It’s that time of year again: the kids are out of school, and parents everywhere are scrambling to come up with ways to keep them entertained.
The good news is that there are plenty of fun summer activities for kids. The bad news is that some kids may get bored if they don’t have something new to do every day.
That’s why we love this shark handprint craft. It’s a great way to keep kids entertained while also working on their fine motor skills. Plus, it’s sure to bring a smile to their face.
So if you’re looking for a fun summer activity for your kids, look no further than this easy craft. Trust us, they’ll love it!
Also, be sure to check out all of our shark activities for kids for more ideas.
Paper Shark Handprint
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Supplies
- Colored cardstock or construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Pencil
- Shark template (enter your email in the form at the end of this post to have the link sent to you)
Directions
Download the shark template, print, and cut out the pieces you need.
Begin to make the shark by gluing the belly to the bottom of the shark’s body.
Take the eyes and glue them above the mouth, on the body piece.
Next, take the side fin and glue it pointy side down near the bottom of the shark’s body.
Use a pencil to trace your child’s hand onto a piece of blue paper, then cut it out. Position the paper handprint at the end of the shark’s body and glue it down in place of the tail fin.
That’s it!
More Ocean Ideas For Kids
The ocean is a vast and fascinating place, filled with strange and wonderful creatures. A unit study is a great way to help kids learn important skills and ideas. By creating an ocean-themed unit study, kids can have fun while learning! Check out our favorite ideas below to keep the kids engaged.
Ocean Kids’ Books
When parents and teachers read aloud to kids, they open up a whole new world of possibilities! Not only does reading aloud help to develop language skills, but it also helps kids to learn about different topics and to build imagination.
On top of that, it can help kids learn to focus and think in creative ways. For these reasons and more, we suggest starting with books! Try one of these 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!
Ocean Crafts For Kids
Crafting with kids is not only a great way to spend some quality time together, but it’s also a terrific way to help them develop important scissor skills and boost their creativity! Try adding in some more of these fun ocean crafts for kids:
Handprint Jellyfish Craft – The summer is a great time for kids to get creative and have some fun with arts and crafts. One simple activity that’s great for young kids is making a jellyfish from paper. These jellyfish are perfect for summertime decorating or for giving as a gift to grandparents. With a little creativity, your kids will have a blast making these charming creatures.
Shark Headband Craft – Sharks are one of the most popular creatures in the animal kingdom, and kids love to learn about them. One fun way to teach kids about sharks is to have them make this shark craft. This craft is simple and only requires a few supplies to create.
Paper Plate Octopus Craft – What could be more fun for a kid than turning a plain old paper plate into a work of art? This octopus craft is perfect for little ones who love to paint, cut, and glue. Plus, it’s a great way to teach them about ocean life.
Ocean Activities
These ocean animal printable preschool worksheets are educational and engaging, and they’re also a great way to help little ones develop their fine motor skills, learn about patterns, and become familiar with letter recognition. Just print them out and let the educational fun begin!
Preschool and kindergarten kids will have a blast exploring shapes and ocean scenes with these ocean pattern block mats! This hands-on STEM activity is the perfect way to help little ones develop fine motor skills and learn about shapes.
Looking for a fun and educational activity that’s no prep? These color by number fish printables are perfect! Kids will love coloring the cute fish, and they’ll learn valuable number recognition and fine motor skills at the same time. Plus, these printables make a great last-minute activity – just print and go!
Fun Shark Goodies
These silly shark socks are the perfect way to show your love of sharks – and have a little bit of fun too! The socks feature a big shark head on the front, with its mouth open wide and ready to take a bite out of your foot. Of course, it’s all in good fun – and you’ll be sure to get a few laughs whenever you wear these socks.
Shark lovers rejoice! This fun shark head bath bomb comes in the shape of a great white shark, and it even has a little surprise toy shark inside. Just drop it in the tub and watch as it fizzes and froths, bringing a touch of the ocean to your bathtime routine. The best part is that when you’re finished bathing, you get to keep the toy shark as a souvenir!
This ocean play dough kit is a great screen-free activity for kids who love the ocean and sharks. The kit comes with everything you need to keep the kids busy, including play dough and lots of fun trinkets. Kids will love using their senses to explore the texture and smell of the playdough!
Share With Us
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!
Shark Handprint Craft For Kids
Summertime is the perfect time to get crafty with your kids and explore all sorts of ocean-themed crafts. One of our favorites is this simple shark handprint craft. It's a great way to work on fine motor skills, and it's sure to bring a smile to your child's face.
Materials
- Colored cardstock or construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Pencil
- Shark template
Instructions
- Download the shark template, print, and cut out the pieces you need.
- Begin to make the shark by gluing the belly to the bottom of the shark's body.
- Take the eyes and glue them above the mouth, on the body piece.
- Next, take the side fin and glue it pointy side down near the bottom of the shark's body.
- Use a pencil to trace your child's hand onto a piece of blue paper, then cut it out. Position the paper handprint at the end of the shark's body and glue it down in place of the tail fin.
Shark Handprint Template
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.
zulema
Monday 29th of July 2024
can't wait to use this activity for class.
Sam
Monday 29th of July 2024
Yay! Have fun!
Linda Primmer
Sunday 21st of July 2024
These are so adorable. So fun for the kids. I am pleased to feature your shark handprint craft at Love Your Creativity.
Sam
Monday 22nd of July 2024
Thank you, Linda! I appreciate that!
Lisa | Handmade in Israel
Monday 15th of July 2024
How fun! They are delightful. Visiting via the Sew Can Do linkup.
Sam
Monday 15th of July 2024
Thanks, Lisa!!!
Lynn
Monday 31st of July 2023
I would love a template of the shark handprint craft- thank you!
Sam
Monday 31st of July 2023
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.
Kandace Phillips
Tuesday 11th of July 2023
Hi! I'm having problems viewing the free templates. I signed up for the blog. Not sure what else I needed to do.
Sam
Tuesday 11th of July 2023
Sorry about that! 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 🙂