Celebrate summer by creating craft inspired by the ocean

The beach may look just like sand and sea but, under the water, it’s teeming with life. Give your kids a glimpse at the diversity of marine life with these very cute crafts made with simple egg cartons.

Did you know oceans cover about 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface and hold almost all our water? Scientists estimate the world’s oceans contain between 500,000 and 10 million different marine species, with about 2000 new ones being described each year – amazing! Here are a few of the more well-known creatures your kids may be keen to learn about with links to instructions for making your own:

Turtle: Six of the world’s seven species of marine turtles are found in the waters off Australia, and many head to our beaches to nest. Places like Mon Repos, near Bundaberg in Queensland, run special tours so people can watch turtles laying their eggs or see tiny turtles hatch and scramble down the sand to the ocean. You can make your own sea turtle with an egg carton, pom pom, green paper and paint.

Fish: It’s not hard to see why the Clown Fish is the most popular marine fish kept in captivity – it is a gorgeous fish and the star of Disney movie Finding Nemo. Watch the movie with your kiddos, then pull out your craft supplies and make your own fish.

Octopus: Octopus are the ultimate chameleons, able to quickly change colour to blend in with their surroundings or reflect their mood. They can turn brown, grey, green, blue or pink – and red if they’re frightened. They have eight arms and like to eat mainly crabs and lobsters. Make your own octopus any colour you like and give it eight pipe cleaner arms.

Whale: Remember Pinocchio – the classic fairytale puppet made from wood who wanted to be a real boy? He told lies and ended up trapped inside a whale! Read the story with your kids or track down a copy of the movie, then make your own whale.

Penguin: Penguins are birds, but they have flippers instead of wings. They can’t fly and waddle on land, but in the water they are expert swimmers and divers. Australia is home to just one species of penguins – the little blue penguin, which lives along the southern end of Australia, including Tasmania. You can make your own penguin.

Crab: During the Christmas holidays, on Christmas Island, located between Australia and Indonesia, millions of bright red crabs can be seen scurrying from the forests to the ocean as they migrate to breed. It’s amazing! Show your kids David Attenborough’s Christmas Island story and then make your own crab.

Shark: Sharks are among the oldest species on earth, thought to have been around for 300 million years. There are 300 different species of shark and only a handful have very large teeth! You can make your shark’s teeth as big and pointy as you like. Here’s how to make your own shark.