Experiment with colors and shapes to make exotic sea creatures.
Sea creature projects for kids range from the realistic to the imaginative. Many crafting projects for kids use items found in most households, such as paper, paints and glue, and need no more than some imagination or inspiration to get started. Encourage kids to explore color and texture through creating fantasy sea creatures, as well as making realistic drawings and models of recognizable creatures.
Balloons
Balloons make realistic octopus bodies. For quick octopus creatures, blow up the balloon and tie the end and tape long streamers to the knotted end to represent tentacles. Paint a face on the balloon using either acrylic paints or permanent markers. Another method is to use the balloon as a form for a paper mache model. Make paper mache using a flour-based glue and strips of newspaper, covering the whole balloon, except for the tied end. Cover the balloon with two or three layers, allowing each layer to dry before applying the next one. When the paper mache is dry, pop the balloon and remove it from the form. Attach the tentacles and paint a face.
Paper Plates
Use paper plates to make sea creature mobiles or dioramas. For a diorama, use two paper plates. Cut out the flat base from one plate and replace it with a circle of clear plastic to form a window. Paint the second plate sea blue and stick on cut-out fish shapes, seaweed shapes and sea shells. Glue the rims of the two plates together so bases face outward. For mobiles, paint or stick fish shapes on the surfaces of the plates. Pierce holes in the top of the plates and hang them from a wire coat hanger, using different lengths of fishing line.
Fish Frieze
Cut various fish, whale, shell, bubbles and seaweed shapes from colored construction paper. Make the shapes large, emphasizing shape rather than detail in the outlines. Add extra detail after the shapes are cut out. For instance, paint on stripes of white glue and sprinkle glitter onto the wet glue, or stick on sequins for sparkly eyes. Put removable glue dots on the backs of the shapes and use them for a changeable underwater scene on a bedroom wall.
Jewelry
Use polymer clay to create fishy jewelry items, such as pendants for necklaces. Either mold the clay into 3-D fish shapes or roll the clay flat then cut out shapes with a blunt plastic knife. Use a pencil to trace the outline onto the clay before cutting for more accurate shaping. Mold eyes and fins in different-colored clay and press onto the fish bodies. Pierce a hole in the top of the clay sea creature. Bake it in the oven following the manufactures instructions for time and temperature. When the shapes are baked and cooled, thread them on leather thongs or other decorative cords.
