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Paper Plate Octopus Craft For Kids [Free Template]

One of the most magical creatures in the ocean has to be the octopus!

They’re amazing ability to camouflage, squeeze through tiny holes, and unique appearance make it one of kids’ favorite ocean animals. This paper plate octopus craft is great for little octopus fans!

Not only will this craft engage those little minds, but it’s also perfect for expressing creativity and following directions. Check out our quick video below to see how to create this craft, then download the free printable template.

If you need more ideas, look at all of our ocean crafts for kids.

Octopus Paper Plate Craft

paper plate octopus craft image collage with the words paper plate octopus in the middle

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Supplies

  • Paper Plate
  • Colored cardstock or construction paper
  • Paint (we used orange and blue)
  • Paintbrush
  • Pencil
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • Black marker
  • Octopus template (enter your email in the form at the end of this post to get the template)

Directions

Download the octopus template, print, and cut out the pieces you need.

hand holding paper plate octopus template

Paint a paper plate with 1-2 thin coats of paint. Let it dry before moving on.

hand painting paper plate blue

Place the octopus head template on the paper plate, trace it with a pencil, and cut it out.

Position the eyes in the middle of the head, one on each side of the head, and glue them in place.

hand gluing eyes onto paper plate octopus craft

Use the black marker to draw on the mouth and eyebrows. Next, use a marker (in a couple shades darker than the paint you used) to draw spots on the top of the octopus’s head.

hand drawing spots on top of paper plate octopus head

Take the tentacles and wrap each one around your fingers or a marker to get them to curl. We wrapped the outside tentacles tightly and the middle tentacles loosely.

hand wrapping tentacle paper around marker

Place the 8 tentacles around the bottom of the octopus head and glue them in place.

hand gluing tentacles onto paper plate octopus craft

That’s it! This is one fun ocean animal craft the kids are sure to enjoy!

hand holding octopus paper plate craft

Ocean Camp Ideas For Kids

Let’s deep dive into more fun! Whether you’re looking for engaging activities for kids at camp or want to bring the ocean fun home, we’ve got you covered.

Here are some ocean-themed camp ideas to explore!

Under The Sea Children’s Books

Reading books with your kids isn’t just a fun bonding activity; it’s also a great way to contribute to their development. Children who are exposed to books early on are more likely to become proficient readers themselves. But that’s only the beginning. Reading also enhances vocabulary, improves memory and cognitive function, and boosts creativity.

Books can expose kids to different cultures, perspectives, and experiences that they wouldn’t otherwise encounter. Plus, sharing stories with your children sets the foundation for a lifelong love of learning and literacy!

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!

2 paper plate octopus crafts

Ocean Creatures Crafts For Kids

Jellyfish Craft – Create a magical jellyfish with just paper, glue, and our printable template! This easy jellyfish craft is perfect for little hands. Have your kids choose their favorite colors to create cute, colorful jellyfish. Once finished, hang them up to create a swimmingly fun ocean scene!

Clownfish Craft For Preschool – This craft couldn’t be any easier, but it’s still a ton of fun. Kids can work on their cutting and pasting skills and create something to be proud of. This clownfish craft is perfect for a rainy day camp activity or a fun craft to do at home.

ocean craft ideas image collage

Shark Headband Craft – Do your kids love sharks? Well, you have to check out this craft! Kids can decorate and customize our printable headband template to transform into a snappy shark. If they don’t feel like coloring, we have a pre-colored version they can use instead!

Paper Chain Octopus Craft – Paper chains are a classic craft for kids. They’re great for development as they must connect each piece using hand-eye coordination, critical thinking, and fine motor skills. But why make plain paper chains when you can make a cool octopus instead?!

Ocean Activities For Children

These shark worksheets are a great addition to any ocean unit. Kids can practice handwriting, letter recognition, and more with these fun activities. Download our free printable worksheets and let the underwater learning begin. 

hand holding octopus paper plate craft

Kids love a good coloring activity, and our jellyfish dot to dots are no exception! This activity lets kids work on their numeracy skills while completing each jellyfish image. Once complete, your little ones can hang them up around the house or classroom to show off their work!

Our ocean animal worksheets are perfect for preschoolers! A complete collection of entertaining learning activities, this set of worksheets has something for everyone. Each activity has kids develop their memory, fine motor skills, and problem-solving capabilities in a fun way. 

Bring some extra fun to the learning day with these A House for Hermit Crab printables. From crafting to practicing phonics, these printables offer many educational opportunities! Print these activities out, and your kids can learn something new in the theme of their favorite ocean storybook.

ocean activities ideas collage

Share With Us

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

For a chance to have your child’s craft 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!

More Ocean Fun For Kids

2 paper plate octopus crafts

Paper Plate Octopus Craft For Kids

Prep Time: 8 minutes
Active Time: 15 minutes
Drying Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 33 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

This paper plate octopus is a fun summer craft for kids to make!

Materials

  • Paper Plate
  • Colored cardstock or construction paper
  • Paint (we used orange and blue)
  • Paintbrush
  • Pencil
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • Black marker
  • Octopus template

Instructions

  1. Download the octopus template, print, and cut out the pieces you need. hand holding paper plate octopus template
  2. Paint a paper plate in 1-2 thin coats of paint. Let it dry before moving on. hand painting paper plate blue
  3. Place the octopus head template on the paper plate, trace with a pencil, and cut it out.hand gluing tentacles onto paper plate octopus craft
  4. Position the eyes in the middle of the head, one on each side of the head, and glue them in place.
  5. Use the black marker to draw on the mouth and eyebrows. Next, use a marker (in a couple shades darker than the paint you used) to draw spots on the top of the octopus's head.
  6. Take the tentacles and wrap each one around your fingers or a marker to get them to curl. We wrapped the outside tentacles tightly and the middle tentacles loosely.
  7. Place the 8 tentacles around the bottom of the octopus head and glue them in place.hand holding octopus paper plate craft

Did you make this craft?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Free Octopus Template

Octopus Template 

Enter your email address below to download your free printable and join the email list. 

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Merari Morales

Wednesday 20th of March 2024

Would love to have the template!

Sam

Friday 22nd of March 2024

Of course! All you need to do is enter your email in the form at the end of this post to have the link sent to you. Once you've been confirmed as an email subscriber (by clicking the link in the first email), you simply enter your email in any of the forms and it'll automatically redirect you to the download page.

Robyn

Friday 23rd of February 2024

Would love the free octopus template! Thank you!

Sam

Monday 26th of February 2024

Of course! All you need to do is enter your email in the form at the end of this post to have the link sent to you. Once you've been confirmed as an email subscriber (by clicking the link in the first email), you simply enter your email in any of the forms and it'll automatically redirect you to the download page.

Sharon Seidel

Monday 19th of February 2024

Can I have the template please?

Sam

Tuesday 20th of February 2024

Of course! All you need to do is enter your email in the form at the end of this post to have the link sent to you. Once you've been confirmed as an email subscriber (by clicking the link in the first email), you simply enter your email in any of the forms and it'll automatically redirect you to the download page.

Scott Hopper

Friday 9th of February 2024

Could i please have the template

Sam

Monday 12th of February 2024

Since you’re already an email subscriber, all you need to do is enter your email in the form at the end of any post and it’ll automatically redirect you to the download page ◡̈

mae

Sunday 28th of January 2024

can i have the template

Sam

Monday 29th of January 2024

Of course! All you need to do is enter your email in the form at the end of this post to have the link sent to you. Once you've been confirmed as an email subscriber (by clicking the link in the first email), you simply enter your email in any of the forms and it'll automatically redirect you to the download page.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

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