The vastness of the ocean is a treasure trove of fascinating creatures, including fish, turtles, and even enormous whales. This diversity offers endless opportunities for kids to unleash their creativity through crafting. In fact, bringing the ocean’s many inhabitants home has never been more exciting. A collection of 30 ocean-themed crafts, carefully categorized by skill level (easy, moderate, and challenging), awaits for kids to explore and enjoy.
Easy Ocean Crafts Toddlers Can Do
Delve into the world of ocean-themed crafts with your toddler, where creativity meets development. Here are 16 engaging and easy-to-execute activities that foster independence and refine fine motor skills, making them perfect for little ones to enjoy on their own (with a gentle nudge from you).
Paper Plate Octopus Craft
When it comes to crafting with kids, certain materials become staples in our creative arsenal. Two such essentials are paper plates and pasta – the latter of which can be used in more ways than just serving up a tasty meal. In this delightful octopus craft project by Buggy and Buddy, you’ll need a mix of supplies including paper plates, a hole puncher, pipe cleaners, markers, and rigatoni pasta.
And as an added bonus, any leftover pasta can be quickly cooked into a satisfying snack to enjoy with your little ones.
Paper Plate Pufferfish Craft
In the latest creative endeavor from Buggy and Buddy, your little ones will have fin-tastic fun crafting a paper plate pufferfish. Although these ocean creatures are often avoided due to their prickly spines, this DIY project lets kids bring home their very own harmless puffers. To get started, you’ll need just a few simple supplies: a paper plate, scissors, Q-tips, paint, a paintbrush, glue, construction paper, and markers.
Paper Plate Crab Craft
Get ready to celebrate with this fun and easy paper plate crab craft. With just a few simple supplies, including a paper plate, orange paint, scissors, glue, googly eyes, markers, sticky tape, a hole puncher, and round-head fasteners, kids can create their own rockin’ crustaceans. And don’t worry if your little ones get excited about the fasteners – it’s perfectly normal to let a grown-up handle that step to ensure everyone stays safe and happy.
Egg Carton Oyster Craft
The phrase ‘the world is your oyster’ takes on a new meaning when you can create a miniature version of these treasures at home with just a few simple materials, kids can craft their own adorable oysters using an egg carton as the base. The creative process is made even more engaging by adding fun embellishments like googly eyes, colorful paint, and a fluffy pom-pom.
For those looking for a unique activity, SteamSational shares a step-by-step guide on how to transform an everyday egg carton into a charming oyster craft.
Egg Carton Whale Craft
Transforming an egg carton into a charming whale craft is a creative way to engage kids with upcycling. I Heart Crafty Things demonstrates how to utilize the dimples on the carton to create this delightful little whale that can be taken home in a compact size, perfect for kids to treasure. The materials required include blue pipe cleaners, cardstock, paint, googly eyes, markers, a paintbrush, scissors, and glue.
By repurposing everyday items like egg cartons, children develop their problem-solving skills, imagination, and environmental awareness.
Empty Toilet Paper Roll Octopus Craft
When it comes to creating ocean-themed crafts with kids, why not get creative with everyday household items? For instance, an empty toilet paper roll can be transformed into an adorable octopus. With just a few simple materials like paint, markers, and scissors, kids can follow a step-by-step guide from Kids Activities to bring this cute critter to life.
CD and Button Turtle Craft
When it comes to upcycling, getting creative with old CDs is a great way to keep the fun going. Fireflies + Mid Pies takes things to the next level by showing kids how to transform a CD into a vibrant turtle craft. The materials needed for this project are surprisingly straightforward: in addition to the CD, kids will require buttons, googly eyes, scissors, a green marker, glue, tape, and a black pen.
To make it even easier, Fireflies + Mid Pies offers a free printable template that’s perfect for little ones to follow along. As with any craft project involving small parts, adult supervision is highly recommended due to the potential choking hazard posed by buttons.
CD Fish Craft
Another creative aquatic creature you can craft using CDs is the CD fish. This fun project, showcased by Healthy Happy Thrifty Family, brings together a few simple materials: a CD, glue, scissors, sequins, and colorful construction paper. With these supplies, kids can get creative and make their very own CD fish craft.
Handprint Ocean Animal Crafts
In this fun and creative tutorial, kids can learn to craft their own ocean animals using just a few simple materials. With colored construction paper as the base, you’ll need some basic crafting supplies like scissors, markers, glue, and optional googly eyes to bring your creations to life. In total, you’ll make five different handprint ocean animal crafts that are sure to delight.
Paper Narwhal Craft
While unicorns may not exist in the real world, the ocean has a fascinating creature that’s often referred to as the ‘unicorn of the sea’ – the narwhal. This unique whale-like animal has a distinctive tusk that resembles a horn, making it an ideal inspiration for kids to create their own underwater version at home with just a few simple materials like scissors, glue, paper, and optional googly eyes. Children can unleash their creativity with this fun and easy DIY project.
For those familiar with the Star Wars universe, narwhals have also been affectionately dubbed the ‘Jedi of the sea’. To get started, kids can use free printable templates from DLTK, which offer both colored and black and white designs to choose from with a little bit of imagination and some art supplies, young minds can bring this mythical sea creature to life.
Paper Whale Craft
In addition to their creative whale crafts, the talented team at KROKOTAK has shared another impressive project that showcases their resourcefulness and creativity. This latest craft is even more elaborate, featuring blue paper as its primary medium, alongside a marker, colored pencils, scissors, and glue.
What’s truly exciting is that viewers can not only learn from this tutorial but also get access to a free printable template in the video description – making it easier than ever to recreate this stunning piece of art at home.
Paper Starfish Craft
Create a beautiful paper starfish with just three simple materials – paper, scissors, and a marker (if you’re feeling fancy). This delightful DIY project is perfect for a quick creative fix or a fun activity to do with kids. The best part? It’s incredibly easy to make. Simply grab the necessary supplies and follow along.
Honeycomb Pufferfish Craft
Are you ready to dive into the world of crafting with a unique twist? Look no further than this fascinating pufferfish craft tutorial from Tinkerabout To get started, gather the essential materials: 2-inch honeycomb balls, playful googly eyes, an array of colored construction paper, reliable glue, and sharp scissors. With these simple yet creative components, you’ll be well on your way to crafting a one-of-a-kind pufferfish that’s sure to delight.
Spiky Sensory Ball Pufferfish Painting
With the motto that anything can be used as a canvas, Crafty Morning takes creativity to new heights by using an unconventional tool – a spiky sensory ball This clever innovation allows kids to easily paint a pufferfish by simply stamping the pointy surface with colorful hues. But, of course, this masterpiece requires a few more artistic supplies to come together.
Simply gather the essentials: paint, black and white paper, wax paper, a trusty black marker, some strong glue, and a pair of sharp scissors. With these materials at your fingertips, let your imagination run wild.
Seashell Crab Craft
In a concise and straightforward manner, the ‘Seashell Crab Craft’ tutorial on Easy Kids Craft lives up to its name. With just a few basic materials – including shells, pipe cleaners, paint, a brush, glue, and those iconic googly eyes – this project is surprisingly straightforward, making it an ideal activity for young creatives.
Paper Octopus Craft
To wrap up our collection of toddler-friendly crafts, we have the delightful paper octopus project from Craft Sweet Craft To bring this creative endeavor to life, you’ll need a few simple materials: colored cardstock, glue, googly eyes, a stapler, scissors, a pencil, and elastic cord or string. Additionally, you’ll require several sizes of hole punchers (5mm, 15mm, and 25mm).
While some adult assistance may be necessary, this craft is perfect for little ones to display in their room or use as a charming baby mobile.
Moderate Level Ocean Crafts For Preschoolers
For young learners, these nine ocean-themed crafts are perfect for making under the guidance of an adult. Craft-making is a wonderful way to encourage creativity and fine motor skills development in preschoolers.
Yarn Octopus Craft
If you’re looking for a fun and creative project to work on with your little ones, Aunt Annie has got you covered. Her tutorial on making a yarn octopus craft is a great way to get kids started with crafting. All you need to get started are some basic supplies, including yarn, glue, googly eyes, cotton balls, a ruler, and scissors.
Origami Manta Ray Craft
While traditional paper boats and airplanes are fun activities for kids, creating origami ocean animals like manta rays offers a unique opportunity to develop their motor skills. One great resource is Easy Origami’s comprehensive tutorial on how to make an origami manta ray using just a single sheet of paper. By following this step-by-step guide, young minds can hone their fine motor abilities and cultivate creativity through the art of origami.
Mini Clay Ocean Animals
Younger children can get creative and shape their own ocean creatures without any assistance from an adult, as the process of molding is straightforward and easy to follow. Moreover, the end result is not limited to small-scale creations, as kids can actually produce larger-than-life ocean animals, showcasing their imagination and artistic skills.
Paper Plate Ocean Craft
Transform mealtime into a creative outlet by repurposing humble veggies as art supplies Take the example of Super Simple Arts and Crafts’ innovative ocean-themed project, which utilizes celery sticks to create fish-like stamps on a paper plate. ‘Ocean’ To bring this imaginative endeavor to life, you’ll need a combination of materials, including a paper plate, glue, paint, a paintbrush, colored tissue paper, and small stones.
By engaging in such creative endeavors, children can develop their artistic skills while fostering an appreciation for the versatility of everyday items.
Paper Plate Beach Craft
Get ready for some creative fun in the sun. In this beach-themed craft, we’re trading in traditional sand for something equally delightful – corn flakes. That’s right, kids! We’re using cereal as our ‘sand’ to create an engaging and interactive beach scene.
Join us as we explore this imaginative activity with Crafts with Toddler, where we’ll be using a variety of materials including paper plates, paint, glue, brushes, Q-tips, scissors, colorful paper, seashells, drinking straws, Ziploc bags, rolling pins, and toothpicks to bring our beachy vision to life.
Egg Carton Ocean Craft
Get creative with The Imagination Tree’s latest tutorial. By transforming the entire egg carton into an ocean craft, kids can learn to repurpose everyday items. This fun project requires just a few simple materials: an egg carton, seashells, blue paint, glitter glue, pebbles, colored cardstock, tissue paper, foam sheets, plastic gems, glue, and scissors. With these basic supplies, young artists can unleash their imagination and create a one-of-a-kind oceanic masterpiece.
DIY Ocean In A Bottle Craft
Introduce children to the wonders of the ocean through a unique and engaging craft project. By combining a few simple materials – a bottle, oil, water, and blue food dye – kids can create their very own ‘ocean in a bottle’ that’s sure to captivate their imagination. This creative endeavor not only fosters an appreciation for the natural world but also encourages experimentation and fine motor skills.
Mini Aquarium Bottle Craft
Introducing a fun and engaging way to introduce your kids to the wonders of underwater life with A Little Pinch of Perfect’s creative approach. To bring this marine adventure home, gather the following materials: an empty plastic bottle, a variety of seashells, blue food dye, water, small ocean animal toys, and a container filled with sand.
With these simple supplies, you’ll be well on your way to creating a unique and interactive experience for your little ones that’s sure to delight and educate.
Ocean Sensory Bag Craft
For kids who love exploring the ocean, this sensory bag activity is an excellent way to keep them engaged and stimulated. The Ocean Sensory Bag from Kids Activities is a fantastic option that requires just a few simple materials: a Ziploc bag, hair gel, blue food dye (if you want to add a pop of color), glitter for added sparkle, small ocean animal toys for kids to discover and interact with, and packing tape to seal the bag.
With these ingredients, your little ones will be delighted to dive into an immersive underwater experience.
Challenging and Fun Ocean Crafts For Older Kids
While the previous ocean crafts may have been suitable for younger kids, these final five projects demand more assistance from an adult, making them perfect for older children who are looking to further develop their creative skills and problem-solving abilities with guidance.
DIY Ocean Slime Jar Craft
In this engaging tutorial, Goldieblox takes children on an imaginative journey, transforming everyday materials into a mesmerizing ocean slime jar craft. By combining glue, slime activator (a concoction of contact solution and baking soda), vibrant black and blue food coloring, textured sand, mixing bowls, and a sturdy jar, kids can create their own stunning oceanic masterpiece that visually represents the layers of the ocean.
This interactive science experiment is an ideal way for young minds to learn about the wonders of the sea.
DIY Seashell Seahorse Craft
While we’ve previously showcased a seashell crab, let’s dive into another ocean-inspired creation – a picturesque seashell seahorse craft. My Pinterventures has put together a step-by-step guide on how to bring this marine marvel to life. To get started, you’ll need a picture frame, a hot glue gun (best handled by an adult), a variety of seashells, paint, a paintbrush, sea glass, and a piece of chalk or white felt pen.
For younger crafters, a low-temperature glue gun can be used under proper supervision. What’s great about this project is that kids can make the seahorse any size they like, so feel free to get creative with a little imagination and some basic materials, you can create your very own seashell seahorse masterpiece.
Plaster of Paris Seashell Mosaic Craft
Create a stunning seashell mosaic with your kids using Plaster of Paris, a fun and easy-to-use material. This project requires minimal equipment, including Plaster of Paris, various sizes of seashells, Mod Podge, pie pans, a bucket, a measuring cup, and something to stir the mixture. The process is straightforward: mix the plaster with water, add shells, and let it set in the pie pans.
For an added twist, try making handprint or footprint mosaics using sand and seashells as depicted by Beauty and Bedlam. This activity makes for a great beachside project, allowing you to capture memories of your time spent at the shore. Next time you’re at the beach, consider trying plaster sand prints with your kids – it’s an engaging way to combine creativity and fun.
Seashell Pot Crafts
Building on our previous creative endeavors with seashells – from adorable crab sculptures to majestic seahorse figurines – we’re excited to share another innovative project that showcases the versatility of these ocean treasures. AIRINS CRAFT takes it up a notch by demonstrating how to craft a beautiful seashell pot, requiring just a few essential materials: a hot glue gun, craft glue, a balloon, a marker, a lid, and an abundance of seashells.
For those seeking a more straightforward approach, Green Plants offers a simplified tutorial that lets kids get creative by directly gluing seashells onto a pot. While both methods do involve using a hot glue gun, it’s always a good idea to have a grown-up on hand for supervision – or opt for a low-temperature glue gun to ensure your little ones can participate safely.
DIY Seashell Water Fountain Craft
When creating DIY mini water fountains or ocean dioramas, a common practice is to utilize resin as a substitute for water. However, this material poses safety concerns for children. A more suitable alternative is showcased by Infinity Workshop in their tutorial, which employs hot glue gun adhesive for the simulated falling water effect. In addition to the hot glue gun itself, other essential materials include seashells, mini plastic plants, small stones, scissors, and a piece of cardboard.
For added fun and creative control, consider allowing kids to craft their own miniature dioramas using low-temperature glue guns while under adult supervision.
An Ocean Craft Fanta-Sea!
Unleash the inner ocean explorer in your child by engaging them with a treasure trove of underwater-themed crafts. From using unconventional materials like paper plates and sea shells to creating sensory experiences with spiky balls and bottles, these 30 creative projects will challenge your kids’ imagination while transporting them to an immersive underwater world at home.
For even more marine-inspired fun, explore my previous post on jellyfish crafts for a delightful array of ocean-themed activities.
