You know that feeling. It’s a rainy afternoon, the kids are buzzing with energy, and the phrase “I’m bored” is about to echo through the house. Or maybe you’re planning a summer camp, a classroom unit, or just want to bring a little piece of the beach into your living room. Forget scrolling endlessly for ideas. I’ve been there, surrounded by paper plates and googly eyes, wondering if my jellyfish will look more like a deflated balloon. That’s why I pulled together this treasure chest of ideas. From quick 10-minute projects to weekend masterpieces, these 21 ocean animal crafts are your secret weapon for creative fun.
1. Paper Plate Pufferfish
Let’s start with a classic supply: the humble paper plate. This pufferfish craft is all about texture. Have your kids paint the plate a vibrant yellow or orange. Once it’s dry, the real fun begins—poking half-cut cotton swabs or short strips of straws all around the edge to create those iconic spines. Glue on a big, googly eye and draw a grumpy little mouth. Voilà! You have a delightfully prickly (but totally safe) friend.
2. Coffee Filter Jellyfish
This craft is almost magical. Grab a white coffee filter and let the kids drip liquid watercolors or food coloring onto it. Watch the colors blend and bleed in beautiful, watery ways. Once it’s dry, pinch the center to create the jellyfish’s “bell” body and secure it with a pipe cleaner. Then, attach long, curling ribbons or crepe paper streamers for the mesmerizing tentacles. Hang it in a window and watch it float.
3. Cardboard Tube Octopus
Don’t throw out that toilet paper roll! This upcycled octopus is a lesson in scissor skills. Flatten one end of the tube and cut it into eight equal strips—those are the legs. Let the kids curl the legs around a pencil or marker. Then, paint the whole thing, add eyes, and maybe even a little bow tie. It’s a perfect craft for talking about how real octopuses are clever escape artists.
4. Clothespin Crab
Got a wooden clothespin and some red paint? You’re halfway to a cute crustacean. Paint the clothespin red. For the body, cut a small circle from red cardstock and glue it to the top of the clothespin’s spring. Then, glue on wiggly eyes and draw a smile. The best part? The pinchers actually work! Kids can clip their crab onto artwork, a beach bucket, or even their shirt.
5. Pebble Penguins
Next time you’re at the beach or park, collect some smooth, oval-shaped stones. At home, paint the entire pebble black. Once that’s dry, paint a white oval on the belly. Use orange paint for the feet and beak, and finish with tiny dot eyes. These little guys have so much personality and make great paperweights or garden decorations.
6. Bubble Wrap Stingray
This craft gives you the most satisfying texture. Cut a stingray shape (like a diamond with a tail) out of cardboard. Let the kids paint a sheet of bubble wrap and press it onto the cardboard to print a perfect, bumpy pattern. While that dries, cut a longer, thinner piece for the tail. Glue it on, add a googly eye, and you have a stingray that looks like it just swam out of the sand.
7. Pasta Shell Turtle
Raid the pantry for this one! Grab a large pasta shell (like a conchiglie) for the turtle’s body. Use green paint or markers to color it. Then, cut turtle head and flippers from green felt or construction paper. Glue everything to a blue paper “ocean” background, and glue the pasta shell on top as the shell. It’s a fantastic sensory and crafting combo.
8. CD Dolphin
Got an old CD or DVD gathering dust? Its shiny, reflective surface is perfect for a leaping dolphin. Draw or print a simple dolphin silhouette on gray cardstock and cut it out. Glue the CD to the dolphin’s belly to look like water glistening on its skin. Mount the whole thing on a blue background with a wave cut from white paper. It’s a cool way to talk about light reflection and recycling.
9. Egg Carton Whale
Cut a single cup from a cardboard egg carton—that’s your whale’s body. Paint it blue or gray. Poke a small hole in the top and insert a pipe cleaner bent into a “V” shape for the blowhole spray. Add a cardstock tail and fins, and don’t forget a friendly eye. You can even glue a small paper fish near its mouth like it’s just having a snack.
10. Handprint Lobster
This is a keepsake craft. Paint your child’s palm and fingers red (avoid the thumb). Press it firmly onto paper with the fingers splayed out—those are the lobster’s legs and claws. Once dry, use the thumbprint to make the two large claws pointing forward. Draw on eyes and antennae. It’s a hilarious and adorable reminder of how small their hands once were.
11. Pinecone Starfish
Nature provides the perfect shape here. Find a pinecone that’s somewhat flat and spread out. Have the kids paint it a bright orange, red, or purple. While it’s wet, they can sprinkle a little glitter on it for some ocean sparkle. Glue it onto a seascape collage, and it instantly becomes a textured, beautiful starfish. So easy, right?
12. Paper Bag Shark Puppet
Time for some dramatic play! Take a standard lunch bag. The part that folds flat will be the shark’s mouth. Draw and cut fierce shark teeth from white paper and glue them along the inside fold. Paint the rest of the bag gray, add googly eyes above the mouth, and glue on dorsal and tail fins. Now kids can make their shark “chomp” as they narrate underwater adventures.
13. Seashell Mosaics
Use those shells you collected but never knew what to do with! Draw a simple outline of a fish, sea horse, or turtle on a piece of cardboard. Then, using strong craft glue, let the kids arrange small shells and pieces of broken shell inside the outline to fill it. The different shapes, sizes, and colors create a stunning, natural mosaic artwork.
14. Cupcake Liner Clownfish
Remember Nemo? This is his craft. Flatten an orange cupcake liner and glue it onto paper. Use black and white paint or markers to add the clownfish’s stripes. Cut a triangle from another liner for the tail fin, and add a little orange paper fin. Draw a cute eye and smile. It’s a wonderfully simple craft for even the littlest crafters.
15. Rocking Paper Plate Sea Horse
Cut a sea horse shape from the center of a paper plate, leaving the outer ring intact. Decorate the sea horse with markers, sequins, or tissue paper. Then, re-attach the sea horse to the outer ring at its belly with a brass fastener. Now it rocks back and forth! This clever mechanism always gets a “wow” from kids.
16. Sponge-Painted Octopus
Cut a kitchen sponge into a circle for the body. Dip it in paint and stamp it on paper. For the legs, use strips of cut sponge or even the child’s own fingers to make eight wavy lines coming down from the body. The sponge gives a wonderful, bubbly texture that feels just right for an ocean creature.
17. Flying Fish Windsock
Create a fish face on a paper plate. Attach long, flowing streamers in blues and greens to the bottom of the plate for the tail. Punch two holes at the top, tie a string for hanging, and you have a windsock. Hang it outside and watch your fish “swim” in the breeze. It’s a craft that keeps on giving.
18. Magnet Fishing Game
This one’s an activity. Cut simple fish shapes from craft foam. Attach a paperclip to each one. Decorate them with markers as different ocean animals. Then, tie a string to a stick, and attach a magnet to the end of the string. Spread the fish on the floor and let the kids go “fishing.” It’s fantastic for hand-eye coordination.
19. Suncatcher Manatee
Draw a chunky, gentle manatee outline on a piece of clear contact paper. Peel off the backing and lay it sticky-side up. Let the kids fill the inside with small pieces of torn blue and green tissue paper. Once it’s covered, seal it with another piece of contact paper, cut it out, and hang it in a sunny window. The light shining through is gorgeous.
20. Play Dough Coral Reef
Break out the play dough in vibrant colors. This is a free-form, sensory-rich project. Show kids pictures of real coral reefs—the weird and wonderful shapes. Then, let them roll, twist, and sculpt their own coral formations. They can add small beads or shells for texture. It’s less of a single craft and more of an imaginative ecosystem build.
21. Ocean in a Bottle Sensory Jar
We’ll end with a calming one. Fill a clear plastic bottle about 2/3 full with water. Add blue food coloring and a generous amount of glitter. Then, fill the rest with baby oil or clear cooking oil, leaving a small air gap. Hot glue the lid shut. Add small plastic ocean animal toys inside before sealing if you like. When kids shake it, they create a glittery storm; when they let it sit, it calmly separates, just like the ocean’s surface.
So, there you have it—21 ocean animal crafts to turn any day into an underwater adventure. The best part? It’s not about perfection. It’s about the messy hands, the concentrated frowns, and the proud exclamations of “Look what I made!” Whether you’re fostering a love for marine life, developing fine motor skills, or just surviving a long afternoon, these projects are your life raft. Now, grab some glue, embrace the glitter (it gets everywhere, I know), and make some waves. Your personal ocean awaits.