Whether you are headed to the beach this summer, creating an ocean life unit study, or learning about the letter J, this Jellyfish Craft is a super fun conversation starter.
I have never met a child that did not wonder about what lurks below the surface of the ocean. Learning about the ocean and marine life, especially as the weather warms up and we prepare to hit the beach, is a fun way to incorporate science lessons into your vacation. Your kids will never know it is a lesson or two.
Start with a book like Jellyfish (Nature’s Children) by Katie Marsico. It is full of fun facts and beautiful (and sometimes surprising) photos of jellyfish in their natural habitat. Then, make sure you download my free template to make your own jellyfish!
If you have a preschooler or kindergartener and are teaching him or her the alphabet, this paper jellyfish is great for J is for Jellyfish letter craft.
Let’s “dive in” and I will show you how to make one.
How to Make Simple Jellyfish Craft for Kids
Supplies:
- Free jellyfish craft template
- Colored construction paper
- Sharpie or black marker
- Pencil
- Scissors
Instructions:
1. Download and print out the jellyfish craft template. Cut out all the pieces and set the eyes aside.
2. Trace the template patterns on colored construction paper. You can choose all different colors for the pieces, or you can trace them on paper with different shades of the same color Cut out all the traced patterns.
3. Glue the two oral arms (the wider patterns) to the bottom side of the base cutout.
4. Glue the tentacles to the bottom side of the base cutout. I suggest alternating between the tentacles and the oral arms.
5. Match the top base cutout to the bottom base cutout around the top and sides. The bottom of the top base cutout should be smaller than the bottom base cutout so that you can see the tentacles and oral arms coming out from the bell of the jellyfish. Glue the top cutout in place.
Glue the eyes on the top base pattern. Then use a Sharpie or black marker to draw the mouth of the jellyfish.
6. If you have colored markers or Sharpies around that match the color palette of the jellyfish, you can draw a squiggly line down the middle of the oral arms.
Did you know that a group of jellyfish is called a smack? This is because if you get caught in a group of jellyfish, you would feel like you are getting smacked by someone’s hand! Jellyfish’s tentacles have stinging cells with mini needle-like stingers that will shoot out when triggered. The stingers are full of venom, which causes you pain.
You can use the jellyfish craft template provided to make a smack of jellyfish! Your child will love picking different colors for their jellyfish and putting them all together to form a huge smack.
I hope you and your kids enjoyed this jellyfish craft! To download the template, simply fill out the form below:
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