Paper Shark Craft: How to Make & Enjoy with Kids
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This paper shark craft is a fantastic way to help your kids build fine motor skills and have fun. Using torn paper pieces, your children will get to make and customize a cute shark. It's the perfect project for shark enthusiasts, summer fun, or even a rainy day indoors.
Using only a few supplies, this torn paper shark is easy to set up plus budget-friendly. My boys and I worked on this project as part of our Shark Week fun - and hope that your students enjoy it, too!
I’m sharing how to make this easy torn paper shark with tips and ideas on using. Plus, I've got FREE printable shark templates for you to use to make different types of sharks. Let's dive into all this shark theme fun!
Shark Fun with a Splash of Creativity!
Need a simple and affordable way to enjoy a shark-themed activity with your kids? Maybe you're getting ready for Shark Week, summer camp, or library event? Perhaps you've got a "Letter S" lesson coming up and want to feature sharks?
Well, this shark craft made with torn paper (and foam teeth) is sure to be a hit!
My boys and I had such a blast with this torn paper shark craft during our summer homeschool fun. It was part of our Shark Week activities. To help my boys get really into it, I wanted a mix of books, printables, and hands-on activities. This paper craft was a perfect pick because it has shark themes plus builds fine motor skills.
The boys got creative with the colors and shapes, making their sharks as unique as their personalities. We sketched out our shark designs and used those as templates. At the time, I wished I had templates of different types of sharks to use. So, as I recreated this craft to share with you, I put together a FREE printable shark templates pack! Find out more about and how to subscribe to get your set today.
What You'll Need for This Cute Shark Craft
For paper sharks that look like the examples in the tutorial, you'll need these supplies:
- Light blue construction paper
- Dark blue construction paper
- Gray construction paper (or white construction paper and gray paint)
- White craft foam
- Googly eye
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Paintbrush (optional if painting)
- Shark outline template (you can use our free printable set - learn more about it at the bottom of this post!)
As with any creative project that is done with kids, I encourage you to think outside the box. If your students want to make different color sharks (even rainbow), go for it.
Decorative cardstock can be cool options for this project. Also, you can add a recycled touch by using pages out of a magazine and tearing into pieces. Newspaper can also be used for the gray paper option.
You could also choose to not put your shark on the background waves. You can attach it to a wood craft stick (popsicle stick) for a DIY shark puppet. Also, you can color or paint a paper plate to look like water and add your shark to it.
Crayola Construction Paper, 240 CountHygloss Craft Foam Sheets, White 10 Count350 Pcs Wiggle Googly Eyes with Self-Adhesive, 6mm 8mm 10 mm 12mm 15mm 20mm 30mm Mixed Packaging (Mixed Color)Elmer's All Purpose Glue Sticks, Washable, 22 Grams, 3 Count
Step-By-Step Instructions for Making Your Paper Shark Craft
Create the ocean waves.
Take the light blue construction paper and cut wavy lines along one edge to look like ocean waves. Glue the waves across the dark blue construction paper.
Prepare and cut out the shark outline.
Print or draw a simple shark outline. Cut it out carefully and glue it onto the waves, as if the shark is swimming through the water.
Make torn paper gray pieces.
Tear small pieces from the gray construction paper. (If you don't have gray construction paper, paint white construction paper gray, let it dry, and then tear it. Painting adds a cool texture to your shark!)
Fill in shark with gray paper pieces and add details.
Glue the gray torn paper pieces inside the shark outline, covering it completely. Cut sharp teeth shapes out of the white craft foam. Glue the teeth along the shark's jaws. Attach a googly eye above the mouth to bring your shark to life.
Frequently Asked Questions About Making a Torn Paper Shark
This craft is perfect for kids ages 3 and up! Younger children may need a little extra help with tearing the paper, but it’s a great way to develop fine motor skills. Older students can sketch their own shark templates and add details.
Absolutely! While the traditional shark colors are gray or blue, feel free to get creative and use other colors. It’s a fun way to experiment with different shark species or create a unique, colorful shark.
here’s no exact size—just let your kids tear the paper into different-sized pieces. For a more textured look, encourage them to vary the sizes of the pieces!
Display it on a bulletin board, use it as part of a summer-themed collage, or create a fun under-the-sea diorama. You can even turn it into a shark puppet!
More Easy Ways to Have Shark Fun with Kids
Want to enjoy more shark or ocean-themed activities with your kids? Sure you do! Here are some of the resources and ideas that you can find on the blog:
- Shark Week Activities Pack
- Shark Coloring Bookmarks
- Shark Unit Study
- DIY Ocean Slime
- Under the Sea Mindfulness Activities
- Ocean Creatures Handprint Art Templates
- Ocean Color by Number Pages
Get Your Free Printable Shark Templates
WooHoo! I'm so excited that you want to enjoy this paper shark craft with your kids!
Get this free printable shark templates pack to make it even easier. Use these templates for this craft and coloring fun. This set of shark outline templates includes 5 pages.
You can print as many of these activities as you need to use with your students at home, in the classroom, and at the library. Please share this post if you know others who love to make learning fun!
To get this free printable set of templates, simply subscribe (for free) to Rock Your Homeschool.
⭐️ An email will be sent to your inbox with the PDF file plus a password to open the VIP Resource Library to all RYHS freebies. Please email Amy at rockyourhomeschool@gmail.com if you have any issues!
You'll also be added to our email list and receive emails with ideas, resources, and encouragement to make life and learning fun.
(Are you a VIP member of Rock Your Homeschool? Awesome! All you need to do is go to the VIP Resource Library and enter the password in your welcome email.)
⭐ Get your free shark templates now! ⭐
