Outrageous Ocean Week Projects
At ToySplash, we love anything water related so when I saw some of these sweet ocean-themed crafts for kids, I decided we needed to feature a few of them in our Kids Create!! – Outrageous Ocean Week Projects. They have inspired a week’s worth of ocean-themed stuff for kids. Come back all week for great ideas for keeping your kids busy and learning during these hot summer days. Kids Create!! – Outrageous Ocean Week Projects are here!
Jelly Fish craft
I think this is just so cute! This project is easy enough for little ones to do (with some help from mom) but can be made more difficult and complicated for older kids just by letting them get more creative.
Here’s what you will need:
disposable bowls (paper or styrofoam, not plastic)
googly eyes (from the craft store)
ribbon, rick rack, streamers, yarn, curling ribbon, etc
fishing line
Instructions:
Turn a bowl upside down. Using a pin, poke a small hole in the middle of the bowl and string some fishing line through the hole. Knot the line several times to secure the line to be used for hanging the jellyfish once it’s completed.
Glue two googly eyes on the front of the bowl, making it look like the “face” of the jellyfish.
Now, choose all sorts of items for the tentacles; as many as you’d like, varied colors, lengths, etc. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Only your way! Use craft glue to secure the end of each tentacle to the inside of the bowl. Allow to dry completely.
Hang your jellyfish once the glue is dry!!
**Silver Fish
**
old CDs-two per fish (or new CDs if you don’t have any oldies)
Sharpie markers, as many colors as you like
sheets of craft foam
craft jewels, sequins, etc
craft glue
hot glue gun, if desired
Instructions:
Give each kid two CDS and encourage them to draw “scales” on the fish body. Use Sharpie markers in an array of different colors. Kids can just draw the scales or color them in. Let the kids use their imaginations and make each fish their own. Decorate both CDs to make this fish two-sided. To take your fish to the next level, encourage kids to glue on craft jewels, sequins, and whatever else they decide is fish-worthy to be on the body of their own fish!
Glue one googly eye on each CD. (see picture)
Cut fins and the nose out of the craft foam. Again, let kids be creative. Glue these fins to the backside of one of the CDs. Once completed, use craft glue or a hot glue gun to glue the non-decorated sides of the CDs together to complete the fish.
Poke a small hole in the top of the fish’s top fin. Loop fishing line or thread through the hole and knot securely. Now, hang your fish wherever you like!
Ocean in a Bottle
Here’s what you’ll need:
clear plastic bottles with labels removed; water bottles or soda bottles work best
water
canola or vegetable oil
blue food coloring
sand
various small ocean items such as shells, plastic sea creatures, rocks, mermaids, starfish, etc. Look at the dollar store or at the craft store. You may find what you’d like in the beading section of the craft store. Whatever you choose, it must be able to fit through the mouth of the bottle. You can even add some glitter if you’d like.
Instructions:
If using sand, pour that into the bottle first, about 1/8 of the way. Add glitter now if you are using it.Next, add all your sea items. Now, fill the bottle about 1/3 of the way with water. Add a few drops of food coloring to create blue ocean water. Finally, fill the bottle to the top with the oil. Secure the bottle top on tightly. You may even want to glue it on or secure it with duct tape or electrical tape.
Now, shake it up and watch your ocean come to life!!
Painted Hand Print Fish
What you’ll need:
sturdy, large-sized craft or construction paper, black or dark blue
white or ivory construction paper
various colors of other construction paper
tissue paper
washable paints
craft glue
kid scissors
Instructions:
First, each child will be making hand prints on the white/ivory paper. Paint the color they choose onto each hand and firmly press each hand down onto the paper. To be extra creative, paint each finger a different color for a multi-colored fish.
While the hand prints are drying, decorate the black or blue paper as your ocean background. As you can see in the picture, we have green seaweed and coral on the ocean floor made from crumpled tissue paper that’s glued to the paper.
Once the hand prints are dry, each child should cute them out, around each finger and cut off the thumb. Now, add an eye and a happy smile to each fish to the palm of the hand print. Once the fish is decorated to your liking, glue them to the paper wherever you like.
If you’d like to add bubbles like in our picture, simply use the cap from a water or soda bottle. For open bubbles use the bottom of the cap, dipped in paint and stamped onto the paper. For solid bubbles, just use the top of the cap, dipped in paint and stamped.
Let dry completely and then hang your masterpiece for all to enjoy!!
Stay tuned for more kids’ ideas for Outrageous Ocean Week!!