This cute bubble wrap® fish is one craft you'll be glad to have in your toolkit. Easy to setup using recycled packaging material, this activity is perfect for pretend play with toddlers and preschoolers.

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Fish crafts are not only fun to make, they provide lots of opportunity for gross motor pretend play.

• Kids will love moving around the room with their squishy fish, bobbing up and down, and diving into the 'ocean'. 

Fish crafts are also make fun characters for puppet shows. 

Related: fish craft with burlap

This craft is fun for kids, using squishy and sticky materials.

• You can feel 'scales' and 'fins' in the texture of the bubble wrap.  Interesting materials in kids activities support sensory and fine motor experiences, while promoting creativity. 

Make this fun craft for an ocean theme, or add to your summer activities.

Bubble wrap fish craft 

Supplies for a fish craft

• masking tape or washi tape

• craft eyes

• bubble wrap
  
  
• paint

I used a piece of bubble wrap 14 x 28 inches (36 x 71 cm) but you can easily use whatever amount you have on hand.

The larger the piece of bubble wrap you roll up, the thicker and stronger the fish will be. A  more durable fish can be used over and over for pretend play.

Instructions for fish craft

1. Roll up the bubble wrap with the bubble side out to give a lumpy texture to the fish.

Kids can roll and unroll the bubble wrap until they get the shape just right. This promotes fine motor and sensory play.

2. Wrap tape around one end to secure the bubble wrap and form the nose. You can help kids with this step. 

If the nose isn't formed with the first wrapping of the tape, you can always go back with a piece of tape to shape the nose later.

3. Continue wrapping tape around the body of the fish. Use one color or a mix of different colors. Provide reasonable lengths of tape at a time (not too long) that are easy for kids to work with.

4. Glue craft eyes near the nose.

5. Cut a fin from bubble wrap and secure to the fish with a piece of tape. Paint the fin if preferred.

6. Cut slits in the tail fin so it will fan out and swish up and down as the bubble wrap fish 'swims' in the ocean.

Learning through play

Use your bubble wrap fish for pretend play.

• Spread a blue blanket "ocean" on the floor where the fish can swim: dive to the ocean bottom; bob up and on the waves.

• Catch fish in a net.

• Use fish characters in a puppet show.

• 'Swim' around the room, wiggling and diving like a fish.

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