Shark Craft

We started our ocean unit yesterday. It's one of my favorites! I love teaching and learning about ocean animals. I've already done three ocean animal crafts this past year for different units. Please check out my starfish for color week, seahorse for Eric Carle week, and orca for polar animal week! Today was all about sharks. We did a simple craft that gave the kids some fine motor practice. I drew a shark on blue paper. I looked at a cartoon picture of a shark while I drew it. It's easier for me to copy cartoon pictures than real pictures.

I cut it out and drew on a little smile. I also cut out fins. I thought it would be easier for the kids just to have one shape. One was glued to the top and one was glued to the side. I also quickly cut out a bunch of small white triangles for the teeth. And we used wiggle eyes.

Sorry about the blue on blue here. It makes it kind of hard to see. But here's the finished craft:

They each have their own personality! A few years ago, we made shark hats out of paper. You need big construction paper for this, and you have to make the mouth open REALLY wide! You staple two together, but don't put staples around the mouth. The kids added fins and teeth the same way as the craft above, and they drew in an eye. When they put the hat on, it looked like the shark was eating them!

How cute is that? I got the idea from a real hat I saw.

Fun Fact: Sharks cannot swim backward like other fish.