If your kids love ocean animals and fun DIY projects, they’re going to have so much fun with these 33 under the sea craft ideas. From cute fish and jellyfish to turtles and mermaids, these crafts are a great way to keep little hands busy and creative at home or in the classroom.
Most of the ideas are easy to make with simple supplies you may already have around the house. And if your kids enjoy fun art activities like these, they might also love checking out 25 Paper Quilling Ideas That Kids Can Try for even more creative fun.
33 Under the Sea Craft Ideas to Keep Kids Busy
1. Paper Plate Jellyfish
Paper plate jellyfish are one of the easiest under the sea crafts you can make with kids.
You only need a paper plate, some crepe paper streamers, and a little paint to get started.
First, let your child paint the plate in their favorite ocean color, like pink or purple. Then, help them attach the streamers to the bottom of the plate as tentacles.
Finally, draw a cute face on the jellyfish to bring it to life. This craft is great for toddlers who are just starting to explore their creative side.
You can also hang the finished jellyfish from the ceiling to create an ocean display. Overall, this is a fun and mess-free project that kids absolutely love.
2. Toilet Roll Octopus
Toilet roll octopus crafts are a fantastic way to recycle materials you already have at home.
All you need is an empty toilet paper roll, some paint, scissors, and googly eyes. Start by painting the roll in a bright color like red or orange.
Once it dries, cut the bottom half of the roll into eight equal strips to form the legs. Then, curl the legs outward by wrapping them around a pencil for a fun effect.
Glue on the googly eyes and your octopus is ready to display. If your kids enjoy making animals from simple materials, they will also love exploring 31 fish craft ideas to keep kids busy for more aquatic fun.
This project teaches kids about ocean animals in a hands-on and exciting way.
3. Handprint Crab
Handprint crabs are a personal and adorable craft that kids of all ages enjoy making. You simply need red or orange paint, white paper, and a black marker to complete this project.
Press your child’s hand onto the paper with the fingers spread wide apart. Then, paint a second handprint overlapping the first one to form the crab’s body and claws.
Once the paint dries, use the marker to add eyes, a smile, and small details to the crab. This craft doubles as a keepsake that parents will treasure for years to come.
Additionally, it helps younger children develop their fine motor skills through painting and pressing. You will definitely want to frame this one when your child is done.
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4. Sock Puppet Fish
Sock puppet fish are a playful craft that combines creativity with imaginative storytelling. You need an old sock, felt fabric, googly eyes, and some glue to bring this fish to life.
Slip the sock over your hand and glue on the googly eyes near the toe end. Cut fins and a tail from felt fabric and attach them to the sides and back of the sock.
You can also cut a mouth shape from red felt and glue it at the opening. Once the glue dries, your child has a fun fish puppet ready for an ocean-themed puppet show.
Consequently, this craft encourages kids to use their imagination beyond just the making process. It is a wonderful activity for rainy afternoons when kids need something entertaining to do.
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5. Paper Bag Octopus
Paper bag octopuses are colorful, easy, and endlessly customizable for kids of different ages. You will need a brown paper bag, newspaper for stuffing, paint, and yarn or ribbon for the legs.
First, stuff the paper bag with crumpled newspaper and tie the open end shut with a rubber band. Then, let your child paint the bag in whatever color they choose for their octopus.
Cut eight strips of yarn and attach them below the tied section to create the tentacles. Add googly eyes and a felt smile to complete the look of your ocean friend.
Furthermore, this project can be done in groups, making it perfect for classroom settings or birthday parties. Kids love showing off their finished octopus creations to friends and family.
6. Watercolor Fish Painting
Watercolor fish paintings are a relaxing and artistic craft that older kids especially enjoy exploring. You need watercolor paints, thick painting paper, a pencil, and a brush to get started.
Begin by lightly sketching a large fish shape on the paper with your pencil. Then, let your child fill in the fish with vibrant watercolor patterns, stripes, or swirls.
While the fish painting dries, paint a blue and green ocean background around it. The result is a stunning piece of artwork that looks professional and beautiful on any wall.
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Watercolor fish paintings make a wonderful addition to any child’s growing art portfolio.
7. Clothespin Shark
Clothespin sharks are a surprisingly clever and fun craft that kids find really exciting to make. You need a wooden clothespin, gray paint, white foam or cardstock, and googly eyes for this project.
Paint the entire clothespin gray and let it dry completely before moving on. Cut a small triangular fin from white foam and glue it to the top of the clothespin.
Then, cut tiny triangle teeth from white cardstock and glue them inside the opening of the clothespin. Add the googly eyes and your shark is ready to snap at anything nearby.
As a result, kids end up with a fun little toy they can actually play with after the craft is done. This is one of those projects that is just as fun to play with as it is to make.
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8. Egg Carton Sea Turtle
Egg carton sea turtles are a brilliant way to turn everyday recycling into something magical and beautiful. You will need an egg carton, green paint, brown paint, foam or cardstock, and googly eyes.
Cut out one cup from the egg carton to form the turtle’s shell and paint it green. Then, cut out a head, four flippers, and a small tail from green cardstock.
Paint brown spots or swirls on the shell to give it a realistic turtle pattern. Glue all the body parts together and add googly eyes to bring the turtle to life.
Therefore, this craft not only sparks creativity but also teaches kids about recycling and reusing materials. Egg carton sea turtles are a favorite in classrooms because they are inexpensive and very easy to organize.
9. Bubble Wrap Jellyfish Printing
Bubble wrap jellyfish printing is a sensory-rich craft that kids find absolutely irresistible to try. You need bubble wrap, paint, paper, scissors, and crepe paper to complete this fun activity.
Cut the bubble wrap into a rounded jellyfish dome shape and dip it into paint. Press the painted bubble wrap onto white paper to create a beautiful textured print.
Once the print dries, attach long crepe paper tentacles below the dome shape. You can make an entire family of jellyfish using different colors of paint for a vibrant display.
In addition, this activity introduces kids to printmaking in a simple and accessible way. The bumpy bubble wrap texture creates a print that genuinely looks like a real jellyfish.
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10. Salt Dough Sea Shells
Salt dough sea shells are a timeless craft that kids love because they feel like real treasures when finished.
You need flour, salt, water, paint, and a rolling pin to make these beautiful shells. Mix two cups of flour, one cup of salt, and one cup of water to form a smooth dough.
Roll the dough flat and press real shells into it to create detailed impressions in the surface. Then, cut out the shell shapes and bake them in the oven at a low temperature until hardened.
Once they cool, let your child paint them in ocean colors like peach, cream, and sandy gold. Moreover, these salt dough shells can be used as decorations, magnets, or even pretend play treasures.
This is a craft that combines science, art, and sensory exploration all in one sitting.
11. Paper Chain Sea Snake
Paper chain sea snakes are a simple yet incredibly satisfying craft that even very young children can help with.
You need strips of colored paper, a stapler or glue stick, and googly eyes to create this wiggly creature. Help your child link the paper strips together into a long chain to form the body.
Add a slightly wider oval piece at one end for the snake’s head. Glue on googly eyes and draw a forked tongue with a red marker to finish the look.
You can make the chain as long or as short as you like, which makes this craft flexible. Likewise, kids who enjoy making simple animal crafts will have a blast with 27 sheep craft ideas to try with your kids as well.
Hang the sea snake from the ceiling or drape it across a bulletin board for a fun display.
12. Sponge Painted Coral Reef
Sponge painted coral reefs are a group craft that creates a stunning and colorful ocean scene together. You need sponges cut into different shapes, paint, and a large sheet of paper or poster board.
Dip the sponge pieces into bright coral colors like orange, pink, purple, and yellow. Press the sponges onto the paper in layers to build up a lush and vibrant reef scene.
Add painted fish, sea turtles, and bubbles to complete the underwater world your kids create. This project works wonderfully as a class mural that everyone contributes to over time.
Besides, the sponge painting technique is easy enough for even the youngest children to participate in confidently. The finished reef mural makes a beautiful and eye-catching classroom or bedroom decoration.
13. Origami Fish
Origami fish are a wonderful craft for older kids who enjoy a satisfying challenge with paper folding.
You only need square sheets of paper in bright colors to get started with this classic craft. Follow simple origami folding steps to transform the flat paper into a three-dimensional fish shape.
Kids can decorate their fish with markers or stickers once the folding is complete. You can make an entire shoal of fish in different sizes and hang them as a mobile.
Furthermore, origami teaches patience, focus, and fine motor skills in a really enjoyable way. If your child loves making animal crafts with paper, they will also enjoy reading about 65 zoo animal craft ideas that are easy and fun for more inspiration. Origami fish are also a great quiet activity for calm afternoons at home.
14. Paper Plate Shark
Paper plate sharks are bold, fun, and always a huge hit with kids who love a little drama in their crafts. You need two paper plates, gray paint, white cardstock, and googly eyes to make this project.
Paint both paper plates gray and let them dry completely before cutting them. Cut a large triangle from one plate to form the shark’s open mouth revealing sharp white teeth.
Cut the teeth from white cardstock and glue them inside the mouth opening for a fierce look. Attach the second plate as the body and add a tail fin cut from gray cardstock.
Consequently, you end up with a dramatic shark prop that kids love to use in imaginative play. This craft is also popular for ocean-themed birthday parties and classroom activities.
15. Yarn Wrapped Starfish
Yarn wrapped starfish are a textured and colorful craft that kids find really therapeutic and fun to make.
You need cardboard cut into a star shape, yarn in ocean colors, and glue to get started. Cut the cardboard into a five-pointed starfish shape and make small notches at each tip.
Help your child wrap the yarn around the cardboard, changing colors as often as they like. Secure the yarn ends with a small dab of glue to keep everything neat and tidy.
The finished starfish can be used as ornaments, wall decorations, or even gift toppers for friends. Additionally, this craft develops patience and hand-eye coordination in a beautifully creative way.
Yarn wrapped starfish are proof that sometimes the simplest crafts produce the most stunning results.
16. Rock Painting Sea Creatures
Rock painting sea creatures is a craft that combines nature exploration with artistic expression in a really magical way. You need smooth flat rocks, acrylic paint, paintbrushes, and a sealant spray to protect the finished art.
Wash and dry the rocks thoroughly before letting your child choose which sea creature to paint. Some popular choices include crabs, fish, turtles, seahorses, and clownfish for kids to try.
Use thin brushes to add fine details like scales, spots, and patterns to the painted rocks. Once the paint dries, spray a clear sealant over the rocks to make them last longer.
In fact, these painted rocks make wonderful gifts or garden decorations that the whole family can enjoy.
Rock painting is one of those crafts that kids and adults genuinely enjoy doing side by side.
17. Cupcake Liner Jellyfish
Cupcake liner jellyfish are a quick and cheerful craft that uses materials most people already have at home. You need colorful cupcake liners, crepe paper, string, and googly eyes to make these adorable creatures.
Flatten a cupcake liner and then fluff it back slightly to create a dome shape for the body. Attach several strips of crepe paper to the bottom of the liner for the flowing tentacles.
Glue on two googly eyes and draw a small smile with a marker to complete the face. Punch a hole in the top of the liner and thread a string through for hanging.
Therefore, these jellyfish can quickly transform any room into a stunning under the sea display. This craft takes less than ten minutes and delivers results that kids are genuinely proud of.
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18. Cardboard Tube Submarine
Cardboard tube submarines are an imaginative craft that sparks hours of pretend play after the making is done.
You need a paper towel roll, paint, cardstock, and small bottle caps for the portholes. Paint the cardboard tube in a bold color like yellow or red to make a cheerful submarine.
Cut small circles from cardstock and glue them along the side as portholes for the crew inside. Add a periscope made from a small folded piece of cardstock attached to the top.
You can also decorate the submarine with stripes, buttons, and dials drawn on with markers. As a bonus, this craft can tie in beautifully with stories about ocean exploration and deep sea adventures.
Kids love imagining themselves as brave submarine captains exploring the mysterious ocean floor.
19. Coffee Filter Blowfish
Coffee filter blowfish are wonderfully vibrant crafts that are made even more exciting with water-based markers.
You need coffee filters, washable markers, a spray bottle of water, string, and tissue paper for this activity. Color the flat coffee filter heavily with markers in bright colors and interesting patterns.
Then, lightly mist the filter with water and watch the colors bleed together beautifully. Once dry, gather the center of the filter and tie it with string to form the round blowfish body.
Add tissue paper spines around the edges and googly eyes to complete your puffed up fish. Similarly, kids who love colorful and slightly messy crafts will have a great time with 33 rainbow craft ideas that are colorful and easy too.
The color bleeding effect never fails to amaze kids every single time they try it.
20. Pipe Cleaner Crabs
Pipe cleaner crabs are a tactile and flexible craft that younger children find very easy and satisfying to create. You need red or orange pipe cleaners, googly eyes, and a small pom-pom for the body.
Bend one long pipe cleaner into a rounded crab body shape in the center. Twist four shorter pipe cleaners around the body piece to form the eight crab legs.
Curl the ends of the front two pipe cleaners upward to create the iconic crab claws. Glue a small pom-pom to the center and add googly eyes on top of the pom-pom.
Furthermore, pipe cleaner crafts are fantastic for developing fine motor skills in preschool and kindergarten aged children. These little crabs are so cute that kids usually want to make an entire collection of them.
21. Paper Bag Puppet Dolphin
Paper bag puppet dolphins are joyful crafts that lead directly into imaginative storytelling and pretend ocean play. You need a small paper lunch bag, gray and white paint, cardstock, and googly eyes for this project.
Paint the paper bag gray on the outside and white on the bottom flap area for the belly. Cut a dorsal fin and two side fins from gray cardstock and glue them onto the bag.
Add white paper teeth inside the flap opening to create the dolphin’s friendly smiling mouth. Glue on googly eyes and draw a curved smile line to finish the dolphin’s cheerful expression.
Consequently, once finished, your child has a puppet ready for an entire underwater ocean show. You can make several different sea animal puppets and put on a whole performance together.
22. Handprint Whale
Handprint whales are another gorgeous keepsake craft that combines simple painting with beautiful results every time. You need blue or gray paint, white paper, and a black marker to create this stunning whale.
Press your child’s painted hand onto the paper with the thumb pointing upward as the whale’s tail. Once the handprint dries, use the marker to add a friendly eye, a blowhole, and a smile.
You can paint water splashing from the blowhole using white and light blue paint on a thin brush. The finished handprint whale looks amazing framed and hung on a nursery or bedroom wall.
In the same way, handprint crafts are always popular because they are personal and capture precious moments in time. Every parent will want to make several of these at different ages to see how the hand grows.
23. Straw Blown Octopus
Straw blown octopus crafts are a uniquely exciting activity that kids find endlessly entertaining to create.
You need paint, a straw, white paper, and googly eyes for this wonderfully unpredictable project. Drop a small blob of paint in one color onto the center of the paper.
Give your child a straw and let them blow the paint outward in different directions to form tentacles. Add more colors by dropping new paint blobs and blowing them into the spreading tentacle shape.
Once dry, glue on googly eyes in the center where all the tentacles meet to reveal the octopus face. Besides, this craft also develops lung capacity and breath control in a really playful and engaging way.
No two straw blown octopuses ever look the same, which makes every one completely unique and special.
24. Tissue Paper Fish Bowl
Tissue paper fish bowls are a stunning craft that creates a beautiful stained glass effect when finished. You need a fish bowl outline drawn on white cardstock, tissue paper squares, and liquid glue for this project.
Cut or tear tissue paper into small squares in shades of blue, green, and aqua for the water. Brush liquid glue onto the fish bowl outline and layer the tissue paper squares all over it.
Add small fish shapes cut from orange and yellow tissue paper swimming inside the bowl. Once the glue dries, hold the finished fish bowl up to a window and watch the light shine through it.
Therefore, this craft is especially magical when displayed in a sunny window during the daytime hours. Kids are always amazed at how beautiful their fish bowl looks when the light passes through it.
25. Foam Sea Horse
Foam seahorses are a lovely craft that introduces kids to one of the ocean’s most unique and fascinating creatures. You need foam sheets in different colors, scissors, googly eyes, and glue to make this graceful sea creature.
Draw a seahorse outline onto the foam sheet and help your child cut it out carefully with scissors. Cut small decorative pieces from other foam colors to add fins, spots, and patterns to the body.
Glue on a googly eye and curl the foam tail slightly to give the seahorse its iconic curled shape. You can punch a hole at the top and add a ribbon for hanging as a mobile or ornament.
Likewise, foam crafts are excellent for children because they are soft, easy to cut, and very forgiving to work with. Seahorse crafts naturally lead to wonderful conversations about how seahorses are unique in the animal kingdom.
26. Newspaper Whale
Newspaper whales are a brilliant eco-friendly craft that teaches kids about reusing materials creatively. You need old newspaper, blue paint, a large paintbrush, and black marker to create this striking whale.
Scrunch and shape several layers of newspaper into a large rounded whale body form. Tape the newspaper securely with masking tape to hold the whale shape in place.
Paint the entire whale in shades of blue and gray, letting each layer dry before adding the next. Use the black marker to add a large friendly eye and a curved smile on the side.
Additionally, this craft is a wonderful way to introduce kids to the concept of sculpture and three-dimensional art.
Newspaper whales make impressive display pieces that look surprisingly professional when finished and painted beautifully.
27. Paper Plate Crab
Paper plate crabs are festive and bold crafts that are perfect for summer ocean themes at home or school.
You need two paper plates, red paint, orange pipe cleaners, and googly eyes to make this cheerful crab. Paint both paper plates red and let them dry before assembling the crab shape together.
Cut one plate in half and position the two halves on either side of the full plate as claws. Poke holes in the sides of the full plate and thread red pipe cleaners through to create the crab’s legs.
Glue on two large googly eyes and draw a cheerful smile with a black marker. In short, paper plate crabs are endlessly popular because they are colorful, easy, and genuinely look like crabs when finished.
This is also a great craft to pair with a children’s book about crabs and the beach.
28. Clothespin Clownfish
Clothespin clownfish are a delightful mini craft that kids love because they are small enough to fit in the palm of the hand.
You need a wooden clothespin, orange and white paint, a fine black marker, and googly eyes. Paint the clothespin orange and let it dry before adding the white stripes that clownfish are famous for.
Use the black marker to outline the white stripes and add small black details to the fins and tail. Glue on tiny googly eyes near the tip of the clothespin for a lifelike and adorable look.
These little clownfish can clip onto the edge of a bookshelf, a plant pot, or a card as a decoration. Moreover, making a clownfish naturally invites conversations about coral reefs and the animals that live in them.
Kids who have seen a certain famous animated fish will be especially excited to make this one.
29. Sand Art Seascape
Sand art seascapes are a sensory-rich craft that creates a beautiful textured ocean scene on paper or cardboard. You need colored sand, craft glue, a pencil, and thick cardboard to make this stunning project.
Lightly sketch an ocean scene onto the cardboard with wavy water lines, shells, fish, and coral shapes. Apply craft glue to one section at a time and pour colored sand over the glue before shaking off the excess.
Use blue sand for the water, yellow for the sandy floor, and bright colors for the coral and fish. The result is a beautiful three-dimensional ocean scene that looks and feels truly wonderful.
As a matter of fact, sand art is a fantastic sensory activity for children who learn best through touch and texture. This craft also works beautifully as a framed piece of art to display in a child’s bedroom.
30. Painted Rock Crab
Painted rock crabs are a natural extension of rock painting that results in an especially charming and sturdy finished craft. You need two smooth rocks of different sizes, red acrylic paint, pipe cleaners, and googly eyes.
Paint the larger rock red for the crab’s body and the smaller rock red for the head. Once dry, glue the smaller rock onto the front edge of the larger rock as the crab’s face.
Attach red pipe cleaners on either side of the body rock to form the crab’s eight legs and two front claws. Glue on googly eyes to the smaller rock and your rock crab is ready to display on a shelf.
Furthermore, these rock crabs are sturdy enough for outdoor play and garden decoration without getting damaged.
Kids love arranging their rock crabs on windowsills and pretending they are scuttling across the ocean floor.
31. Accordion Fold Jellyfish
Accordion fold jellyfish are an elegant and graphic craft that teaches kids a new paper folding technique.
You need colored paper, scissors, string, and googly eyes to make this beautiful hanging decoration. Fold a strip of paper back and forth in tight accordion folds to create a pleated ribbon shape.
Gather the folds together at one end and fan them out to form the jellyfish dome at the top. Attach several long paper strips hanging down from the gathered point as the jellyfish’s flowing tentacles.
Tie a string at the top and hang the finished jellyfish from the ceiling for a stunning floating effect. In fact, a cluster of accordion jellyfish in different colors creates an absolutely breathtaking under the sea ceiling display.
This craft looks incredibly impressive but is genuinely much easier to make than it appears at first glance.
32. Felt Finger Puppet Sea Animals
Felt finger puppet sea animals are a wonderful set craft where kids create an entire underwater cast of characters. You need felt sheets in various colors, scissors, needle and thread or fabric glue, and googly eyes.
Cut two identical small oval shapes from felt for each puppet and glue or sew them together on three sides. Leave one end open so the puppet fits snugly over a child’s finger when worn.
Decorate each puppet as a different sea animal, such as a crab, octopus, seahorse, or turtle. Add googly eyes, felt fins, tentacles, and other details to bring each character to life uniquely.
Besides, having a full set of sea animal finger puppets opens up endless storytelling possibilities for creative children. You can pair this craft with 31 fish craft ideas to keep kids busy to expand your underwater puppet theater even further.
33. Underwater Shoebox Diorama
Underwater shoebox dioramas are the ultimate under the sea craft that brings everything together in one stunning display. You need a shoebox, blue and green paint, paper, yarn, tissue paper, and various craft supplies for this project.
Paint the inside of the shoebox in layers of blue and green to create a beautiful deep ocean backdrop. Cut and hang paper fish, seaweed, and coral from the top of the box using yarn or fishing line.
Add a sandy floor using yellow tissue paper or real sand glued to the bottom of the box. Place small toy sea creatures or paper cutouts throughout the scene to fill the ocean world.
As a final touch, cut wave shapes from the open front of the box to frame the underwater scene dramatically. This diorama craft is a perfect project to accompany a school report or ocean unit study at home.
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Final Thoughts
There you have it, a wonderful collection of 33 under the sea craft ideas that will keep your kids busy and inspired.
Each of these projects is designed to spark creativity, encourage learning, and make a whole lot of happy memories along the way.
Whether you start with a simple paper plate jellyfish or go all out with a shoebox diorama, your kids are going to love every single moment. So gather your supplies, clear the table, and dive right into the fun together today.
