Last Updated on May 3, 2026 by Masha Eretnova
The ultimate under the sea summer craft — color, cut, and glue 10 ocean creatures, no artistic talent required.
If you’ve been searching for an ocean-themed summer activity that’s genuinely engaging, completely screen-free, and doesn’t require a trip to the craft store, I got you!
This ocean animals craft for kids is a free 10-page printable set where children color a beautiful underwater scene, then cut and paste the matching animal pieces to complete the picture. It’s simple enough for preschoolers or older kids.
Download the free printable below — just enter your email for instant access.
What’s in the Set?
This printable pack includes 10 different ocean animal craft pages, each following the same easy format: a detailed underwater coloring scene on one side, and the animal pieces to color, cut out, and paste in on the other.
The animals included are:
- Fish,
- Starfish,
- Turtle,
- Stingray,
- Jellyfish,
- Walrus,
- Crab,
- Seahorse,
- Whale, and
- Octopus.
Every page is a self-contained activity — kids can work through all 10 over several days, or you can pull out a single page whenever you need a quick, no-prep activity. Each one says “Color, cut, and paste to complete the image,” making it easy for kids to understand the task independently.
What You’ll Need
This is about as low-prep as it gets. Here’s the full supplies list:
- The free printable PDF — 10 pages, one per animal (download below with your email)
- A printer — color printing makes the scenes more vibrant, but black and white is great if kids want to color everything themselves
- Crayons, colored pencils, or markers — for coloring both the scene and the animal pieces before cutting
- Child-safe scissors — for cutting out the animal pieces; adults can pre-cut for very young children
- A glue stick — neater and faster-drying than liquid glue for paper crafts
Optional add-ons:
- Blue watercolor paint to color the underwater scenes for an extra beautiful effect
- Googly eyes to add dimension to the finished animals
- A folder or binder to collect all 10 completed pages into an ocean animal book
How to Do the Ocean Animals Craft: Step by Step
Step 1: Download and print
Grab your free PDF . Print on standard letter-size paper. Print the whole set at once or one page at a time, whatever works for you.
Step 2: Color the scene
Before any cutting happens, kids color the detailed underwater scene on the left side of the page. This is a gorgeous coloring activity in its own right — each scene is different and full of sea life, seaweed, bubbles, and ocean-floor details.
Step 3: Color the animal pieces
On the right side of the page are the cut-out pieces for the animal. Kids color these to match however they like: realistic ocean colors or a completely imaginary rainbow crab, both are perfect.
Step 4: Cut out the pieces
Once the coloring is done, kids cut out the animal pieces along the outlines. The shapes are chunky and manageable, making them great scissor practice for preschool and kindergarten-aged children.
For very young kids, parents can do this step while children watch and then help with gluing.
Step 5: Paste to complete the picture
Kids glue the cut-out pieces into the blank rectangle space on the scene, assembling the animal.
So part of these ocean animals is actually 3D!
Done!
Why This Activity Works So Well
It’s three activities in one. Coloring, cutting, and gluing each develop different skills and keep kids engaged through distinct phases. That means one printed page can occupy a child for a solid 20–30 minutes — sometimes longer.
It’s perfect for preschool and up. The coloring scenes are detailed enough to keep older kids interested, while the cut-and-paste mechanic is simple enough for three and four-year-olds (with a little help on the scissors).
It teaches ocean animals. As kids work through each page, they’re learning names and recognizing the shapes of real sea creatures — the pointed wings of a stingray, the curling tail of a seahorse, the tentacles of an octopus. It’s a soft introduction to ocean and under the sea science that doesn’t feel like learning at all.
Zero screen time, focused activity. Cutting and pasting requires full physical attention. Kids can’t do this with a tablet in the other hand, which is exactly the point.
It’s a great rainy day or travel activity. Print a few pages and tuck them into a folder with a small pencil case. It’s a perfect quiet activity for a car trip, a waiting room, or a slow morning at home.
Get the Free Printable
Ready to color, cut, and paste your way through the ocean? Download all 10 Ocean Animals Craft pages completely free.
👉 [Enter your email below to download the free printable PDF]
Masha Eretnova, born in 1991, is a Buenos Aires-based certified teacher, artist, and member of the Professional Artist Association with 20+ years of personal painting journey.
She started painting and drawing very early and is now an international abstract artist and educator passionate about acrylic painting, gouache, and crafts.
Her works are part of international exhibitions and contests, including ArtlyMix (Brazil), Al-Tiba 9 (Spain), Exhibizone (Canada), Italy, and many more.
Besides her artistic pursuits, Masha holds a post-grad diploma in Teaching Film Photography and 2 music school diplomas: piano and opera singing.