Shark crafts are perfect for celebrating shark week! Here are 25 craft ideas for kids who love sharks!
Shark Crafts For Kids
Do your kids just love learning about sharks and the ocean?
If so, then this blog post is for you. We all know that kids love crafts and activities, but what about when they are themed after their favorite animals.
Children are fascinated by sharks because of their size, power, sharp teeth and their status as the ultimate predators in the ocean. Sharks are also pretty amazing creatures because some of them can live in both salt and fresh water and their bodies adapt to survive even the most extreme of environments.
As a result, many kids like to learn more about these animals or pretend they’re one of them. So, we’ve gathered some shark crafts and activities that provide a host of different creative and learning opportunities for kids.
This blog post shares 25 different shark crafts and activities perfect for any child who loves sharks! The projects are easy enough for even young kids but will also provide hours of screen free entertainment for older ones as well.
See Also: Mixed media giraffe craft for kids
25 Shark Crafts For Kids
#1 Clothespin Shark Craft
The swimming shark is cute and fun, but definitely not scary. Your kids will have a blast pretending to chase the little fish with this toy! You’ll need the following supplies: wooden clothes pins, cardstock in a variety of colors, googly eyes, scissors, glue, a glue gun and markers.(Tutorial available from Kix Cereal)
#2 Baby Shark Craft Template
This fun low mess Baby Shark paper plate craft is great for kids as young as 3. Have them transform a paper plate into a baby shark while singing their favorite shark song. After the finishing touches are complete, they can go on to create grandma, grandpa, daddy and mommy-sharks too! You’ll need the following craft supplies: paper plates, colored cardstock, safety scissors and glue. (Baby shark craft template from A Little Pinch of Perfect)
#3 Shark Craft For Preschool
Perfect for shark week this adorable swimming baby shark craft is quick and easy to make. Plan to have colored cardstock, watercolor paint, brad paper fasteners, scissors and a glue stick on hand to make this craft. (shark craft tutorial from Arty Crafty Kids)
#4 Paper Plate Shark Crafts
This simple paper plate shark craft only requires a few materials, making it an ideal Shark Week project or a last minute activity when you want to learn more about these magnificent ocean creatures. You’ll need paper plates, construction paper, googly eyes, non-toxic washable paint, scissors and glue! (paper plate craft idea from Made To Be A Momma)
#5 Paper Bag Puppet Shark Craft
Let kids creativity run wild with these simple paper bag puppet shark crafts. Kids will love pretending to chomp on all their friends with these fun puppets. You’ll need paper bags, construction paper, glue and scissors to make this fun shark craft. (shark puppet craft idea from Crafts On Sea)
#6 Popsicle Stick Shark Craft
Popsicle sticks are one of our favorite crafting materials because they are so versatile. This fun popsicle stick shark craft is a great choice for even the youngest crafters because it’s a simple design that will let their imagination shine. The color, pattern and fins on the shark are all up to your child – have them choose their favorite colors or mix it up. They’ll love making this popsicle stick shark craft for Shark Week! (shark craft tutorial from Our Kid Things)
#7 Free Printable Shark Craft Headband
If your child thinks that sharks are the coolest creatures in the ocean they are going to love making and wearing this neat shark headband. This easy craft is perfect for your child to wear during Shark Week or just for fun because they love learning about sharks. To make this craft you’ll need colored card stock, washable markers and scissors. (shark headband craft from Simple Everyday Mom)
#8 Footprint Shark Craft For Toddlers
Toddlers will have a lot of fun learning about sharks with this adorable and messy footprint shark craft project. To make their own footprint shark keepsake craft, your young artist will need to paint their feet and then stamp them on construction paper. Baby wipes are recommended for making cleanup quick and simple! (shark craft idea from Glued To My Crafts Blog)
#9 Toilet Paper Roll Shark Craft
Save your toilet paper rolls so you can create these paper roll shark binoculars. Let your youngsters go on a shark hunt to see if they can find any sharks swimming about. To make this fun shark craft you’re going to need toilet paper rolls, blue craft paint, string and beads! (shark craft idea from Pink Stripey Socks)
#10 Cupcake Liner Shark Craft
This adorable cupcake liner craft is one of our favorite shark crafts because it’s low mess and really fun to make. This quick and easy shark craft is a great compliment to reading a favorite shark book or watching a new show during Shark Week! Perfect for kids of all ages this simple kids craft is loads of fun! (shark craft idea from I Heart Crafty Things)
#11 Easy Printable Shark Puppets
Puppets are a great way to encourage kids to play pretend and get totally lost in imaginative play. These cute and easy shark puppets are a great way to stimulate kids to role play and engage in shark games. This neat baby shark free printable includes baby shark, mamma shark, daddy shark, grandma shark, grandpa shark and a little fish. (shark puppet printable from Pickle Bums)
#12 Printable Shark Hats
Shark hats are so cool. And, these free printable shark hat templates create neat toothy sharks with great big fins that kids are going to be so proud to wear. Print the shark template in dark blue, light blue or grey. If your children enjoy coloring, you can print this shark hat design in black and white for even more fun. (free printable shark hat template from Kids Craft Room)
#13 Shark Craft For Preschool Kids
This construction paper craft is one of our favorite Shark Crafts for kids in preschool and kindergarten. This low mess paper craft works on fine motor skills like cutting and gluing making it an especially great craft choice for younger crafters.(craft idea from Mama Of Minis)
#14 Paper Cup Shark Crafts
How cute are these paper cup baby shark crafts? Paper cups are painted light blue and then transformed into googly eyed sharks with wide toothy grins. To make these cute shark crafts anticipate needing paper cups, blue paint, googly eyes and construction paper. Glue is a must for sticking all the parts together! (shark craft idea from One Little Project)
#15 Newspaper Shark Craft
Newspaper shark crafts are ideal for instructors and educators since they utilize materials that are readily available and don’t cost a thing. Save old newspapers to create these adorable shark crafts with your class when you teach an ocean unit. This shark craft idea is also a great shark week activity for kids who love learning about sharks! (craft idea from I Heart Crafty Things)
#16 Egg Carton Shark Craft
Egg cartons can also be recycled to create adorable shark crafts in the classroom or at home. Egg cartons are stacked to create a shark body that’s then painted and accessorized with construction paper fins and googly eyes. (craft idea from Crafts by Ria)
#17 Shark Cootie Catcher
Cootie catchers are a nostalgic paper craft that provide a wonderful opportunity for children to practice their fine-motor skills, while having fun. They can also be a great way to teach your child about anything including sharks! This fun folded paper craft is great for kids starting at around 5 years old. You can also make this craft with younger kids but you might have to assist with folding since crispy folds are a must! (shark cootie catcher idea from Easy Peasy and Fun)
#18 Origami Shark For Kids
We love origami so we were so excited that you can even create origami sharks! This folded paper craft is best suited for older children who can follow and execute a relatively complex origami folding sequence. We suggest investing in some good quality origami squares to complete this craft. (tutorial from Hawaii Travel With Kids)
#19 Shark Coloring Pages
Coloring is a timeless craft activity that just about all children love! Here is a collection of free printable shark coloring pages that you can print and give to your child. These free printable shark coloring pages are perfect for Shark Week or for use at home and in the classroom. So, pull out your markers and colored pencils and start coloring. (free download available from Life Is Sweater By Design)
Click here to PIN these shark crafts to Pinterest.
#20 Shark Themed Sensory Play
Sensory play for children can mean a lot of different activities for kids. Everything from pouring and mixing to feeling, smelling and tasting is included when we talk about sensory play. This DIY sensory shark tank encourages children to feel and explore textures while they play with sharks. Ideal for younger kids, this shark activity is still loads of fun for older children. (idea from Left Brain Craft Brain)
#21 Shark Sensory Bottle
Sensory bottles are another low mess and easy way to encourage kids to engage in sensory play. This sensory bottle involves layering sand, water, blue food coloring, a plastic shark and blue gems in a bottle. Children can then watch as they shake, roll and twist their bottle. They’ll watch the different components move and shift in the bottle which engages their senses. (idea from Fun A Day)
#22 DIY Shark Slime
Kids love slime and this ocean themed shark slime is no exception. This ocean slime requires only 4 ingredients that create a super stretchy ocean slime that kids are going to love touching and stretching. (slime recipe from The Simple Parent)
#23 Lego Shark Crafts
If your child enjoys building with LEGO and loves sharks then this STEM shark activity is a must try. Pull out your basic LEGO and let the kids get started on creating one of the most loved animals that swims in the ocean. The kids will have loads of fun creating their own sharks and adding different body parts to it. The brilliant thing about this activity is all the possibilities for hours of STEM learning fun. You can encourage them to tell stories about how they think their LEGO shark would get around, what its home might look or even how it would get its food. (Idea from Little Bins Bricks)
#24 Shark Suncatcher Craft
Suncatcher shark crafts involve tearing and pasting small pieces of tissue paper to create a stained glass effect that catches sunlight when fixed to a glass window or door. This is one of those shark crafts for kids that children will proudly want to display for everyone to admire. To make this craft you’ll need a paper plate, tissue paper, cardstock, scissors and glue. (craft idea from One Simple Party)
#25 I Spy Sharks
I Spy games are one of our favorite screen free activities for kids. Here is a shark I Spy that you can print for free and use at home or in the classroom! Kids work on their visual tracking skills while they search for things within the play grid. This is one of those shark activities that’s loads of fun and educational too. (free printable from School Time Snippets)
Click here to PIN these shark crafts to Pinterest.