Kids can make this recycled chair foam fish craft to explore scales and fins, and how they help fish swim. Add this craft and pretend play to your ocean theme in preschool or kindergarten.
Privacy Policy for information on use of cookies and affiliate links
Kids will have fun making these spongy fish to add to their ocean themed pretend play! The different textures, sizes and colors of the materials provide sensory and fine motor experiences.
This fish craft recycles everyday materials to spark creativity and imagination. Start with a piece of chair foam. Add fins and scales with a mesh onion sack to give each fish its unique character.
Then let the imaginative play begin! Once the fish are made, kids will want to swim and dive with their fun ocean characters. This builds gross motor movement along with the fine motor play.
Chair foam fish craft
Supplies list
- 1 inch (2.5cm) thickness chair foam
- 1 mesh onion bag
- chenille stem or pipe cleaner
- craft eyes
- glue
I used chair foam for this craft but you can use any type of material you have on hand, such as a thick felt pad, or soft foam packaging.
Instead of a mesh bag, try wrapping the fish in a lace fabric or similar material.
Instructions for a mesh fish craft
Step 1.
Cut out a fish shape from the foam.
The foam cutout should be shorter than the length of the mesh bag. This will leave a length of mesh fabric at one end to form the fish tail.
Back view
Step 2.
Insert the fish shape into the mesh bag. Wrap the mesh snugly around the foam.
If there is a metal tip on the mesh bag you can position it as the ‘nose’. Wrap one end of the chenille stem or pipe cleaner around this nose tip. Otherwise, grasp a small amount of the mesh to wrap the pipe cleaner around to form the nose.
Twist the other end of the pipe cleaner around the tail end of the fish, close to the foam insert. The chenille stem becomes a handle for holding the fish like a puppet so you can help him swim!
The tail can be left as it, or trimmed with scissors to allow the tail to feather out.
Front view
Step 3.
Glue craft eyes to the front of the fish.
Step 4.
Cut out a fin from a small piece of mesh. Glue the fin to the body of the fish.
Use this fun fish craft in your ocean theme, or make it a rainy day activity!
Learning through play with a mesh fish craft
- Science
Discuss the different parts of a fish. Why do fish have fins? How do fish breath? - Gross motor
Swim with the fish around the classroom, diving the fish up and down. - Literacy
Read One Fish Two Fish. - Sensory and Fine Motor
Place small plastic fish in a plastic bin. Use a ladle to scoop up the fish. Transfer from one bin to another.
More fun fish crafts from kid-friendly bloggers:
Foil Fish Craft from NurtureStore
Rainbow Fish Alphabet Matching Craft from I Can Teach My Child
Fish Paper Craft for Kids from Buggy and Buddy
Painted Rock Fish Craft from A Little Pinch of Perfect