Animal Crafts for Kids 1: Rainbow Fish
Welcome to a new week here on DDoA! Last week, we saw some pretty artrageous ANIMAL ART. This week I bring you ANIMAL CRAFTS for KIDS.
Today we start by crafting a RAINBOW FISH. This project just requires scratch paper sheets, some strips of coloured paper and lots of scratching design ideas…
HOW TO MAKE A RAINBOW FISH
Materials:
- scratch paper sheet
- plastic scratching stylus, or inkless ball pen)
- fish body template (or you can do freehand)
- pencil
- scissors (please use appropriate size and sharpness for the age of your young participants/crafters)
- cardboard
- Glue Stick
- Colored Craft Paper (citrus green, yellow, red and sky blue)
- blue craft thread (or yarn)
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Make a fish body template (using your freehand drawing or a print-out of a fish body silhouette). Use the template to cut a fish body shape out of the scratch paper sheet.
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| An example of a SCRATCH PAPER SHEET PACK. This one is from DAISO and it includes 2 sheets and a little plastic scratching stylus. |
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| Step 1 |
2. Glue fish body to a piece of cardboard & cut.(depending on age of crafters–a grown-up might have to do this part)
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| Step 2 -Photo 1 |
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| Step 2 -Photo 2 |
3. Cut strips of the coloured paper and shape and glue into a tail. Then glue it on the back of the fish body.
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| Step 3 |
4. Make a fish mouth using the coloured paper and glue on.
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| Step 4 |
5. Cut and glue a green circle on eye area.
Glue a googly eye on top of that.
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| Step 5 |
6. Pierce a hole where you will hang loop.
(a grown up will have to do this part)
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| Step 6 |
7. Cut a 20 cm long blue thread (or yarn) and put it through the hole and make a knot at bottom and top ends of the loop.
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| Step 7 |
8. Using the plastic stylus provided in the paper pack (or an inkless ball pen), start scratching your design idea. I suggest going with a pattern, a repetition of a design. In my example, i use the wave pattern. I thought it’ll be nice because it mimics fish scales and also the water – the natural habitat of fishes. But kids can of course draw whatever they want…
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| Step 8 -Photo 1 |
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| Step 8 -Photo 2 |
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| Step 8 -Photo 3 |
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| Step 8 -Photo 4 “My Rainbow Fish” |
Note: If you have kids under 5, it might be better to do Steps 1 to 6 for them and just let them enjoy Step #7 – The scratching part. The other option is you can prepare the components that require some cutting and let the kids enjoy the gluing part. Anyway, just think about the procedure that will be most effective for the age and skills of your kids.
P.S. I apologize for the big scissors in the photo. I know I should have used a pair for kids since this is a crafting project for little folks.
And there you have it,
your very own Little Rainbow Fish!
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| Animal Crafts for Kids #1 “Rainbow Fish” on daily-dose-of-art.com |
Other activities to do before or after this crafting project:
1. Go to an aquarium in your city, review vocabulary/lessons about fish and other aquatic animals
2. Bring a pet fish to school and observe fish behaviour
The Rainbow Fish is an award-winning book about a beautiful fish who finds friendship and happiness when he learns to share. The book is best known for its morals about the value of being an individual and for the distinctive shiny foil scales of the Rainbow Fish.
or Watch this video below of the story
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Read by Ernest Borgnine
Brought to you by storylineonline
Click here for some more ideas for teaching ideas and resources on THE RAINBOW FISH.
Click here to learn how to teach philosophy to children using the Rainbow Fish book.
Click here to learn how to teach philosophy to children using the Rainbow Fish book.
A Fish Quote For Us Today:
“…I keep looking for one more teacher,
only to find that fish learn from the water and birds learn from the sky.”
only to find that fish learn from the water and birds learn from the sky.”
Facing the Lion, Being the Lion: Finding Inner Courage Where It Lives,(p.275)
Quote from goodreads
DAILY DOSE OF ART 
hi! how much is that scratch rainbow sheets and which Daiso branch can i buy those? Thanks!
Hello Chewy,
Thanks for visiting DDoA. A kit of 2 rainbow sheets and a little plastic scratching stylus costs $2 at Daiso. Most of their stores carry it, but you might have better luck at their Plaza Singapura outlet. Today I found a general merchandise store behind Bedok Mall that carries a pack of 5 sheets with wooden stylus for $1.50. If only I could remember the name of the store (i'll check it out next time i'm there and let you know). The paper is 20% smaller than Daiso's but still you get more sheets for less.
All the best with your rainbow project,
Paulina