Make a fun octopus craft for kids using a free printable template. Color, cut, and assemble an easy ocean animal craft perfect for summer, preschool, and under the sea themes.
Looking for a fun and easy ocean craft for kids? This printable octopus craft template is a creative hands-on activity that’s perfect for summer learning, ocean themes, under the sea units, or preschool animal crafts. Kids can color, cut, and assemble their own octopus while learning fun facts about one of the ocean’s most fascinating creatures.
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This octopus craft is great for preschool, kindergarten, and elementary-aged children and can easily be adapted for classrooms, homeschool, summer camp, or rainy day fun.
Why Kids Love This Octopus Craft
Octopuses are amazing ocean animals known for their eight arms, camouflage abilities, and incredible intelligence. Kids love learning about how octopuses squirt ink, hide in coral reefs, and squeeze through tiny spaces.
This printable octopus craft gives children the chance to:
- Practice fine motor skills through cutting and gluing
- Explore creativity with colors and patterns
- Learn about ocean habitats and sea life
- Create imaginative stories and underwater scenes
Whether kids make a realistic octopus or invent a rainbow octopus with magical ocean powers, this craft encourages creativity and learning through play.
Tips for Younger Kids
For younger children, pre-cut the template pieces ahead of time or simplify the craft by having them draw the eyes and mouth with markers instead of gluing on smaller pieces. Kids always come up with the cutest facial expressions, and drawing the face gives each octopus its own unique personality!
Octopus Facts + Activities Kids Will Love
Add some learning to your craft time with these interesting octopus facts and hands-on ocean activities.
- Octopuses have eight arms covered in suction cups.
- They can squirt ink to help escape predators.
- Octopuses can change color to camouflage and hide.
- They are extremely intelligent and can solve puzzles.
- Most octopuses live in oceans near coral reefs and rocky areas.
Octopus Q-Tip Painting Activity
Practice fine motor skills while creating a colorful octopus painting using Q-tips and paint. Kids can dot on suction cups, bubbles, or ocean textures for a fun sensory art activity. Get it here.
O is for Octopus Activities
Pair this craft with letter recognition and early literacy fun using “O is for Octopus” worksheets, tracing pages, and alphabet activities perfect for preschool and kindergarten learners. See them here.
Ocean Animal Phonics Activity: FREE Printable Clip Cards
Build beginning reading skills with ocean animal phonics clip cards. Kids can practice identifying letters, sounds, and words while exploring fun sea creature themes. Get them here.
Pair This Craft with a Great Octopus Book
My kids absolutely loved reading Inky the Octopus: The Official Story of One Brave Octopus’ Daring Escape. It’s such a fun mix of storytelling and real science, and it really kept their attention from start to finish. They were fascinated watching Inky’s daring escape from the aquarium and couldn’t believe it was based on a true story! Learn more about this book here.
Octopus Craft for Kids
Supplies Needed
- Free printable octopus template (available to download at the end of this post)
- White cardstock or colored paper to make your octopus any color you’d like
- Scissors
- Glue
- Markers, crayons, colored pencils, or paint
Optional:
- Colored paper
- Googly eyes (These larger googly eyes are our favorite for crafts!)
- Glitter or sequins
- Construction paper background
- Tissue paper or bubble wrap for ocean textures
Directions
To make craft time easy, printable directions are available at the end of this post.
There are two fun ways to make this octopus craft depending on the materials you want to use and how much creativity or prep time you would like. Kids can either fully color their octopus using the black-and-white template or print the template onto colored paper for a quicker craft with added details and decorations. Both options are great for encouraging creativity and fine motor skills while creating a fun ocean animal art project.
Option 1: Color Your Own Octopus
- Print the octopus template onto white paper.
- Have kids color the octopus pieces using markers, crayons, colored pencils, or paint.
- Encourage children to add patterns, spots, suction cups, and ocean details.
- Carefully cut out the template pieces.
- Glue the head and legs together to create the octopus.
Option 2: Print on Colored Paper
- Glue the pieces together to create the octopus.
- Print the octopus template onto colored paper.
- Cut out the template pieces.
- Use markers or crayons to add details like:
- Suction cups on the legs
- Patterns and textures
- Facial details and eyes
Create an Ocean Habitat
For extra fun, glue the finished octopus onto a large sheet of paper and create an underwater habitat scene around it.
Kids can draw or add:
- Coral reefs
- Seaweed
- Fish
- Bubbles
- Sand
- Shells
- Treasure chests
- Ocean waves
This makes a fun extension activity for ocean units and summer learning themes.
Perfect For
- Summer crafts
- Ocean and beach themes
- Under the sea units
- Preschool and kindergarten art
- Homeschool science lessons
- Fine motor practice
- Classroom bulletin boards
- Rainy day activities
Print the Directions Here
Octopus Craft for Kids (Free Printable)
Materials
- Octopus template
- White cardstock or colored paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Markers, crayons, colored pencils, or paint
- Optional: Colored paper, Googly eyes, Glitter or sequins, Construction paper background, Tissue paper or bubble wrap for ocean textures
Instructions
Option 1: Color Your Own Octopus
Print the octopus template onto white paper. Have kids color the octopus pieces using markers, crayons, colored pencils, or paint. Encourage children to add patterns, spots, suction cups, and ocean details. Carefully cut out the template pieces. Glue the head and legs together to create the octopus.Option 2: Print on Colored Paper
Glue the pieces together to create the octopus. Print the octopus template onto colored paper. Cut out the template pieces. Use markers or crayons to add details like: Suction cups on the legs, Patterns and textures, Facial details and eyes
Notes
Optional: Create an Ocean Habitat
- Coral reefs
- Seaweed
- Fish
- Bubbles
- Sand
- Shells
- Treasure chests
- Ocean waves
Download the Craft Template Here
We hope you have fun creating your own playful octopus! Whether you’re using it as part of an ocean theme, an animal study, or just a creative afternoon activity, this simple octopus craft is a fun way to combine art, learning, and imaginative play. 🐙⭐ Print the directions below and dive into your next craft project.
Add to the Fun
- Learning About the Layers of the Ocean Craft
- F is for Fish Activities + Printables
- Marshmallow Octopus Craft