40 Creative Octopus Craft for Kids

Octopus Paper Plate Craft

This fun and simple craft is perfect for younger kids and uses a paper plate as the base for the octopus.

Materials Needed:

• Paper plate
• Paint or markers
• Scissors
• Googly eyes
• Glue

Steps:

1. Start by painting the paper plate in any color you like.
2. Once the plate is dry, cut the plate in half. Use one half for the octopus’s body.
3. Cut strips of paper or use pipe cleaners for the tentacles.
4. Attach the tentacles to the bottom of the plate with glue.
5. Glue on googly eyes to complete the octopus face.

Pipe Cleaner Octopus

This craft uses pipe cleaners to make a bendable, colorful octopus with fun, twisty tentacles.

Materials Needed:

• Pipe cleaners (in various colors)
• Googly eyes
• Glue

Steps:

1. Twist five or eight pipe cleaners together in the middle to form the body and head of the octopus.
2. Bend each of the pipe cleaners to form the tentacles, and curl the ends.
3. Glue on googly eyes to the top of the twisted pipe cleaners for the face.
4. Allow the glue to dry before playing with your new bendable octopus.

Egg Carton Octopus

This creative craft uses an old egg carton to form the body of the octopus and colorful decorations for the tentacles.

Materials Needed:

• Egg carton
• Scissors
• Paint or markers
• Googly eyes
• Pipe cleaners

Steps:

1. Cut out one of the sections of the egg carton to create the body of the octopus.
2. Paint or color the egg carton to make it look vibrant.
3. Attach pipe cleaners or strips of paper to the base of the carton for the octopus’s tentacles.
4. Glue on googly eyes to complete the octopus face.
5. Allow the craft to dry and admire your new octopus!

Paper Roll Octopus

This craft uses an empty toilet paper roll as the base for a creative octopus with wiggly tentacles.

Materials Needed:

• Toilet paper roll
• Paint or markers
• Scissors
• Googly eyes
• Glue

Steps:

1. Paint or color the toilet paper roll in a bright color for the octopus’s body.
2. Cut strips of paper or use pipe cleaners to create the octopus’s tentacles.
3. Attach the tentacles to the bottom of the roll with glue.
4. Glue on googly eyes to the top of the roll.
5. Allow the glue to dry before displaying or playing with your octopus.

Coffee Filter Octopus

This simple craft turns a coffee filter into a colorful and fun octopus, perfect for younger children.

Materials Needed:

• Coffee filter
• Markers or watercolor paints
• Scissors
• Pipe cleaners or string
• Googly eyes

Steps:

1. Color the coffee filter with markers or watercolor paints.
2. Fold the coffee filter in half to create the octopus’s body.
3. Cut several pieces of pipe cleaners or string to form the tentacles.
4. Attach the tentacles to the bottom of the coffee filter.
5. Glue on googly eyes and allow the craft to dry.

Pom-Pom Octopus

A fun and fluffy octopus craft made from pom-poms, perfect for a soft, sensory play experience.

Materials Needed:

• Large pom-pom (for the body)
• Smaller pom-poms (for the tentacles)
• Googly eyes
• Glue

Steps:

1. Glue the large pom-pom to a flat surface for the octopus’s body.
2. Glue smaller pom-poms to the bottom of the larger pom-pom to form the tentacles.
3. Attach googly eyes to the front of the large pom-pom.
4. Let the glue dry before playing with your cute pom-pom octopus.

Popsicle Stick Octopus

A fun craft using popsicle sticks to form the body and tentacles of the octopus.

Materials Needed:

• Popsicle sticks
• Glue
• Paint or markers
• Googly eyes

Steps:

1. Paint the popsicle sticks in your favorite colors.
2. Glue the popsicle sticks together in a fan shape for the tentacles.
3. Attach the sticks to a circular piece of paper or another popsicle stick as the octopus’s body.
4. Glue on googly eyes and let it dry.

Button Octopus

This craft uses buttons to create a textured and colorful octopus.

Materials Needed:

• Buttons (in various sizes and colors)
• Glue
• Paper (for the body)
• Scissors

Steps:

1. Cut out a circle or oval from a piece of paper for the octopus’s body.
2. Arrange buttons around the paper, using larger buttons for the body and smaller buttons for the tentacles.
3. Glue the buttons onto the paper.
4. Once dry, add googly eyes for a fun touch.

Clay Octopus

A 3D craft that lets kids mold their octopus with clay, enhancing their tactile and creative skills.

Materials Needed:

• Modeling clay (in different colors)
• Googly eyes

Steps:

1. Roll the clay into a ball to form the octopus’s body.
2. Roll additional pieces of clay into long strips to form the tentacles.
3. Attach the tentacles to the body by gently pressing them into place.
4. Add googly eyes to complete your clay octopus.

Felt Octopus

This octopus craft uses felt to create a soft and textured underwater friend.

Materials Needed:

• Felt (various colors)
• Scissors
• Needle and thread (or fabric glue)
• Googly eyes

Steps:

1. Cut out the shape of the octopus’s body from felt.
2. Cut smaller pieces of felt for the tentacles and attach them around the body.
3. Use needle and thread or fabric glue to secure the tentacles.
4. Add googly eyes to the top of the body for a cute look.

Bubble Wrap Octopus

This craft uses bubble wrap to create a unique, textured octopus that kids will love to touch.

Materials Needed:

• Bubble wrap
• Paint
• Scissors
• Googly eyes

Steps:

1. Paint the bubble wrap with your chosen color for the body of the octopus.
2. Cut the bubble wrap into the desired octopus shape.
3. Use extra bubble wrap for the tentacles, cutting strips and gluing them to the body.
4. Attach googly eyes to complete the look.

Rock Octopus

An outdoor craft that uses rocks as the base for creating a cute and colorful octopus.

Materials Needed:

• Large flat rock
• Paint
• Googly eyes
• Glue

Steps:

1. Paint the rock in the desired color for the body of the octopus.
2. Once dry, use additional rocks or pipe cleaners for the tentacles.
3. Attach the tentacles to the bottom of the large rock.
4. Glue googly eyes to the top of the rock and let it dry.

Straw Octopus

A fun craft where kids use straws to create a bendable and movable octopus.

Materials Needed:

• Straws (preferably bendable)
• Tape
• Googly eyes
• Markers

Steps:

1. Cut several straws to make the tentacles.
2. Tape the straws together at one end to form the octopus’s body.
3. Use markers to decorate the tentacles.
4. Attach googly eyes and allow the craft to set.

Yarn Octopus

This craft uses yarn to create a soft, textured octopus that can be hung up or used in pretend play.

Materials Needed:

• Yarn (various colors)
• Scissors
• Googly eyes
• Glue

Steps:

1. Cut several pieces of yarn for the octopus’s tentacles.
2. Glue the yarn together at one end to form the body.
3. Attach the yarn strands as tentacles to the body.
4. Add googly eyes to complete the look.

Recycled Cup Octopus

A creative way to reuse plastic cups to form the body of an octopus.

Materials Needed:

• Plastic cup
• Pipe cleaners
• Googly eyes
• Glue

Steps:

1. Decorate the plastic cup with paint or markers for the octopus’s body.
2. Cut the pipe cleaners into tentacle lengths and glue them to the bottom of the cup.
3. Attach googly eyes to the front of the cup for a face.

Nature Octopus

A nature-themed craft where kids use leaves, twigs, and other natural materials to create an octopus.

Materials Needed:

• Leaves, twigs, or pebbles
• Glue
• Paper (for the body)

Steps:

1. Cut out an octopus shape from the paper.
2. Use twigs for the tentacles and glue them around the body.
3. Decorate the body with leaves or pebbles for texture.
4. Add googly eyes to finish the octopus.

Sticker Octopus

A fun and easy craft where kids use stickers to decorate and form their octopus.

Materials Needed:

• Sticker sheets (marine-themed or colorful)
• Paper (for the body)
• Scissors

Steps:

1. Cut out the shape of the octopus’s body from paper.
2. Let kids use stickers to decorate the body and tentacles.
3. Add googly eyes to complete the octopus.

Felt Puppet Octopus

This craft turns a felt octopus into a fun puppet that kids can use for imaginative play.

Materials Needed:

• Felt
• Scissors
• Glue or needle and thread
• Googly eyes

Steps:

1. Cut out shapes of the octopus body and tentacles from felt.
2. Attach the tentacles to the body using glue or sewing.
3. Attach googly eyes and allow the puppet to dry.
4. Let the kids use their felt octopus in puppet shows!

Educational Benefits

Crafting is a wonderful way to combine hands-on creativity with learning. The Octopus Craft for Kids offers more than just fun – it provides valuable educational benefits that can enhance a child’s knowledge and skills in various areas. Here are some of the key educational benefits:

Learning About Octopuses

• Tentacle Function: Octopuses are fascinating creatures, and crafting an octopus allows children to learn about their unique anatomy. For instance, octopuses have eight flexible tentacles that they use for various purposes like swimming, grabbing, and even opening containers.
• Octopus Intelligence: Octopuses are known for their remarkable intelligence. They can solve puzzles and escape from enclosures, which can be an interesting fact to share with children while they work on their craft.
• Marine Life Awareness: Creating an octopus encourages kids to explore marine life and sparks their interest in ocean conservation and the diverse creatures that inhabit the seas.

Enhancing Creativity and Problem-Solving Skills

• Decision-Making: When children decide how to decorate their octopus, they practice making choices about colors, patterns, and design. This process encourages independent thinking and decision-making skills.
• Color Choices and Aesthetic Sensibility: Crafting with different materials, such as paints, markers, or stickers, helps kids develop an understanding of color coordination, and it enhances their ability to visualize and create aesthetically pleasing designs.
• Fine Motor Skills: The act of cutting, gluing, and assembling various parts of the octopus craft strengthens fine motor skills. Kids improve hand-eye coordination and dexterity as they handle different tools and materials during the crafting process.
• Problem-Solving: As children figure out how to attach the tentacles or create a sturdy octopus structure, they engage their problem-solving skills, figuring out how to best assemble the materials and make sure everything fits together.

By engaging in octopus crafts, children not only have fun but also develop important skills that will benefit them in school and beyond.