Create art and learn about crabs and other sea life.
Children enjoy learning about sea creatures and their environment. Create projects that help kids learn about the different habitats in the sea and the variety of sea life that exists, while using their creativity. Use art techniques that introduce a variety of textures, colors and effects to create engaging sea creature projects.
Painted Sea Creature Pictures
Let kids draw freehand pictures of sea creatures they have learned about or seen at the aquarium. Give kids pictures to use as reference to capture the special features of each creature, like tentacles, claws and facial features. Include each creature's habitat, like a sandy sea floor, plant life and coral. Use tempera paints to get the most detail. Hang the pictures in an arrangement on dark blue fabric or paper to help identify the creatures that live on the bottom of the sea and those that live near the surface.
Sea Scene Mural
Provide a wall or large, paper-covered space like the back of a door, where kids can create a mural. They will learn about which sea creatures live on the ocean floor and which ones swim near the surface. As a group project, let children pick a creature to include in the mural. Have them identify where each fits in the mural, whether on the sea floor, in rocks or among the corals. Kids will learn art principles such as proportion and size when working on a variety of sea creatures in the same project.
Sand Cast Creatures
Do this project at the beach or fill a large tub halfway with sand. Have kids shape sea creatures in the sand with their hands, about two to three inches deep. Use shells, sea glass and pebbles to create gills, scales, tails and other features. Fill the mold with plaster, prepared according to package directions, and allow time to harden in the mold. Remove the cast sea creature and let it cure for a day. Create an assortment of sea creatures, including various fish, crabs, jellyfish, octopus and sharks.
Sea Life Diorama
Create a sea life diorama from a shoebox. Print out pictures from the Internet of sea creatures. Paint the inside of the box to look like the sea. Use pipe cleaners to make coral and seaweed and glitter for air bubbles. Hang the cutouts at different levels from the top of the box with thread. Make different dioramas for different areas of the sea. For example, create a diorama of the coral reef and one of creatures that live near the ocean floor. Alternatively, use plastic sea creatures available in craft and toy stores instead of the printouts.
