Ocean Crafts and Activities for Kids

The ocean covers more than 70% of our planet and is home to some of the most amazing creatures on Earth: octopuses, whales, sea turtles, jellyfish and coral. These crafts and activities bring the ocean to your table, with art, science, games and learning for ages 3 to 11.

Ocean facts to share

• There are five oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic.
• The Pacific is the biggest and deepest.
• The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived.
• An octopus has three hearts and eight arms.
• Coral reefs are made by tiny animals called coral polyps.
• Most of the ocean is still unexplored.

Crafts

1. Paper plate fish. Cut a triangle out of the plate for a mouth and glue it on the back as a tail. Decorate with scales.
2. Toilet-roll octopus. Cut eight strips from the bottom of a tube and curl them. See toilet roll crafts.
3. Jellyfish. Use half a paper plate or a paper bowl, with long ribbons or crepe paper streamers as tentacles.
4. Handprint crab. Two handprints in red make crab legs; add eyes on stalks.
5. Ocean in a bottle. Fill a bottle two-thirds with water and blue food coloring, then top up with oil and add small shells or plastic fish. Glue the lid and tip it to make waves.
6. Shoebox aquarium. Paint the inside of a box blue, add sand and shells and hang paper fish on thread. Use our ocean coloring pages for the creatures.
7. Coral reef collage. Use tissue paper, bubble wrap prints and pipe cleaners to make a colorful reef.
8. Paper chain sea snake.
9. Bubble-wrap fish scales. Paint bubble wrap and press it onto a fish shape.
10. Shell art. Glue shells onto frames or boxes.

Science activities

1. Sink or float. Test objects in a bowl of water. Then try salty water. Things float more easily in salt water.
2. Ocean layers. Layer honey, dish soap, water and oil in a glass (colored differently) to show how the ocean has zones.
3. Whale blubber experiment. Put shortening or lard in a zip bag, put your hand inside a second bag, and dip both hands in icy water. The "blubber" keeps your hand warmer.
4. Wave bottle. As above, shows how waves move.
5. Clean-up experiment. Add a little oil to water and try to clean it with spoons, cotton wool and sponges. Talk about why keeping oceans clean matters.

Games

• Fishing game. Attach paper clips to paper fish and fish with a magnet on a string.
• Ocean I Spy. Find and count sea creatures on an I Spy page.
• Shark and minnows. A tag game where the "shark" tries to catch the "minnows."
• Sea creature charades. Act out an octopus, a crab or a jellyfish.
• Memory. Make pairs of sea creature cards or play our memory game.

Math and literacy

• Counting fish. Count fish into a bowl and practise adding and subtracting.
• Graphing. Sort toy sea creatures and make a picture graph.
• Measuring. Compare sizes of sea creatures: a blue whale can be around 30 meters (about 100 feet) long.
• Ocean words. Write a list of ocean words and use them in a story.
• Research. Older kids can choose a sea creature and make a fact poster.

Ocean conservation

Talk about keeping oceans healthy:

• Use less single-use plastic.
• Take litter home from the beach.
• Choose reusable bottles and bags.
• Learn about sea turtles, which can mistake plastic bags for jellyfish.

Pair with Earth Day activities and recycled crafts.

Ideas by age

Ages 3–5: paper plate fish, handprint crabs, fishing games and sink or float.

Ages 6–8: shoebox aquariums, jellyfish, ocean bottles and the blubber experiment.

Ages 9–11: ocean zones, research posters, conservation projects and clean-up experiments.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Leaking ocean bottles. Glue lids shut.
• Too much at once. Choose a few crafts and one experiment.
• Forgetting conservation. It's a natural part of learning about the ocean.

Frequently asked questions

How many oceans are there?

Five: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic.

What's the biggest animal in the ocean?

The blue whale, which is also the largest animal ever known to have lived.

What's an easy ocean craft for toddlers?

A paper plate fish or a handprint crab.

An ocean week plan

• Monday: paper plate fish and an ocean facts chat.
• Tuesday: sink or float, and the salt water test.
• Wednesday: toilet-roll octopus and a jellyfish with streamers.
• Thursday: the blubber experiment and whale facts.
• Friday: a shoebox aquarium and a fishing game.

End the week with an ocean picnic: blue drinks, fish crackers and a sea creature coloring page.

What books are good for an ocean theme?

Picture books about whales, sea turtles and coral reefs, and nonfiction books with real photos. Ask your librarian for options for your child's age.

What if we live far from the sea?

Visit an aquarium if you can, watch nature documentaries, and explore rivers, ponds or lakes as local water habitats.