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Under the sea, finding Nemo, or partying with Aquaman, fish are a big part of current pop culture. And whether your family is reading “The Rainbow Fish” for the ten thousandth time or cuddling together on the couch for a “Finding Dory” movie night, there’s bound to be a craft listed below that will entertain and, perhaps, educate your children.
Whatever your child’s age or abilities, there’s something listed here that they can do to celebrate the diversity of marine life. From the Rock, Paper, Scissors, Fish craft and the Rock N’ Roll Fish Craft, all the way up the crafting chain to the Extraordinary Puppets Fish Craft, everyone from toddlers to older grade schoolers can join in on the fun!
Some of these crafts are meant to be played with once they’re done, like the Toddler-Friendly Fish Craft and the Ooey Gooey Slimy Fish, while others are meant to be fun and colorful decorations, like the Swimming In A Fishbowl craft.
In other words, heading under the sea to party with one fish, two fish, red fish, or blue fish, you’ll find plenty of crafts here to inspire you and your children.
1. Oooey Gooey Slimy Fish
Image source: Glued To My Crafts
Just when you thought it was safe to stop making slime, comes this fish-themed slime craft from Glued To My Crafts. Fish slime is kind of like regular slime — check out the recipe over at the blog — but it’s bluer, glittery-er, and contains fun little plastic fish. This particular slime is extra stretchy, allowing your child to pull and squish together a home for their toy fish all day long; or stuff this (with the toy fish) into small, clear jars for a memorable party gift. This is not one of those non-toxic slime recipes, so it’s best made with kids who don’t put everything into their mouths.
2. Cute As A Button
Image source: I Heart Crafty Things
If you and your children love the bright colors of a tropical aquarium, but don’t want the hassle of maintaining one, check out I Heart Crafty Things’ easy alternative. There are plenty of affiliate links at the blog, which you can click on to purchase online those materials you may not have around the house already. Be sure to pick bright colors when you shop so that your children will be super excited for their “aquarium.” This craft is great to make with toddlers and preschoolers who are just learning color names. Hang this up anywhere in your house for a hassle-free saltwater fish tank!
3. Interactive Fish Craft
Image source: Easy Peasy And Fun
Whether you live for free printable templates or prefer to draw your own images, Easy Peasy And Fun has something here for you. (And if you’ve always wanted to draw your own image but need help, there’s something there for you, too.) This big-mouth fish is designed to open and close when your child plays with it. Check out those enormous chompers! Have your child draw whatever they want inside the fish’s mouth; maybe even a message for a loved one.
4. See Inside A Fish Craft
Image source: Red Ted Art
Here’s a super fun and outside-the-box fish craft that can easily turn into a simple STEM lesson. Just click on over to Red Ted Art for their adorable fish x-ray craft made with empty cardboard tubes, such as paper towel or toilet paper rolls. Of course, it may not be biologically correct, but it will still serve to teach children about how all vertebrates have bones inside of their bodies — while also having a lot of fun! If Halloween is coming up, these make unique decorations for parties and trick-or-treaters.
5. She Sells Seashells By The Seashore
Image source: Fun Money Mom
You don’t need to go to the beach to collect seashells for this beautiful fish craft from Fun Money Mom; you can buy shells designed especially for crafting at most local craft stores or online. You’ll also need some crafting sand, so make sure you set up a tray or newspaper before starting this project. Start with a regular paper plate, and by the time you and your child have finished you won’t even recognize it anymore! Everyone will be super impressed by this, but you’ll know how easy — and inexpensive — it was to make.
6. DIY 3D Rainbow Fish Craft
Image source: Natural Beach Living
If “The Rainbow Fish” by Marcus Pfister is a staple of your family’s reading list, or if you are spending the week reading it and talking about it with your class, then Natural Beach Living’s craft is a must-try. With the beautiful rainbow scales that can easily be cut out by little hands using safety scissors, the rest of the project is fun and easy for younger kids. For toddlers, simply hand them a paintbrush and blue paint and let them cover an entire paper plate without worrying about lines or shapes. Preschoolers can practice their gluing skills, including all the glitter glue for the fish’s scales. It’s absolutely gorgeous!
7. Extraordinary Puppets Fish Craft
Image source: Kids Craft Room
There IS a secret to making these incredible aluminum foil fish puppets, but you’ll have to click on this link to Kids Craft Room to find out what it is! Although it looks involved and complicated, it’s actually a wonderful craft for kids of all ages, because there are steps that any kid can do. Toddlers to older grade schoolers can contribute to at least part of this project, from painting to gluing, to following the free printable templates to make the patterns. Attached craft sticks turn these into instant puppets, but they might be too pretty to play with!
8. Checkerboard Pattern Fish
Image source: The Inspiration Edit
The Inspiration Edit has the perfect craft for kids who need to practice scissor skills, fine motor activities, or hand-eye coordination. There’s also bubble wrap involved, which kids of all ages (…and their grown-ups) love to pop. But that’s not all! There’s a free template to download and print, making this project even easier to create. With nearly 100 species of angelfish out there, you and your child have plenty of inspiration to get you going.
9. Spiky Fish Craft
Image source: Easy Preschool Crafts
Adult supervision and help is absolutely required for this puffer fish project from Easy Preschool Crafts, but it’s worth it for the delightful fella you wind up making. Cut the toothpicks ahead of time and watch over preschoolers as they glue them in order to keep anyone from accidentally poking themselves. With this big, cheerful, yellow face, this craft will be a huge hit at summer camps or on rainy afternoons when outdoor activities are cancelled. Make sure to show the kids some videos of pufferfish in action before you get started, so they know what the spikes are for!
10. Hugs And Kisses Fish Craft
Image source: Glued To My Crafts
Glued To My Crafts understands the value of using children’s handprints as the start of something beautiful. With this project, the handprints become the foundation of some serious bedazzling and bejeweling that will make your little fish sparkles and shine. Add some kissy lips and it’s almost too cute to be believed. Set up your kissing fish on a custom-painted “aquarium” background, or hand them out as personalized, keepsake valentine’s next February!
11. A Fan Of Fish Crafts
Image source: Red Ted Art
If your child can fold a piece of paper into a fan, they can help you make this sweet fish craft from Red Ted Art. With their fins on either side and fan-folded tails, these 3D fish crafts will be the hit of any undersea-themed party you throw. Or perhaps make them to hang up all over your home — beach house, regular house, or downtown apartment! — during the summer as a way of celebrating the season of beach trips. Get colorful and get creative!
12. We Found Nemo
Image source: From ABCs To ACTs
From ABCs To ACTs has the delightful idea of making this craft just before settling the family down for movie night watching “Finding Nemo” or “Finding Dory.” By the time the movie is over, the paint on your craft will have dried and you can finish making your paper Nemo. Kids will love this because they don’t have to think about painting inside any lines or keeping things nice and need; the tape is there to keep the stripe parts plain and white. Nemo will never get lost in your house, now!
13. Tiny Fish Craft
Image source: Our Kid Things
You have been saving empty toilet paper and paper towel cardboard tubes, right? If you have kids at home, or you’re a teacher of very young grades, these are an absolute staple of arts and crafts for the pre-tween set. One wonderful example is this fish craft from Our Kid Things. It’s not that hard to make, and kids can have a great time picking out paint colors for the body and fins. Glue on some googly eyes, and these will be an instant hit!
14. Fish Eggs
Image source: The Craft Train
Making fishy faces with little kids is super cute and super fun, just like these egg carton-based goldfish over at The Craft Train. The egg holder part helps the fish stand up while also looking adorably pudgy. But it’s the big, bulging pom-pom eyes and kissy-face pipe cleaner lips that really turn this into a craft that will delight your children and make them smile. To turn this into a cool party decoration, add some colorful pebbles and plastic plants to a goldfish bowl and place one or two crafts inside.
15. Rock, Paper, Scissors, Fish
Image source: Messy Little Monster
As Messy Little Monster shows, painting rocks is a simple craft that kids of all ages can enjoy. The stones should be flatish and smooth; if you can’t find any in your yard or local park, most craft stores or hardware stores sell rocks designed for decorating. Clicking the link above will take you to the blog, which itself has affiliate links to all the markers, pens, and adhesive that work best on rocks. The name of the game here is fun and creativity, not perfection, so let toddlers make their own stone fish, too!
16. DIY 3D Swimming Fish
Image source: The Imagination Tree
Don’t just make some flat fish that stay still — make 3D fish that swim wherever you hang them up! The Imagination Tree shows you how to make an easy but colorful mobile that little kids will adore because it allows the fish to “swim” over their heads. And since bubble wrap is involved with this project, you just know that kids will be tripping over themselves to help! These look absolutely great hanging up in kids’ bedrooms, where they can watch their fish swim from the comfort of their own beds, or make class mobiles to hang up in the classroom during lessons about ocean life.
17. Bubbly Fish Craft
Image source: Crafty Morning
No matter how young or old your child might be, or what their fine motor skills are, all kids can “lend a hand” to this fish puppet from Crafty Morning. Kids can also help out by decorating a craft stick for the puppet, or gluing on colorful beads to add depth and color to their fish. A few kissy lips and googly eyes, and these fish are ready for whatever adventures your children have in their imaginations!
18. A Fish Craft Of Many Colors
Image source: Glued To My Crafts
When children start learning about fish and different types of water they live in — freshwater rivers and lakes, vs saltwater oceans — one thing they will probably notice is that saltwater fish are much brighter and more colorful than their freshwater cousins. And so Glued To My Crafts invites you to explore all the beautiful colors of the rainbow for this paper plate fish craft that’s suitable for nearly all ages and abilities. It’s also a great craft for students who are reading and celebrating the wonderful book, “The Rainbow Fish.”
19. Cupcake Liner Fish Craft
Image source: I Heart Crafty Things
With so many different colors and designs of cupcake liners out there, you and your children are certain to find some that capture your imagination for making undersea creatures. I Heart Crafty Things shows you exactly what else you’ll need to make a sea-worthy still life that’s beautiful enough to hang up on the fridge. Make sure to stock up on googly eyes of different sizes to go with big fish, small fish, and medium-sized fish!
20. Hanging Around With Fish
Image source: Red Ted Art
Here’s an out-of-the-box idea: what about fish on your Christmas tree? With these 3D, round-shaped fish crafts from Red Ted Art, you just might be inspired to do an underwater theme for the holidays this year! There’s a free printable template at the link to get you started; the steps are actually pretty easy for something that looks as involved as this. Don’t be scared to try! And the materials you need are nothing fancy or expensive, so you’re free to make as many of these as you like. Don’t want to hang them on the Christmas tree? How about in windows, or from your child’s bedroom ceiling!
21. Felt And Wood Fish Craft
Image source: Glued To My Crafts
Here’s an easy fish craft that’ll be a hit in the classroom as well as at home! Click on over to Glued To My Crafts for this fish project that’s super easy for kids to customize however they like. By pre-cutting felt in a wide variety of colors, children can choose whatever they like to glue on to the craft stick frame. Colorful pom-poms complete the look on the fish’s tail. Stick a magnet to the back and you’ve got an instant gift that students can take home and hang up!
22. Toddler-Friendly Fish Craft
Image source: Toddler Approved
Let the big kids show off their cutting and gluing skills; this craft from Toddler Approved is designed especially for the under-4 set. Gather a bunch of decorating materials ahead of time: the blog suggests cut up tissue paper, crafting gems (with flat backs), foil, and pom-poms to start. Mount cut contact paper to the wall nice and low, and then encourage your toddler to pick up the materials you’ve collected and decorate the fish all by themselves. This is a wonderful way to help them learn about colors, textures, as well as practice that hand-eye coordination.
23. Shiny Happy Fishies Holding Fins
Image source: I Heart Arts And Crafts
Here’s another great fine motor skills activity for developing hands or hands that need a little extra practice. I Heart Arts And Crafts offers a free printable template for you to trace onto a sheet of aluminum foil and cut out. After that, it’s entirely up to you how much or how little your children do themselves, but either way they’ll probably have a lot of fun! This might also make a great cooperative activity for siblings, where one paints the fish and the other “draws” designs in the wet pain with a cotton swab.
24. Sticker Fish Craft
Image source: I Heart Crafty Things
For a fun, multimedia fish craft that will keep kids busy for at least a few minutes, click on over to I Heart Crafty Things for this darling paper plate goldfish. Stock up on lots and lots of orange circle stickers for the scales! This craft is absolutely perfect for a classroom activity, since kindergarteners and first graders can glue it all together themselves before applying all the orange stickers. (Some kids might cover the entire fish with stickers, and that’s fine.)
25. Paper Ball Fish Craft
Image source: Tinker About
If you are planning on hosting a sea- or beach-themed party, then you’ll really need to make these delightful puffer fish crafts from Tinker About. Don’t have little honeycomb paper balls laying around the house? No worries; the site has affiliate links where you can order them online. Once they arrive, they are fairly easy to assemble. Save this for the party activity, or make them ahead of time and hang them up in doorways, from door handles, or from the ceiling to make your home feel more like an underwater paradise!
26. Catching Nemo
Image source: Simple Everyday Mom
Simple Everyday Mom has another great craft to do during family movie night (see #12, above): this handprint Nemo fish! Prep this all well ahead of the movie’s start time (which you control because, you know, it’s your house), make it with your children, and then make sure they wash their hands really well before you give them their bowls of popcorn and candy. By the time Marlin finds his son, the paint should be dry (or mostly dry) and ready to hang up.
27. Glittery Christmas Fish Craft
Image source: That Kids Craft Site
Part of the magic of celebrating Christmas with kids is all the sweet and creative tree ornaments they craft at school, daycare, or at home with you. Head on over to That Kids Craft Site for a fishy project that will instantly become a cherished family keepsake. There’s a free printable template you can trace, including the fish’s lips. These also make sweet and heartwarming gifts for grandparents, teachers, babysitters, or other beloved caregivers who would appreciate a handmade craft from your child. With the shiny style of pom-poms and some glitter glue, these fish ornaments will brighten up your holiday season.
28. Pasta A La Fishy
Image source: I Heart Crafty Things
There’s a reason why macaroni art has become the go-to example for kids’ crafts in popular culture: it’s easy, it’s inexpensive, and it’s versatile. But lest you think you’re about to end up with yet another piece of strung-together macaroni jewelry, check out I Heart Crafty Things’ precious pasta fish. By painting the pasta ahead of time and allowing it to dry completely, you allow your children all the freedom they need to decorate some fish-shaped pieces of cardboard. They are so fun and easy to make, you’ll have an entire wall aquarium in your house before you know it!
29. Black Glue Fish Craft
Image source: The Best Ideas For Kids
Still can’t get enough crafts to go with “The Rainbow Fish” by Marcus Pfister? (See #6 and #18, above.) Over at The Best Ideas For Kids they’ve got one with a unique twist: black glue! You can either make your own black glue with the blog’s simple recipe, or you can click the affiliate link to buy black glitter glue. Over at the link you’ll also find a free printable template to help you make this gorgeous and unconventional rainbow fish.
30. Fluttery Fish Craft
Image source: Easy Peasy And Fun
Old fashioned plain white cupcake liners get a chance to really shine in this paper plate goldfish craft from Easy Peasy And Fun. Cut and paint a paper plate first — kids of all ages and abilities can help out here, since there’s no wrong way to cover an entire paper plate with orange paint. The cupcake liners then get cut up and glued on, creating a lovely and 3D effect of translucent, fluttery gills. It’s a creative and clever twist on the usual paper plate crafts that kids will have fun putting together.
31. Swimming In A Fish Bowl
Image source: Fun365
Rachel from I Heart Crafty Things gives you the template, supplies list, and instructions you need to make this darling fish craft via Fun365. Paint chip circles are the secret to these fishy cutie pies that are ready to live in their new paper fish bowl homes. Designing the rest is easy and straightforward, so that your children or students can make this on a rainy afternoon when they are stuck indoors. These also look great on classroom walls for Back to School night, or in the bedrooms of kids obsessed with the ocean.
32. Cardboard Tube Stamper Fish Craft
Image source: A Little Pinch Of Perfect
Adding to the growing list of fish crafts based on the book, “The Rainbow Fish,” (see #6, #18, and #29, above) comes this one from A Little Pinch Of Perfect. The twist? Using cut cardboard tubes — empty toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls — as stampers for the paint. Big shiny sequins also add to this craft’s unique look, and will encourage children to express themselves in a delightfully artistic way. Because there’s not much to it and it’s nearly impossible to make it wrong, this is an ideal craft for toddlers and preschoolers.
33. Coffee Filter Angelfish
Image source: Crafty Morning
No list of kids’ crafts would be complete without at least one project made with coffee filters. If you have one to spare, check out Crafty Morning’s beautiful angelfish craft. By making your own watercolors with food coloring and water, the coffee filters naturally create this stunning tie-dye effect. Add some aluminum foil stripes and you’ve got a fish craft that will leave everyone speechless. As the photo shows, all you need to do is twist some crepe paper and place the fish in front to make a beautiful undersea tableaux.
34. All That Glitters Fish Craft
Image source: I Heart Crafty Things
When your children or students inevitably hit that “everything must sparkle” phase, I Heart Crafty Things has got your back. Just buy tons of sequins in bulk and set them up by the bowlful for making this easy paper fish craft. The link has step-by-step instructions, with photos, for assembling the basic fish body. Add a little glue at the bottom and all the kids have to do is sprinkle on some sparkle! These are sturdy and 3D enough to stand up on their own so that your child can leave one on their night stand, and this way they never have to spend a single second without sparkle.
35. Rainbow Dots Fish Craft
Image source: Planning Playtime
Nope, nothing to do with “The Rainbow Fish” book, this craft involves an actual rainbow on your paper fish. And you don’t even need to spend money on a whole new set of paints; the ones you already have at home will do just fine. Over at Planning Playtime they show you how to make these fish without even using paintbrushes! The clothespin- and pom-pom method will do just fine for kids, and might even be easier for them to hold and use.
36. Rock N’ Roll Fish Craft
Image source: Hello Wonderful
Painting rocks is a simple and inexpensive craft that kids and parents alike can enjoy. Hello Wonderful suggests using smaller pebbles as the fish’s fins and tails, adding a whole new dimension to this classic project. If you don’t own a hot glue gun and don’t feel like running out to buy one, simply paint some fish bodies, tails, and fins separately and then mix and match! Doing so will make a game out of a simple craft, one that can teach kids the values of cooperation and sharing, as well as spark their creative imaginations.
37. Folded Paper Fish Craft
Image source: Easy Peasy And Fun
The nice thing about this origami fish craft from Easy Peasy And Fun is that once you get the hang of it, you can make as many as you want without always having to go back and re-read the instructions. Folded paper crafts are perfect for helping kids understand that not every toy needs to be plugged in, make noise, or flash a screen at them. There is plenty of fun to be had with simpler (and quieter!) little crafts that they can help make themselves. With all the colors out there for children to choose from, and with infinite possibilities for decorating, the sky’s the limit!
38. Weaving Paper Fish Craft
Image source: Arty Crafty Kids
Here’s a “fin-tastic” multimedia fish craft that will also help children develop fine motor skills. Over at Arty Crafty Kids there’s a free printable template you can download, as well as a materials list and step-by-step instructions. Children practicing new scissor skills can help cut strips of paper, while littler kids can help by gluing the pieces into place. Help your child with the weaving by doing the first strip yourself, and remember to be patient as they figure out the ins-and-outs of making this colorful fish.
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