King Kelp: An Ocean Thinkers Pop-Up
 

King Kelp was an Ocean Thinkers pop-up project created to bring that connection to life through creativity, play, design and ocean education.
 

Set within POP Creative House, the pop-up transformed the space into a playful ocean-inspired environment centred around King Kelp, a character from the Ocean Thinkers world and a symbol of the rich underwater ecosystems that surround our coastline.

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Rather than creating a traditional retail experience, the project brought together a collection of local creatives, makers and purpose-led brands that share an interest in nature, design and ocean conservation. The space featured children's products and Ocean Thinkers pieces alongside artwork, sustainable products and objects created by local makers.

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The collaboration included Short Talk, Grown Clothing, Trickey Surfcraft, The Kind Sunscreen, artist Kate Sartori and Natural Elements, creating an environment where children and adults could discover different ways creativity can connect us with the natural world.

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Connecting creativity with conservation

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At the heart of the project was a simple idea: ocean education doesn't have to look like a lesson.

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The project reflects the broader purpose of Ocean Thinkers, building ocean literacy in children and helping them develop a sense of community action, that together we can make a difference.

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A small community project bringing together different creative disciplines around a shared environmental purpose.

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A local project with a wider purpose

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King Kelp was intentionally rooted in the local community. Sorrento provided the setting, local creatives contributed their work, and the ocean provided the common thread connecting everything in the space.

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King Kelp was ultimately an experiment in what ocean education can look like when it moves beyond the classroom, becoming something children can encounter through products they use and places they already know and love.