15 Easy Fish Crafts for Kids – Fin-tastic DIY Ideas

Oceans, coasts, and estuaries are home to diverse marine inhabitants. Understanding their life cycles, habits, habitats, and inter-relationships contributes to our understanding of Earth. They are craniate, aquatic and gill-bearing animals that do not have limbs with digits. Fishes come in various sizes, shapes, and colours that commonly fascinate children. Summer may be the perfect time to spend outdoors for learning about the natural world during the vacation. When they observe fishes swimming in the fish tank, aquarium, pond, or at the local pet store, they are sure to be amused and curious, watching them flexing their bodies and tail back and forth, gliding and relaxing their muscles effortlessly to create a magnificent sight.

In this article, we’ll explore a variety of children’s fish crafts that are both fun and educational. Using everyday materials like paper plates, tissue paper, and popsicle sticks, these simple fish craft help develop fine motor skills while bringing out every child’s inner artist.

DIY Fish Crafts for Children

Owning and caring for a pet fish offers kids an opportunity to cultivate positive attitudes toward wildlife and teach them about responsibility. However, when you need to take a break from the heat, these delightful fish crafts ideas can add colour to your classroom bulletin board or kid’s playroom.

1. Woven Fish Craft

This delightfully easy fish craft involves a weaving process that is great for building children’s fine motor skills.

What You Will Need

• Cardstock
• Black marker
• Scissors
• Cupcake liners
• Glue stick
• Paper cutter

Instructions

1. Download and print out the fish template.
2. Cut out the fins of the fish and trace the body onto coloured cardstock. Cut it out.
3. Fold the fish into half and cut strips with a paper cutter into the paper.
4. Leave about an inch of paper all around the sides so that the paper does not tear while weaving.
5. Fold the fish in half and cut strips into the paper.
6. Leave about an inch of paper all around the sides so that the paper does not tear while weaving.
7. Trace the fins that had been previously cut off the template onto the coloured cupcake liners and cut them out.
8. Stick the fins onto the back of the fish.
9. Add a smile and scale details to the large back fin with a black marker.

2. Fish Puppet Craft

Kids love puppets that they can watch during a story narration or use them for pretend play. This fish craft activity will help them to make one of their own.

What You Will Need

• Pen or pencil
• School glue
• Scissors,
• Googly eyes
• Coloured rhinestones
• Jumbo popsicle sticks – 1 per fish puppet
• Coloured cardstock

Instructions

1. Trace out your child’s hand on the paper and cut out the design with scissors.
2. Cut out heart-shaped lips from red cardstock paper and stick them near the handprint cut-outs’ palms.
3. Glue on the googly eyes of the fish.
4. Add the rhinestones, sequins, or glitter to decorate the fish.
5. Glue some pop sickle sticks on the back of the fish puppet cut-outs.
6. Set them aside to dry completely.
7. Instead of pop sickle sticks, you can also use the cut-outs for beach or aquarium art decorations.

3. Clown Fish Craft

This is an easy fish craft idea that children will love to try, and clownfish are colourful and attractive.

What You Will Need

• Paper (long legal-sized paper)
• Washable finger paints
• Paintbrushes
• Painter’s tape or masking tape
• Black marker
• Googly eyes

Instructions

1. Tape off stripes on your paper. (Make sure the tape is a bit longer than your paper as it allows you to create stripes while securing it to your table so that it doesn’t slide off)
2. Colour the entire paper with any bright colour paint so their stripes will really pop.
3. Leave it to dry. Carefully pull the tape off.
4. Turn the paper over and draw the outline of your clownfish on the back.
5. Cut the fish out with scissors.
6. Stick googly eyes and mouth of the fish with a black marker.

4. Rock Painting Fish Craft

Whether you have stones lying around the garden or your little one loves collecting rocks, get creative and turn them into pet fish that they can play with or gift to their friends.

What You Will Need

• Googly eyes
• White acrylic paint
• Chalk pens
• Coloured felt
• Mod podge all in one glue and sealer
• Stones

Instructions

1. Paint the stones in white and leave them to dry.
2. Make faces, scales, and tail design on them using chalk pens.
3. Varnish them with sealer and mod podge glue.
4. Cut out some triangles from felt paper and glue them on the fish to create its tails and fins.

5. Cupcake Liner Fish Craft

Cupcake liners are easy to find as kids never stop craving cupcakes. They come in an array of colours, patterns that make the perfect base for a fish craft or making an adorable ocean fish scene.

What You Will Need

• Blue sheet of cardstock paper
• Cupcake liner-standard or mini size
• Glue stick
• Black marker
• Blue crayon
• White paint/paper straw/ blue sequins/ white binder reinforcement labels (for the bubbles)
• Googly eyes

Instructions

1. Arrange the cupcake liners and fishtails on the blue background paper.
2. Cut out paper triangles for the tail. If you want a cupcake liner to be a tail, you can cut out one cupcake liner in half and one of those pieces in half again to be the back tail fin.
3. Cut a small amount off the other quarter piece of a cupcake liner and the triangle tip. Glue all the pieces together on the paper to make a fish.
4. Stick a googly eye for the fish and draw a mouth with a black marker.
5. Pour a small amount of white paint on a small paper plate or piece of paper. Dip the end of the paper straw into the white paint and blow out the bubble that covers the straw hole. Press the end of the straw onto the blue background. Repeat the process to cover the entire underwater scene.

6. Popsicle Stick Fish Craft

Use some of the used pop sickle sticks after relishing the favourite ice creams to make a delightful fish craft. By pre-cutting felt in a wide variety of colours can help toddlers to do this activity with ease. Sticking a magnet to the back turns this fish into a fridge magnet or instant party favour gift.

What You Will Need

• Jumbo craft sticks – 3 per fish
• Googly eyes – 1 per fish
• Glue gun
• Craft scissors
• Small pompoms
• Craft felt sheets

Instructions

1. Place three pop sickle sticks and arrange them together in the shape of a fish.
2. Set aside to let it dry completely.
3. Cut out triangular shapes of felt paper and place those within the craft stick frame to be the body of the fish.
4. Cut out the fish lips, fins, and tail from the felt paper.
5. Stick all the pieces together to the craft stick frame.
6. Glue the googly eyes.
7. Decorate the fish with glitter, pompoms, rhinestones, and buttons for the final touch.

7. Water Gun Painting Fish Craft

When painting with brushes get boring at times, try a new painting technique with a water gun that is budget-friendly and works on fine motor skills for preschoolers.

What You Will Need

• Water guns (or spray bottles)
• Water (a cup or two)
• Washable paint (or liquid watercolour)
• Cardstock,
• Painters tape
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Tape some cardstock up on a fence outside.
2. Fill water and washable paint into the water guns. (Shake it thoroughly so that it loosens easily inside the water gun)
3. Spray the water on the cardstock and watch how the colours drip down to create an artistic design.
4. Leave the paintings to dry.
5. Use a fish stencil to cut the paper into fish shapes.
6. You can even decorate the fish with embellishments.

8. Toilet Paper Roll Fish Crafts

Creative crafts with humble toilet paper rolls are simple to make yet yield great rewards. The kids will learn a valuable lesson about recycling while doing this activity.

What You Will Need 

• Toilet paper rolls/ paper towel rolls – cut in half
• Paint
• Glitter
• Dishes for the paint
• Paintbrushes
• Scissors
• Glue
• Googly eyes

Instructions

1. Putting the paint into containers and add glitter.
2. Paint the tubes.
3. When the tubes dry, push in the sides of one end of the tube to make a point for the fish’s mouth.
4. Squish the whole tube down to taper it downwards towards the tail.
5. Make two diagonal cuts at the end of the tube and in the middle.
6. Add glitter to add texture to the fish.
7. Stick the googly eyes with glue.

9. Pasta Fish Craft

As pasta comes in various shapes, it can be used in a versatile way and make impressive fish crafts.

Image Credit: Pinterest

What You Will Need 

• Acrylic paint
• Elbow macaroni pasta
• Cardboard (cereal box)
• Googly eyes
• Scissors
• Glue
• Wax paper or parchment paper

Instructions

1. Put some paint at the bottom of a sandwich bag.
2. Pour a handful of pasta into the bag. Seal it shut and squish the pasta around to coat them with paint. Pour them out onto a sheet of wax paper to dry completely. (Use fingers or paintbrush to separate out the pasta that’s stuck together).
3. Cut a fish shape out of the cardboard. (You can take a fish template as a pattern)
4. Paint it and let it dry.
5. Glue the googly eyes on the fish along with the pasta to make a fun combination of colours and designs.

10. Paper Plate Tropical Fish Craft

Paper plates are cheap, easy to obtain, and can be used as craft supplies for doing classroom projects related to ocean or sea life units or even these bright, cheery, and vibrant paper plate fish craft.

Image Credit: Pinterest

What You Will Need

• Paper plates – 8 miniature size
• Googly eyes – 4
• Acrylic paints
• Glue stick
• Craft glue
• Scissors
• Paintbrush

Instructions

1. Paint the paper plates in different colours. Leave them to dry.
2. Trace the patterns onto the other paper plates. Paint the pattern pieces with the appropriate colours.
3. Cut out the painted fish pieces following the pencil outline.
4. Cut out a small portion for the mouth.
5. Attach the fish pieces (tail, fins) to the appropriate plates with glue.
6. Add stripes or polka dots to decorate them
7. Glue the googly eye to the fish.

11. Handprint Fish

A personalised craft using your child’s handprint as the fish body.

Image Credit: Pinterest

What You Will Need

• Paint
• White paper
• Black marker
• Googly eyes

Instructions

1. Paint your child’s hand and press it on paper.
2. Let it dry and draw fins, scales, and a tail.
3. Add a googly eye to complete.

12. Bubble Wrap Fish

This textured fish craft uses bubble wrap for a unique painting effect.

Image Credit: Pinterest

What You Will Need

• Bubble wrap
• Paint
• White paper
• Fish template
• Scissors
• Glue

Instructions

1. Paint over bubble wrap and press the paper onto it to create a scaly texture.
2. Cut out a fish shape from the printed paper.
3. Glue onto a background and add fins, tail, and eyes.

13. Fingerprint Fish

A messy and fun activity for preschoolers that becomes a sweet keepsake.

Image Credit: Pinterest

What You Will Need

• Washable paints
• White paper
• Black marker

Instructions

1. Dip fingers in paint and press onto paper to form fish shapes.
2. Add details like eyes, fins, and bubbles with a marker.
3. Use multiple colours to create a vibrant underwater scene.

14. Spoon Fish

Plastic spoons make great 3D fish with just a bit of creativity.

Image Credit: Pinterest

What You Will Need

• Plastic spoons
• Paint
• Googly eyes
• Craft foam or paper
• Glue

Instructions

1. Paint the back of the spoon as the fish body.
2. Glue on foam fins and a tail.
3. Add a googly eye and draw a smile.

15. Balloon Fish

Make a bouncy, decorative fish using a balloon as the body.

Image Credit: Pinterest

What You Will Need

• Small balloon
• Paper or foam for fins
• Glue or tape
• Markers
• String (optional)

Instructions

1. Inflate a balloon.
2. Tape or glue on paper fins and tail.
3. Draw eyes and a mouth with a marker.
4. Hang with string to create floating fish decorations!

FAQs

1. What age group are these fish crafts suitable for?

These fish crafts are ideal for children aged 3 to 10. Most activities use simple materials and techniques, making them perfect for preschoolers and early elementary kids, with a few slightly more detailed options for older children.

2. How do I make these crafts eco-friendly?

Use recycled materials like old magazines, cardboard, scrap paper, or leftover yarn. Encourage kids to reuse items and talk about protecting oceans and fish habitats as part of the activity.

3. Can I use these crafts for sensory play?

Definitely! Crafts like yarn-wrapped fish or bubble wrap painting add texture and are great for sensory exploration. Letting kids feel and explore different materials can enhance the experience beyond just crafting.

With the proliferation of the internet, kids are largely indulged in electronic gadgets that are adversely affecting their behavioural patterns, social relationships, and academic performances. So, it is imperative to make them aware of the natural environment and sea life conservation. Despite the mess that it generates, fish crafts for toddlers can only be beneficial for kids in a creative and developmental sense. Moreover, creative hobbies help to nurture patience, perseverance, early maths, and creative problem-solving skills apart from reduces stress and boosting the self-confidence of kids. Crafting together with kids is one of the best ways to spend quality time with them that will create fond memories to cherish for a lifetime.

Also Read:

Bird Crafts for Children
Mask Making Ideas for Kids
Clothespin Crafts for Kids
Egg Carton Craft Ideas for Children

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