Easy Paper Weaving Seahorse Art Project for Kids

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Inspired by the ocean and perfect for summer! Kids can make this adorable seahorse art project with colored paper and bubble wrap. Perfect to do alongside Mr. Seahorse by Eric Carle.

Seahorses are fascinating, aren’t they? They are one of my favorite exhibits at the aquarium. I love watching them bob back and forth in the water.

If your kids are fascinated by seahorses, too, they’re going to love this brand new art project I’m sharing with you today.

Inspired by the ocean and perfect for summer! Kids can make this adorable seahorse art project with colored paper and bubble wrap.

Whether you’re looking for a fun craft to add to your ocean theme or your just looking for a new craft to try in general, this seahorse art project will be so cute on display this summer.

Seahorse Art for Kids

The best part about this art project is that it will really help your preschoolers build fine motor skills as they cut the paper strips and weave them to create the seahorse.

Let me show you how easy it is to make this seahorse.

What You’ll Need:

• Cardstock

• Glue stick

• Scissors – You can cut the strips by hand (or have your preschoolers do it), but a paper cutter REALLY helps.

• Template – (Free template available at the end of this post)

Part 1: Making the background

Paint a large piece of bubble wrap with shades of blue paint.

Turn the bubble wrap over and place onto white paper.

Press firmly all over the bubble wrap.

Pull up the bubble wrap.

Allow the paint to dry completely.

Instructions

Download the seahorse template and print out. You can find the template at the end of this post. Cut the template out. Trace the seahorse onto colored cardstock and cut out.

Cut a large white circle and a smaller black circle.

Inspired by the ocean and perfect for summer! Kids can make this adorable seahorse art project with colored paper and bubble wrap. Perfect to do alongside Mr. Seahorse by Eric Carle.

Fold the seahorse in half and cut slits into the middle of the seahorse. Leave at least a half of an inch all the way around to avoid tearing the paper.

Cut strips of colored cardstock. Try using bold prints or textured cardstock for added fun.

Weave the colored cardstock strips in and out of the seahorse. Secure the ends with a bit of glue.

Use scissors to cut off any excess paper hanging over the sides.

Glue the eye together and then glue them onto the fish.

Glue the back fins and side fin onto the seahorse.

Use a black marker to add a smile to the fish and detail to the side fin.

Glue the seahorse onto the bubble wrap print background.

Your seahorse is finished!

If you have teach preschool in a classroom setting, this is a wonderful classroom project. How cute would these look on your summer bulletin board?

Picture Books About Seahorses

Fill your book basket with a great collection of books about seahorses. Most of these books can be found at your local library or used bookstore.

If you have a hard time finding them, you can order them through my Amazon affiliate links by clicking the images below.

Sea Horses – Clinging below the ocean’s surface are small creatures with horse heads and monkey tails. Sea horses may have parts that look like other animals, but they are their own unique specimen.

Mister Seahorse – When Mrs. Seahorse lays her eggs, she does it on Mr. Seahorse’s belly! She knows he will take good care of them. While he swims waiting for the eggs to hatch, he meets other underwater fathers caring for their babies.

King Cecil the Sea Horse – When Sally and Nick need to learn about babysitting, the Cat in the Hat takes them to meet an expert: King Cecil the Sea Horse! That’s because when it comes to having babies, sea horses give birth in a very special way.

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