A trip to the aquarium or seaside often accompanies ocean studies, but children quickly forget learning if it is not reinforced. Other children may not live near a beach or aquarium. So making a stained glass aquarium lets them discover underwater animals even far from a body of water. Cut two matching sheets of clear contact paper. Peel the backing off the first one and cover with a sheet of blue tissue paper. Cut shapes of swordfish, sharks, whales, clown fish, triggerfish, butterflyfish, damsels, sea horses, starfish, crabs, lobsters, corals, jellyfish, sea urchins, octopi and so on from different colors of tissue paper. Paste the shapes on top of the blue background and cover with the second sheet of contact paper. Trim the edges flush with one another and enclose the "aquarium" in a construction paper frame. Another variation is to make a frame in the shape of a sea creature and place it on a sheet of contact paper. Decorate the interior space, cover it with the second adhesive sheet and trim the edges. Hang it in a sunny window as a sun catcher.
The spiny skeleton of a sea urchin is unusual enough to hold a singular fascination for young marine enthusiasts. Let the young scientists sculpt their own out of craft dough or salt dough. Stick colored toothpicks in the body model to represent the spines.
The jellyfish's simple appearance belies the dangers of coming in contact with its tentacles. Making a jellyfish craft is an opportunity to talk to kids about safety precautions and first aid should they ever come in contact with one washed up on the beach. To make a model jellyfish, invert a clear plastic disposable plate. Tape lengths of crepe streamers, ribbons or yarn to the underside as tentacles.
For a junior marine biologist-to-be, a sea life dangler craft lets her take a piece of the ocean with her wherever she goes. To make an octopus dangler, drill a small hole in two small wooden disks. Paint one side of each disk in greens, purples or pinks. Glue a wiggly eye to one of the painted sides. Create tentacles from braided plastic lacing or ribbon, tying off the ends to secure the braid. Lay them out around the bottom half of one of the wooden disks on the unpainted side and hot-glue them in place. Hot-glue the second disk to the back so the holes line up. Attach a swivel clip through the holes to use it as a bag decoration, backpack clip or zipper pull.