It’s no wonder kids of all ages are fascinated with sharks – they’re mysterious, powerful, and just downright cool!
With our favorite shark crafts, you can bring the ocean to your home or classroom and teach your kids about these incredible creatures! Each craft is designed to be fun and simple, using easy-to-find materials and step-by-step instructions.
From making shark puppets (for singing along to Baby Shark, of course!) to creating a paper plate shark, these crafts are not only entertaining but also educational. Your kids will work their fine motor skills while cutting, gluing, and coloring their way to a sharktastic masterpiece.
They’ll also discover new ways to express their creativity, making each craft unique and special.
Choose some of these fun shark crafts to do at home, during a playdate, or over the summer! Then, once the crafts are complete, check out our other shark activities for even more shark-themed fun.
This paper shark is a fantastic craft for Shark Week or for Father's Day!
Daddy shark will love the cute shark with a personalized message from his kids. This paper craft is easy for a variety of ages.
Use this printable template to make some jaw-some shark headbands to wear during Shark Week or for a fun summer day.
The free shark template comes with full color or black and white versions that the kids can color in themselves.
Hammerhead sharks sure are interesting-looking creatures, aren't they? This cut and paste craft is easy enough for preschoolers and elementary kids.
The watercolor and salt ocean background offer an added element of creativity.
This recycled craft is made with old newspaper, cardboard, and glue. You can't get much simpler than that! However, we won't stop you if your kids want to add some googly eyes, glitter, or paint to their creations!
Adults may need to outline and cut the shark template for little kids, but older kids can draw their own sharks to cut out. Use this newspaper shark craft to promote imaginative play and recycling at the same time.
Get ready for a wave of fun with this shark name craft that will surely make a splash in your child's learning journey! It's not just about creating a sea-sational shark, but also a creative way for kids to learn to spell their names.
Here's another recycled shark craft made with a cereal box or cardboard to make shark-themed surfboards. Your messy little monsters will have so much fun painting, cutting, and personalizing their own surfboard shark!
They'd look great as decor in a beach-themed or ocean-themed kid's room.
These puppets are designed to go along with the Baby Shark song.
And if you have a kiddo who's obsessed with that little tune, you'll find any excuse to make it a little more interesting, especially when you sing it 20 times a day! Make this baby shark craft for your little shark lover and have fun singing and playing with these cute puppets.
Paper bag puppets are loads of fun to make and perfect for little hands play with. Try this paper bag shark on for size and see how much fun your little ones will have with such a simple craft.
Kids can put one on their hands and make it "swim" all around the house as they play.
Recycle those toilet paper rolls you've been saving to make a fearsome shark with wide-open jaws! Glue a craft stick to the side of the shark to turn it into a fun puppet.
These pool noodle sharks just scream summer, don't they? You could even toss them in the pool if you use all water-proof materials, like foam sheets instead of cardstock for the sharp teeth. Or why not use them during sensory play? The spongy texture of the pool noodles would make these sharks the perfect addition to a beach or ocean-themed sensory bin.
Using just a few simple materials, your kiddos can create their own paper plate shark craft! They'll love moving the shark around to "chomp" on anything in sight. This craft is perfect for imaginary play and dramatic storytelling!
This shark craft combines so many fun elements. Kids can twist green tissue paper to make seaweed, red paper to make coral, and glue some of their shells to the bottom.
From there, it's as easy as printing and assembling the paper shark to finish the craft.
Make a pair of shark binoculars to watch the waves on your next trip to the beach. What a fun pre-vacation craft for the kids!
His toothy grin is irresistible! This circle shark is adorable and easy peasy to put together.
Don't fret if you don't have wood circles. Old CDs or jar lids will work nicely for this craft, too.
Kids will find it so cool that their paper plate sharks rock back and forth. You can use this technique to make lots of rocking animal crafts! Plus, this easy shark craft is a great way to use up any leftover paper plates you've got hanging around.
These yarn-wrapped articulated sharks will be fun all summer long. The yarn wrapping gives little ones some much-needed fine motor practice.
The jaws can chomp and bite with ease thanks to using a brass fastener for articulation.
Get even more fine motor practice with this woven shark themed craft with a yarn center.
This is an easy craft for kids to practice their sewing skills, and you can even incorporate some color learning by using different shades of yarn. Once complete, have your kids play a color-matching shark game by finding objects that match their woven shark's colors!
Paper crafts are best when you don't have lots of supplies on hand, and they're easiest for crafting with a group of kids, too.
This simple paper shark makes a fantastic group craft in school or at summer camp.
This felt shark is fun to assemble. Use black or gray for the shark's body. If you don't have felt, construction paper or cardstock works just fine, too.
If you'd like for your child to put the shark together and take it apart repeatedly, just don't glue the pieces together. It would make a fun quiet time activity for the kids.
Paper plate crafts are frugal and FUN! This paper plate shark has big jaws and a toothy grin, but he doesn't look scary at all.
Kids will have a blast making his jaws chomp while playing with it.
Grab some clothespins and fire up the printer to make these hilariously fun shark clothespin puppets.
They're great for storytime, and pinching the clothespins to open them is a cool way to get in some fine motor practice.
Keeping cupcake liners in lots of different colors on hand is a terrific idea. Use them to make a cute little cupcake liner shark with the kids.
You can use small coffee filters if you're out of cupcake liners by painting one of them gray.
Here's another fun take on paper plate sharks. Don't you love the variety and how different each of them looks? This one will be quite easy for preschoolers and up.
Do you remember making cootie catchers as kids? So fun! But these won't predict your future; they'll just be lots of fun to play with during Shark Week. Add this shark cootie catcher to your list of fun crafts to do with your kids over summer - they'll love it!
Which one of these shark crafts is your favorite?
With so many choices, we’re sure you’ll find one your kids love!
More Easy Kids Activities
More Ocean Activities
Sam is the crafter and founder of Simple Everyday Mom. She has been featured in Oprah Mag, Good Housekeeping, The Spruce Crafts, Country Living, The Bump and more. Read more.