9 Coral Reef Craft For Kids

We’re big fans of crafts here at The Crafty Moms, and we especially love them when they have an educational component.

And with summertime just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to teach your kids about coral reefs and ocean life. Coral reefs are a beautiful and important part of our planet’s ecosystem, so let’s get started!

Here are nine fun projects for little ones that will help them learn about the ocean and its inhabitants. Happy crafting!

Jellyfish

Making a jellyfish is a pretty fun activity that can be done with just a few supplies. You will need.

A bowl or cup (the size of your choice) to make the shape of your jellyfish
Plastic spoons for tentacles
Colored paper, construction paper or even tissue paper for the body of your jellyfish

Once you have gathered all of your materials, it’s time to make some jellyfishes!

Sea Turtle

Use a paper plate to create the turtle’s shell.

Use a marker to draw the turtle’s body.
Use a sponge to create a shell for the turtle.
Draw on two circles for eyes with markers or crayons, then use spoons as handles to draw them in place on the paper plate “shell” you created earlier.
Using a straw, draw lines down your sea turtle’s face and make his mouth with another one of those same spoons used to form its eyes (the nose should also be made using this same spoon).

Paper Plate Fish

This craft is easy and cute.

You will need

a paper plate (any color)

colored paper or construction paper of your choice to decorate the plate (optional)
masking tape or glue to hold the eyes and fins in place.

Rainbow Fish

To make a rainbow fish, you will need 6 paper plates.

Cut each plate into fish shapes and then decorate them with glue. For fins, cut out triangles from construction paper and glue them onto the bottom of your fish.

Then cut a tail out of blue construction paper and glue it on top of your yellowfin!

Sea Creature Stamps

Use a sponge to stamp the animal shapes on the paper
Use a paintbrush to spread the paint around

Under Sea Sensory Bin

Use a plastic bin. You can use any plastic bin for this craft, but we recommend using a large one if you’re doing it with multiple kids. It’s also fun to use different containers for each kid, so they can have their own personal space under the sea.

Fill the bin with water, sand, and sea creatures. Add a few drops of food coloring to give your sensory bin that bright ocean look!

Add toys. Add some small stones or shells in there too—they make good homes for your sea creatures while they swim around in their new habitat! If you want to get really fancy (and have older children), you could even craft some homemade seahorse puppets out of construction paper or pipe cleaners

Sponge Painting Coral Reef

Sponges are an easy way to paint. They’re cheap, they don’t make a mess, and they come in a variety of colors. If you want to create your own DIY coral reef craft, this is the way to go!

For this project, you will need

sponges in various shades of blue (or whatever color you would like)

Clothespin Coral Reef Craft Project

What you will need
6 clothespins (or more)
pipe cleaners or wire hangers, cut into pieces of varying lengths
paint and paintbrush(es) (if you’re going to decorate them)
How to make it.

Lay clothespins out flat, then twist the pipe cleaners around each one. If you don’t have any pipe cleaners or wire hangers, look for something else that is bendable and could be twisted around the clothespins.

These can be made by twisting two thin sticks together or by simply twisting a single stick so that it forms something similar to a spiral shape. Once all your “coral” has been added as desired, stand up your reef!

If there aren’t enough clothespins for everyone in your group/class/family/etc., consider using other things like an old sock filled with rocks instead! It’s much easier than trying to use real corals which would definitely require a lot more care than this project does!

Summertime Ocean-Themed Craft Ideas for Preschoolers

Crafts that can be done with minimal supervision, easy cleanup, and in short amounts of time are ideal during the summer months.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Homemade Sand Castle Kit
Picture Book with Ocean-Themed Nursery Rhymes for Kids
Coral Reef Craft for Kids (How to Get an Undersea Adventure in Your Living Room)

Kids Will Have Fun Making These Crafts With You!

You can make this coral reef craft with your kids, class, or friends.

You can also make this coral reef craft with your family.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed these crafts! They are some of my favorites. I know that your kids will love them too. I would love to see what other crafts you try out with your kids, so please feel free to share them on social media and let me know what you think about our coral reef craft ideas.