Exclusively written for KraftiMama by Ame Rukwongsa. Ame writes about helping kids learn about making crafts. You can find some of her crafts at OMO Activites for kids.
If your kids love outdoor activities, like visiting the park or going on a scavenger hunt, they can feel frustrated when the weather isn’t too good. But don’t worry! There’s plenty of ways to keep even the most energetic of children entertained on a rainy weekend. We love this colourful fish bowl – it can be made in two different ways and decorated however your kids want, using all sorts of materials.
What You’ll Need
You’ll only need a few craft items to make this fun fish bowl:
- Paper plate
- Glue or tape
- Paints, crayons, or coloured pencils
- Scissors
- White or coloured card
- Small craft decorations
If your kids love playing games as well as doing crafts, it’s actually really simple to make a game of collecting all the items you need. Hide some of the craft materials around the house (it’s best not to hide scissors), and create clues to help your little ones find them all. It’s a bit like a fish bowl scavenger hunt!
How To Make a Fish Bowl
There are, not one, but two exciting ways to make this great fish bowl. It can either be made with or without a frame, depending on how your kids want their fish bowls to look. Here’s what you’ll need to do:
- Begin by painting or colouring the top of the paper plate so that it looks like the ocean. You could use a small brush to paint on some curved lines and create a ‘wave’ effect. Cover the entire plate.
- Cut out some undersea shapes such as fish, plants, and bubbles – it’s best to help young children with this part! You can use coloured card for this, or use white card and colour in the designs.
- Decorate the shapes with glitter, gems, pom poms, buttons, feathers, and whatever other craft materials you have lying around at home. You could even glue some googly eyes onto the fish!
- Glue the fish and other sea shapes onto the paper plate once the paint has dried completely. It’s best to use a child-friendly, water-based glue for this, as this type of glue is easy to remove from clothes.
To make a framed fish bowl, you’ll need to start with 2 paper plates. One plate can be painted or coloured as described above. You should then carefully cut out the flat centre of the other plate so that only the curved edge remains – this will create your fishbowl’s frame. Paint the top of the frame to match the other plate, allow it to dry, and then glue it onto the full plate. Finally, glue your shapes into the display area created by the frame. This is a great option because it makes a ‘porthole’ effect, in keeping with the sea theme!
How to Use a Fish Bowl
Once your fish bowls are completely dry, there’s no limit on the family fun you can have with them. They can be hung on the walls as artwork, used as decoration for an ‘under the sea’ themed scavenger hunt at home, or anything else you can think of. The choices really are endless!
