How Ocean Craft Projects Can Make a Difference
One of the most effective ways to teach kids about sustainability is to make it fun! Easy ocean animal arts and crafts do just that by introducing youngsters to complex topics—such as biodiversity and climate change—through hands-on activities that are as engaging as they are educational. As your little one creates their craft, you can use the time to teach them about the importance of making environmentally friendly choices. After all, a little change can make a big impact!
Of course, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to crafting. Before you get started, make sure you choose an activity that’s age-appropriate for your child, keeping in mind their unique abilities and skills. Not sure where to look? Consider conducting a quick search for ocean crafts on Pinterest. You can search for specific keywords, including 2D or 3D options, to make your activity as simple or complicated as you’d like. Here are five crafts to kickstart your search.
5 Easy Sea Animal Crafts
Shark Sensory Bottle
Your little one is sure to be dazzled by this glittery shark sensory bottle! This bottle is like a mini aquarium with the shark as the star. You’ll need an upcycled water bottle, blue glitter glue, water, loose glitter, and gray plastic. You can get the gray plastic from a recycled meat tray, plastic lid, or other upcycled container.
First, a child or parent can cut a shark shape out of the gray plastic. Next, your child can squeeze glue and glitter into the bottle. Add the shark to the bottle and fill it the rest of the way with water. Finally, replace the lid and seal with hot glue. Once you shake the bottle, your upcycled shark has a new home!
Mason Jar Aquarium
Another sea animal arts and craft project is a mason jar aquarium. Fun for kids of all ages, this mesmerizing mason jar is filled with sea creatures and objects that intrigue young minds and inspire learning. For this project, you'll need a recycled/upcycled lidded glass jar, glitter, water, blue food coloring, aquarium gravel, and sea creature figurines—think starfish, jellyfish, sharks, whales, fish, and seaweed.
Start by adding gravel to the base of the jar. Add hot glue to adhere any figurines or plants to the bottom and sides of the jar. Once dry, add water and a few drops of blue food coloring to the jar. Finally, add any remaining sea objects, and seal the lid with hot glue.
Toilet Paper Roll Squids
Our next fun ocean animal craft project is a toilet paper roll squid! Toilet paper rolls are one the easiest materials to use in an upcycled craft. You’ll also need biodegradable yarn, paint, markers, glue, googly eyes, hole punch, card stock, and glue.
Start by painting your toilet paper roll and punching holes round the base. Next, you’ll snip two slits into the opposing end of the tube. Cut 12-inch pieces of yarn to be the tentacles, and cut a rounded triangle from the cardstock. Thread and knot the yarn through the holes, then slide the rounded triangle through the cut slits at the top of the squid. Finally, glue on googly eyes. Bonus: This easy sea animal craft can also help your kiddo hone their fine motor skills.
Egg Carton Sea Turtle
Have some old egg cartons? Make this cute egg carton sea turtle as your next ocean animal art project. You’ll need a recycled paper egg carton, pom-poms or sustainable cotton balls, paint, googly eyes, glue, and scissors.
Cut out a single egg space from the egg carton for the shell. Cut out a base and fins from the top of the egg carton. Glue these together to form your sea turtle. Next, you can paint your sea turtle and glue the googly eyes onto the pom-pom to make a head. Next, you will glue the head onto the body. Now your child has their very own sea turtle friend!
Recycled Fabric Jellyfish
Another fun ocean animal craft is the recycled fabric jelly fish. This is an earth-friendly jellyfish with long and snuggly tentacles.
The materials you’ll need are sustainable socks, cotton balls or biodegradable stuffing, googly eyes or buttons, and thread or glue. Start by filling the sock with cotton balls or other soft stuffing. Sew or glue it shut, and glue on buttons or googly eyes. Next, cut strips of another sock to make the tentacles. Finally, attach the tentacles to the stuffed body by gluing or sewing.
Inspire Kids to Live Sustainably With Sustainable Arts & Crafts
Teaching children how to live sustainably can be challenging. Whatever teaching method you choose, making learning fun is a must! That’s where ocean animal arts and crafts come into play. Not only are these hands-on activities educational and engaging, they can also be eco-friendly—provided that you use upcycled or recycled materials like those found in Socktopus socks. And remember: Once your child outgrows their Socktopus socks, they can be used to make fun crafts, like a shark sock puppet!
