Here are 15 ocean animal crafts perfect for summer fun! Below you’ll find links and instructions for crafts that imaginative preschoolers and children will love to create. From whales and starfish to turtles and sharks, there’s an animal friend for everyone!
1. Egg Carton Whale
Materials needed:
- Egg carton
- Blue paint
- Blue cardstock or construction paper
- Black marker
- Blue pipe cleaners
- Glue
- Craft knife/scissors (for adult use only!)
- Googly eyes (optional)
- Paint pallet (optional)
Directions:
- Start by painting your egg carton a lovely shade of whale blue! Let it completely dry, and then use a craft knife or sharp scissors to cut an X at the top of the egg carton.
- Cut a pipe cleaner in half and bend the sections in half and intertwine them. Bend the ends of the pipe cleaner over to make it look like water blowing out of the whale! Then cut a whale tail and fins out of blue cardstock or construction paper.
- Stick the pipe cleaners into the top of the egg carton and use glue to add the tail and fins to the egg carton. Finish your whale by adding eyes and a smile or funny face!
2. Thumbprint Starfish
Materials needed:
- Paper
- 3 or more colors of paint (We chose white, dark blue, baby blue, but it’s up to you!)
- Starfish stencil
- Scissors
- Tape
- Pencil
- Paint pallet (optional)
Directions:
- Trace a starfish stencil onto a piece of paper and cut out the inside of the stencil.
- Tape the stencil page onto the final paper (color and design of your choice).
- Now it’s time to add some paint! Using your child’s thumb, have them dip into paint and start thumb printing until the design is full.
- Gently remove the stencil page and your starfish will reveal itself! For added fun, write the names of the thumbprints with the color your child chose. [You can also put a twist on this idea and add it to a fabric pillow with fabric paint or to a little canvas as a gift!]
3. Handprint Crab Craft
Materials needed:
- Canvas or paper
- Red paint
- Paintbrush
- Black marker
- Scissors
- Red construction paper
- Googly eyes (optional)
- Paint pallet (optional)
Directions:
- Paint your hands with red paint and press them on a piece of paper or canvas (thumbs to the top and pinkies at the bottom). Let it dry!
- Cut out some crab claws with red construction paper and glue them on.
- Then add eyes and a mouth and even a fun beach scene for your crab!
4. Paper Bowl Jellyfish
Materials needed:
- Paper bowl
- Ribbons (choose 3-4 ribbons in a similar color or choose different colors to make a rainbow jellyfish!)
- Permanent marker
- Tape
Directions:
- Cut strips of ribbon about a foot and a half in length. Make sure you have enough strips to place around the inside of the paper bowl.
- Draw your jellyfish’s face on one side of the paper bowl, tape the strips of ribbon on the inside edges of the paper bowl, and even add a fun accessory to your jellyfish—like the bow on our jellyfish!
5. Paper Plate Sea Turtle
Materials needed:
- Paper plate
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Rubber cement
- Permanent marker
- Solid green paper
- A few sheets of paper in different green patterns
Directions:
- Take the solid green sheet of paper and draw shapes for the turtle’s head, tail, and fins. With the help of an adult, cut out each piece and set aside.
- Draw circles in various sizes out of the patterned paper and cut them out.
- Use rubber cement on the back of each circle and place them atop the paper plate. Make sure the paper plate is facedown. Draw a cute face on your turtle’s head, and then glue the head, tail, and fins to the underside of the paper plate.
6. Clothespin Fish
Materials needed:
- A few sheets of paper in different colors and patterns
- Clothespins
- Rubber cement
- Permanent marker
- Scissors
- Pencil
Directions:
- Sketch a few fish on the sheets of paper.
- With the help of an adult, cut out the fish then cut them in half horizontally, drawing an eye on each fish.
- Take the top half of one of the fish and glue it to the side of the clothespin, on the top clamp. Glue the bottom half of the fish and attach it to the clothespin’s lower clamp. Repeat step three so you have a small school of fish. Once the glue dries, press open the clothespins and watch the fishes’ mouths open and close!
7. Celery Stamping Rainbow Fish
Use celery and paint stamping to create a colorful and friendly rainbow fish!
Do you have an empty toilet paper roll sitting around at home? Consider making this cool octopus craft! Add paint, googly eyes, and stickers for a fun creation.
This egg carton turtle is both easy and fun to make. Have you ever seen an egg carton cuter than this?
Cupcake liners make the perfect base for this children’s fish craft. Choose solid colored or printed and goofy liners, regular-sized or even mini-sized…and then create adorable ocean fish!
Introduce the kids in your life to the friendliest alphabet shark! All you need is an envelope, marker, white yarn, white felt, glue, and a googly eye.
12. Flying Carp
Create your own Japanese flying carp using these instructions! Choose your favorite colors or stick to the traditional koinobori colors.
13. Fish Wind Chime
If, by chance, you still have lots of plastic Easter eggs around your house, reuse them to create this fish wind chime!
14. Bottle Cap Fish
Turn your old bottle caps into a happy, fishy scene filled with friendly fish swimming around the ocean.
Who knew paint and bubble wrap could create such a cute starfish?