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, it’s also perfect for expressing creativity and following direction.

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

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 have the link sent to you)

Directions

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

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

Place the octopus head template on the paper plate, trace 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.

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.

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

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

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

More Ocean Ideas For Kids

We love borrowing books from the library or buying some to add to our home collection. Reading is a great way to introduce a new unit and as you know, has tremendous benefits! Below are some of the top rated ocean books for kids!

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!

• Jellyfish Craft – This is one of our most popular crafts, probably because it’s super cute and easy to make!
• Clownfish Craft For Preschool – Need a quick and simple craft for young kids? This one is perfect!
• Shark Headband Craft – If your kids love creating headband crafts, they’ll definitely want to make this kid-friendly shark headband!

This ocean sensory bin is great for when you want something done for you. If you prefer the DIY route, try out this frozen ocean sensory bin.

Another fun option is this ocean play dough set. It’s sparkly and comes with several cool fish!

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

Free Octopus Template