Octopuses are one of our favorite animals to see at the aquarium! They’re so mysterious and strange that we just can’t get enough of them. This octopus handprint craft is a fun ocean craft for kids that only requires a few supplies.

It’s great for making with preschoolers, kindergarten, and elementary kids and it comes with a free printable template. Download the template, then watch our quick video tutorial to see how we made this cute octopus craft.

handprint octopus image collage with the words handprint octopus in the middle

Octopus Craft

If you’ve been searching for the perfect art activity for your pre-k or kindergarten bulletin board, you’ll love these octopus handprints. Plus, they’re sure to be a hit with parents and grandparents visiting your class!

Supplies

Colored cardstock or construction paper
Scissors
Glue
Pencil
Dark purple marker
Octopus template (click the “click here to get your freebies” image at the end of the post)

Click here to see our favorite kids’ craft supplies.

Directions

Start by downloading and printing the template. Once the template is printed, gather the materials for this fun activity. Get those scissors ready, and let’s help the kids bring this octopus to life!

hand holding handprint octopus craft template

First, guide your child to trace your child’s left and right hand on a piece of colored cardstock, cut them out, and set them aside. Create the octopus head by gluing the eyes slightly above the mouth.

Next, glue the cheeks outside and below the eyes.

Click here to see why I recommend these craft supplies

Use a dark orange marker to draw spots on the top of the octopus’s head.

hand drawing spots on handprint octopus head

Now, help your child to take your child’s handprints and cut the thumb off of one of them.

hand cutting thumb off of orange handprint

Arrange the hands so the fingers are pointing down and slightly overlap them. You’ll want the hand without the thumb to be on top of the other hand. Glue the hands together.

hand gluing handprint together for handprint octopus

Glue the head to the palm section of the hands.

Use a dark orange marker to draw the suckers along the edge of the fingers.

hand drawing suckers on handprint octopus

Finally, encourage your child to slightly curling the ends of the fingertips. You can bend them around the end of your finger or a pencil.

hands curling handprint octopus tentacles up

Be sure to check out our Summer crafts while you’re here! Your kids will love creating more fun DIYs like this one!

Easy Paper Plate Crab Craft

Kids’ Ocean Books

As any parent knows, getting kids to sit still and focus can be a challenge. But if you want to start an ocean theme study with your little ones, reading aloud one of these great ocean-themed children’s books is a great way to capture their attention and get them excited about learning more about the ocean.

Plus, you’ll get to enjoy a few moments of peace and quiet while they’re engrossed in the story!

The Snail and the Whale– Julia Donaldson, author of the famous book The Gruffalo, brings kids another fun book about an unlikely set of friends. Snail and Whale have lots of fun together in this colorful book!

Shark Lady– This children’s book is based upon the true story of Eugenie Clark, aka, The Shark Lady. Learn about her love of sharks, her discoveries, and the inspiring message of going after what you want in life.

The Rainbow Fish -This is a classic children’s book with a wonderful message for children. In it, a fish learns to share his favorite possession, his glittery scales, with his friends!

Summer Kids’ Crafts

Paper Plate Pirate Craft – Argh, matey! This pirate craft is the perfect activity for a rainy day or a pirate-themed birthday party. It’s easy enough for even the littlest buccaneers to make, and it’s sure to be a hit with all the little scallywags.

Related: Ocean Dot To Dot Printables

Mermaid Paper Craft– This mermaid craft is perfect for kids who love sea creatures. It’s easy to make and only requires a few supplies that you probably already have around the house. Best of all, it’s a lot of fun to make!

Collage of ocean-themed kids’ crafts featuring pirate face paper plates, paper mermaids, shark headbands, and smiling jellyfish made from handprint cutouts.

Shark Headband Craft – Who knew that sharks could be so cute? This shark headband craft is perfect for kids to make from paper or color in with crayons.

Handprint Jellyfish Craft – On a hot day, the last thing kids want to do is be outside. But this jellyfish craft is the perfect solution! You can make these fun jellyfish in the a/c with just a few supplies, and no paint is needed. So if you’re looking for a fun and easy summer craft, this is the one for you!

Ocean Activities For Kids

If your kids are anything like mine, they are fascinated by sharks! So we’ve put together these free shark connect the dot printables for kids. These pages are not only fun, but they also help with counting, number recognition, and fine motor skills.

Try this Paper Plate Fish Craft

Looking for a fun way to help your kids practice their scissor skills? Check out these jellyfish cutting activity pages! They’re perfect for younger kids who are just learning how to use scissors, and they’ll have a blast cutting away.

Collage of ocean-themed kids' activity sheets including a connect-the-dots surfing shark, a cutting practice page with jellyfish, a shape matching seahorse game, and a dot-to-dot dolphin relaxing on a beach towel.

These ocean pattern block mats for kids are the perfect way to keep your little ones entertained this summer. Not only are they fun, but they’re also educational. Plus, the colorful design is sure to capture your child’s attention.

This engaging collection of ocean animals worksheets from Homeschool Preschool offers a variety of ocean-themed printables designed to enhance early math and literacy skills for preschoolers.

With activities focusing on counting, letter recognition, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor practice, it’s an educational way to introduce young learners to the wonders of the sea at home or in the classroom.

Octopus Paper Bag Puppet Craft

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!

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