most often, 5 = item found least often). HINT: count the items 
in the picture frame for a clue. (Answers on page 10).
C O L O R I N G A C T I V I T Y
http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/
Beach Cleanup
7
S E C R E T C O D E
http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/
For more great activities, information, and what you can do to prevent marine debris visit http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/
8
Be a Debris Detective!
There are 4 easy things you can do to help flight marine debris. We call 
them the “4 Rs:”
1 Refuse As mush as possible, say “no thanks” to items that are made of or 
packaged in plastic, and reach for ones that are reusable!
2 Reduce If you have to use plastic, try to cut back on the amount.
3 Reuse We have to get creative! Whenever you can, find ways to recycle and 
reuse your trash with new purposes. When things break, try to repair them before 
tossing them out.
4 React If you see debris, clean it up! Remind others to practice these four Rs.
Unlock the secret message below for one example of how you can fight 
marine debris. (Answer on page 10). 
A
B
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D E B R I S D I S P O S A L M A Z E
http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/
For more great activities, information, and what you can do to prevent marine debris visit http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/
9
Where Should You Toss It?
Even when we refuse, reduce & reuse, sometimes we still end up with 
things to throw away. But did you know that not all trash needs to end up 
in the dumpster? You can dispose of some items in different ways, and by 
doing so, you can help to send less trash to the landfills, which means, less 
trash in our ocean! Help me solve the maze below to find out alternate 
ways to toss you trash. 
FOOD SCRAPS & 
CARDBOARD
STYROFOAM FOOD 
CONTAINERS
GLASS 
BOTTLES
You can use a glass 
crusher to break up 
used glass bottles into 
sand. The sand can 
then be used to fill 
sandbags that your 
family can use during 
hurricane season. 
The Virgin Islands 
Marine Advisory Service 
(VIMAS) has a glass 
crusher on STT, and 
plans to expand to STX 
and STJ. You can contact 
howard.forbes@live.uvi.edu
to learn how you can 
recycle your glass 
bottles.
To cut down on your waste headed to the 
landfill, you can work with your family to create 
a compost bin where you can turn your carboard 
and food scraps into rich soil for your plants. 
Make sure these 
items make it to 
the dumpster.
A N S W E R K E Y
The activities in this educational document were modified with permission from the “Understanding Marine Debris: Games and Activities for Kids of All Ages” book created for the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program by Sheavly Consultants, Virginia Beach. 
http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/
Word Find (Page 3)
Identifying the Problem (Page 1)
Coconut, Egg Shells, Seaweed, Seashells. All 
Marine debris items come from people! 
Marine Debris is any solid man-made object 
discarded, disposed of, or abandoned into the 
marine environment.
Picture Crossword (Page 2)
I Spy Debris (Page 5)
Debris Match Up (Page 6)
1= Caps/Lids, 2= Glass Bottles, 3= Plastic 
Bottles, 4= Food Wrappers, 5= Straws & Stirrers
Secret Code (Page 8)
Always try to bring a reusable water bottle.
10