10 Delightful Jellyfish Crafts for Kids

Craft activities help kids think out of the box, and the marine life in our oceans educate and influence kids greatly. Doing jellyfish preschool crafts provides an insight into this unexplored part of our world while giving kids an opportunity to explore various textures can be a great fun and learning experience for them.

Creative Jellyfish Craft Ideas for Children

Jellyfish are marine animals with umbrella-shaped bells and trailing tentacles who swim freely across the sea and oceans or are anchored to the seabed by their stalks. With all kind of creatures that we know to inhabit the underwater world, this incredibly unique creature doesn’t actually have a brain, heart, bones or even eyes. Its mouth is found in the centre of its body. It has gone into space, can clone itself and don’t get entangled though they have super long tentacles. Jellyfish are commonly known as Medusa, the evil woman in Greek mythology who had offended the goddess Athena who had, in turn, changed her hair into snakes and made her look hideous. Low in calories and fat, rich in protein and collagen, some species of jellyfish are consumed as seafood and are used as an ingredient in various dishes. Edible jellyfish is harvested and consumed in several Asian countries as it is considered to be a delicacy. Hence, it is essential to educate children about the fascinating and unexplored sea world that may evoke a lifelong interest in marine life. Children are sometimes curious about jellyfish and how they move, and their beautiful colours. Apart from taking your kids for an outing to the nearest aquarium, a great way to familiarise them with jellyfish is by utilising craft time to teach them adorable jellyfish art and craft that would engage them productively. Whether summer holidays are around the corner or kids are stuck at home due to the weather, it is time to try out some of the easiest DIY jellyfish craft ideas that don’t require any special skills, tools, or even time to make.

1. Paper Plate Jellyfish Craft

This paper plate jellyfish craft is sure to get your child jump with joy after completion as it can be used for pretend play, or it can be hung up for display.

What You Will Need

• Paper plate
• Scissors
• Paint brush
• Coloured yarns
• Elmar’s tacky glue
• Piece of cardboard
• Googly eyes
• Blue and pink paint
• Jumbo craft sticks with adhesive
• Craft knife (Used under adult supervision)

Instructions

• Draw the jellyfish shape on the cardboard. Cut it out. Paint it with pink paint or any other colour of your choice. Set it aside to dry.
• Paint the top of the paper plate and a jumbo adhesive craft stick in blue colour. Leave them to dry. (You can use a regular craft stick too)
• Cut a slit in the paper plate about 2/3 down the plate for the jellyfish.
• Cut several strands of colourful yarn. Turn the body of the jellyfish and put some glue on the back. Stick the yarn on the tacky glue as tentacles for the jellyfish.
• Place the jellyfish inside the slit on your paper plate. Hold the stick from behind the paper plate while stabilizing the paper plate with another hand. As you move the craft stick, the jellyfish will move as it does in water.

2. Jelly Fish Salt Painting Activity

Salt painting can be a wonderful way to create colourful and artistic ocean art. Kids of all age groups enjoy watching the watercolours run along on the salt as they paint!

What You Will Need

• Elmar’s washable school glue
• Salt
• Cardstock paper
• Paintbrush/Medicine dropper/Pipette
• Food colouring mixed with water or liquid watercolours

Instructions

• Squeeze the glue on the cardstock paper to make the outline of the jellyfish. Then, fill in the jellyfish with glue.
• Sprinkle salt on the design. Shake to dust off the excess salt.
• You can use neon colour food colouring and add a few drops to a cup of water to make paint or use regular watercolours.
• Take some paint with the paintbrush and gently touch the salt-covered glue lines. The colours spread out on their own throughout the design.
• Once you’ve finished painting, leave it to dry for a day or two.

3. Cupcake Liner Jellyfish Craft

Cupcake liners can be easily found around the house. Their pretty patterns and gorgeous colours make them ideal for this jellyfish craft. Easy to cut, stick and fold, cupcake liners are perfect for young kids who begin their crafting journey.

What You Will Need

• 1 or 2 cupcake liners
• Scissors
• String
• Ribbons or Tissue paper
• Glue and Duct tape
• Googly eyes, eye stickers or black Marker

Instructions

• Cut strips of tissue paper or ribbons into equal lengths.
• Glue the strips of paper on the inside of the cupcake liner.
• Flip it over and stick the string on the bottom of the cupcake liner or on top of the umbrella with the duct tape.
• Adding the googly eyes on its side.
• Hang the jellyfish with the string.

4. Hanging Jellyfish Craft

Kids love to paint anything using spray paint. Though it can get messy, it is a fantastic way to build the muscles of their hands for writing. This craft involves this simple tool to create beautiful jellyfish crafts that can be hung up for display in the classroom or at home.

What You Will Need

• Tissue paper
• White glue
• Coffee filter
• Watercolours
• Plastic lids/bowls
• Stapler
• Fishing line

Instructions

• Cut the coffee filters into strips. You can use the parts with the folds.
• Turn the lids upside down to resemble a bowl.
• Cut the tissue paper into squares.
• Squirt or put glue on the inside of the plastic lid with a brush.
• Paste the tissue paper squares on top of the glue.
• Press them well and leave them to dry.
• Put long strips of paper in a plastic container with sides.
• Fill a spray bottle with watercolour using any colour of your choice.
• Spray it on tissue paper.
• Remove the strips from the container and set them on a tray to dry. (Crumpled up tissue paper produce a better effect).
• Staple the tentacles around the rim of the plastic lid.
• Poke a hole in the top to tie a clear fishing line and hang them from the ceiling.

5. Glow in the Dark Jellyfish Craft

The glowing colours and movements of this jellyfish craft are sure to cheer up your kids apart from teaching them about recycling. Younger kids will have a blast making patterns and sorting the beads that represent the tentacles of the jellyfish.

What You Will Need

• Empty and clean yoghurt cup
• Newspaper
• Mod Podge
• Tape
• Scissors
• Glow-in-the-dark paint
• Wiggly eyes
• Threading/lacing cord
• Paintbrush
• Glow-in-the-dark beads

Instructions

• Cut the newspaper into strips.
• Flip the yoghurt cup upside-down. Paint the inside with Mod Podge or watered down glue.
• Paste the newspaper strips on top and add more glue over the top. Repeat until the exterior wall is covered up. Leave it to dry.
• Lace beads through the cord to make the jellyfish legs.
• Leave about an inch near the top of the cup for taping the cord.
• Paint the beads using glow-in-the-dark paints. Let them dry.
• Flip the cup right-side up and tape the ends of the jellyfish tentacles to the inside.
• Glue on the wiggly eyes on its exterior surface.
• It is ready to glow in the dark.

6. Jellyfish Wind Chime

The sound of a wind chime has a calming effect on kids. Help them to make one of their own by doing this craft together. It can be a perfect addition to an ocean theme party or just an addition to your kid’s room décor.

What You Will Need

• Multi-coloured paper clips
• Jingle bells (Optional)
• Google eyes
• String or plastic cord
• Plastic cups
• Small screwdriver

Instructions

• Join the paper clips to make chains. You can make patterns or use individual colours for each tentacle.
• Poke holes around the top edge of the plastic cup using a sharp tool or screwdriver.
• Attach each paper clip chain to the cup through the little holes.
• Hang a bell on the bottom of each paper clip chain.
• Paste the googly eyes on top of the cup.
• Tie a string through the hole at the bottom of the cup and make a knot to hang it.

7. Handprint Jellyfish Art

This amazing jellyfish can look stunning while making a great summer handprint keepsake.

What You Will Need

• Multicolour cupcake liners
• Glue
• Scissors
• Multicolour construction paper
• Pencil
• Googly eyes

Instructions

• Trace your child’s hand on a sheet of construction paper using a pencil. Cut it out.
• Flatten a cupcake liner and cut it in half.
• Round of the base of the hand cutout and stick the semi-circular cupckae liner on top to make the jellyfish’s body.
• Stick the googly eyes on the cupcake liner using glue.

8. CD and Ribbon Jellyfish Craft

A perfect boredom buster, this craft is ideal for a school activity, an ocean-themed birthday party, or even a weekend fun. Using old CDs at home teaches kids about upcycling.

What You Will Need

• Ribbon
• CD
• Curly ribbon
• Large wiggly eyes
• Black permanent marker
• Glue
• Sponge brush
• Tissue paper squares

Instructions

• Use a brush to spread glue on the back of the CD.
• Paste the tissue paper squares over the glue, wrapping them over the sides. Allow it to dry.
• Paste two medium-sized wiggly eyes to the CD. Use the black permanent marker to draw a smile for the jellyfish.
• Tape the ribbon to the back of the jellyfish using glue.
• Make a loop on top of the CD with a strip of ribbon for the jellyfish to hang.

9. Paper Bag Jellyfish Craft

Doing this jellyfish craft helps kids recognise line, colour, hue, form, and shape, which improves their motor skills and nurtures their creativity.

What You Will Need

• Glue stick
• Craft paint
• Markers
• Patterned scissors
• Brown paper lunch sacks
• White mini cupcake liners
• Foam paint brush
• Double-sided tape

Instructions

• Paint the front of the lunch sacks with a mix of colours and let them dry.
• Cut the opening of the bag into fringe looking strips using your patterned scissors.
• Stop when you reach about ¾ of the bag.
• Stick or tape two mini cupcake liners on the top of the bag.
• Draw a black dot inside for the eyes.

10. Jellyfish Rockstone Painting

Stone painting is a hobby that’s fast catching up with kids of all ages. They are easily available, cheap, and used to create mantelpiece decoration, paperweight, or for gifting purpose.

What You Will Need

• Smooth and fairly flat stone
• Sketch pen
• Lead pencil
• Paint tray

Instructions

• Make a sketch of the jellyfish on a sketch pad. Draw the image on the rock with a pencil.
• Paint over the pencil outline and colour the jellyfish eyes with a white posca pen.
• Paint the jellyfish head and the tentacles with a purple posca pen, while its main body can be painted with a blue paint pen.
• Draw the black eyes, spots on the face, and add small gold details to the tentacles of the jellyfish using the black posca pen. Finally, outline the image.

Sea creatures symbolise strength and resilience as they have to deal with the different sea currents and survive the dangers lurking in the depths. Hence, it is imperative to teach kids about them through craft activities that work wonders for their all-round development. Crafting eases stress in kids, increases happiness quotient, builds cognitive skills, boosts self-esteem, encourages self-expression, promotes innovation, and helps them make new friends. Jellyfish craft for toddlers improves their concentration, problem-solving, and critical thinking for better academic performance at a later stage. Creative activities are a great way to spend quality time with your children and create lasting memories. Who knows, they might even lead the way for marine conservation and exploration in the future.

Also Read:

Ocean Crafts for Children
Spring Crafts for Toddlers, Preschoolers and Children
Creative Paper Craft Ideas for Children