Kids love activities that connect art and imagination, and this handprint goldfish craft combines both. Children ages 3 to 6 can see their handprint become something new by transforming it into a cute goldfish swimming in a bag, like it’s coming home from the pet store.

The process takes about 20 minutes and supports fine motor skills, creativity, and early scissor practice while keeping kids engaged!

If this project made a splash in your classroom or home, be sure to explore even more of our handprint crafts for kids. Handprint projects are a fun way to capture memories while giving kids a chance to create art they can be proud of.

Collage of finished handprint goldfish bag crafts with blue water background and orange fish shapes for kids craft project

Pet Handprint Activity

This adorable goldfish activity turns a simple handprint into a pet fish kids will love. Little ones will enjoy tracing their hands, cutting them out, and watching their artwork come to life as a bright goldfish. It ties in beautifully with lessons about pets or animals while keeping kids entertained.

Creative thinking takes center stage during this preschool handprint art project. Children begin to see how everyday shapes can become something new, and they’ll build imagination and confidence. Cutting, gluing, and arranging pieces also strengthens fine motor control and hand-eye coordination through this fun paper handprint craft.

Grab a few simple supplies like cardstock or construction paper, scissors, glue, and markers to bring this little fishy together. Use our printable template and instructions below to make setup even easier and keep little hands focused.

Choose Your Template Option

Instant Access

Get your template right now — no ads, no scrolling!

Instant Access

Skip the wait—just $3

Free Version

Prefer the free version? Just keep reading—the freebie sign up image is at the end of this post!

Supplies

Colored cardstock or construction paper
Scissors
Glue
Markers
White paint pen or white Crayola Bold & Bright marker
Goldfish Template (click the “click here to get your freebies” image at the end of the post)

Directions

Start by printing the template, then gather the materials for this fun activity. Get those scissors ready, and let’s help the kids bring this goldfish to life!

Hands holding a printable goldfish craft template with fish body outline, eye, cheek, and bag top pieces on white paper

Take the top of bag piece and glue it onto the top of the bottom of bag piece. Line them up so the bag shape connects, then press down to secure.

Hands gluing the top of a blue paper goldfish bag craft piece to create the bag shape

Grab the water piece and glue it onto the bottom of bag. Line it up so it sits nicely inside the outline.

Hands holding a blue paper goldfish bag craft with water detail attached to the bottom piece

Look for the bag tie piece. Glue it around the narrow middle section where the top and bottom of the bag connect. This is the moment the craft really starts to look like a real goldfish bag.

Hands attaching a purple band to the top of the blue paper goldfish bag craft to secure the bag shape

Trace your child’s hand onto an orange paper and cut it out. Glue it onto the goldfish bag with the fingers pointing to the left. The fingers will become the fins, and the palm will be the fish’s face.

Hands placing an orange handprint cutout onto the blue paper goldfish bag craft to form the fish shape

Glue the eye onto the fish’s face on the palm of the handprint, placing it slightly toward the top right.

Hands placing a large eye sticker onto the orange handprint goldfish inside the paper bag craft

Grab the cheek piece and glue it just below the eye, slightly to the left.

Hands placing a pink cheek circle onto the orange handprint goldfish inside the paper bag craft

Now take a black marker and draw on the fish’s smile and eyebrow. Encourage your child to add their own style to make their fish unique.

Hands drawing details on the orange handprint goldfish inside the paper bag craft with a black marker

Use an orange marker to draw a few curved lines for scales and add any extra details you’d like.

Hands adding orange marker details to the handprint goldfish inside the paper bag craft

Finish the craft by using a white marker or paint pen to draw highlights and bubbles around the fish. Kids love this step because it makes the goldfish look like it is swimming in water.

Hands drawing white highlights and bubbles on the blue paper goldfish bag craft with a paint marker

There’s nothing better than seeing your child’s handprint turn into a cute little goldfish. It’s a fun mix of creativity and learning that keeps kids excited from start to finish.

Keep the excitement going by checking out the related crafts and activities below. They’re perfect for creating a full pet theme or adding more hands on fun to your day.

Hands holding a completed handprint goldfish craft inside a blue paper bag design with water details and bubbles

Pet Books for Children

Can I Be Your Dog? – This is the cutest storybook about a dog named Arfy who’s a homeless dog. Follow his journey to finding the right family to adopt him!

Strictly No Elephants – When a boy and his pet elephant are denied entrance to a special club, they set out to create their own all-inclusive pet club! This is a great story of being a true friend!

If You Give A Cat A Cupcake – Kids who love the classic If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, will love this cat version! See all the silly things this cat needs!

A completed craft showing two handprint goldfish inside blue paper bag designs with water details and bubbles

Pet Craft Ideas for Kids

Dog Toilet Paper Roll Craft – Let kids fetch some fun with this adorable dog made out of a toilet paper roll. Your little animal lovers will enjoy turning a simple cardboard tube into a wagging paper pup with the help of our free template. It’s a great way to spend time together or as a fun classroom activity.

Cat Paper Bag Puppet Craft – Pounce on the chance to have kids use their big imaginations! Kids will turn a simple paper bag into a whiskered kitty. Our free template will help them add details and once they’re finished, they’ll paws-itively enjoy storytelling and playing with their new puppet.

collage image of Pet Craft Ideas for Kids

Mouse Headband Craft – Your little ones will squeak with excitement when they wear their mouse headband. You can choose the craft version they can assemble or the color their own version for less steps. This tiny mouse will make imaginations scurry and fine motor skills improve

Turtle Handprint Craft – Kids will come out of their shells with this adorable handprint turtle. Little ones will love turning their handprint into a slow and steady turtle, and adding details with our free template. This fun activity encourages their creativity to crawl along and build fine motor skills while creating a keepsake worth holding onto.

Animal Learning Activities for Kids

Keep the kiddos busy and happy with these colorful pet pattern block mats. Kids will love building a dog, cat, fish, and more while strengthening fine motor skills and exploring shapes, counting, and patterns.

They’ll practice symmetry, color recognition, and early geometry without even realizing it. Learning feels like playtime as they create adorable animals like a turtle, parrot, and chameleon using bright, hands-on pieces.

collage image of Animal Learning Activities for Kids

These adorable hedgehog tracing worksheets will have kids guiding their pencils along twisty paths to build strong hand muscles and practice the letter Hh. This prickly pal makes learning fun and fine motor skills will grow with every line completed. Use these pages at home or in the classroom and watch kids’ confidence bloom. The bundle includes pages where kids will trace wavy and zigzag lines, complete a cute hedgehog drawing, and practice writing Hh for hedgehog.

A completed craft showing a handprint goldfish inside a blue paper bag design with colorful paper, glue sticks, and scissors nearby

Fetch some fun with these dog pattern block mats! Little pup lovers will enjoy building their favorite breeds by matching shapes and solving simple puzzles. These hands-on mats help strengthen problem solving and shape recognition with play.

Kids can choose from adorable designs like a bulldog, dalmatian, dachshund, and more, then piece together each pup using triangles, hexagons, trapezoids, and other shapes.

Let your little animal lovers bring their favorite pets to life with these fun pets coloring pages. There’s eighteen adorable designs to choose from so kids can explore colors, mix shades, and let their creativity run free. This playful activity keeps preschoolers happily engaged, building focus and concentration, and getting creative alongside their cuddly pet friends.

Did you make this activity with your kids or students? We’d love to feature them on our social media!

For a chance to have your child’s project featured, simply snap a picture of the completed project and post it to our Facebook page, email it to us directly by clicking here, or use #simpleeverydaymom on your social media!

Free Handprint Goldfish Template

Illustration of red-handled scissors next to the text "Click here to get your freebie" on a blue background, with a green button below that says "Grab it here."

A completed craft showing a handprint goldfish inside a blue paper bag design with glue sticks, scissors, and colorful paper on a wooden surface

No ratings yet