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Craft Stick Octopus

  • Math
  • Motor Practice
  • Science & STEM
  • Pre-K
  • Kindergarten
  • Grades 4-5
  • Grades 1-3

Did you know that an octopus has 3 hearts and no bones? Travel under the sea with this adorable little craft stick octopus craft!

 

Materials



Colored Craft Sticks
White Beads
Wiggly Eyes
Foam
Canvas
Paint
Paint Brushes

Instructions



Step  1.

Paint a canvas blue.

Step  1.

Paint a canvas blue.

Step  2.

Trace something round, like a cup, to create a perfect circle out of foam.

Step  2.

Trace something round, like a cup, to create a perfect circle out of foam.

Step  3.

Cut the circles out of foam. We used 3 colors to make 3 different octopuses!

Step  3.

Cut the circles out of foam. We used 3 colors to make 3 different octopuses!

Step  4.

Glue 4 colored craft sticks to one another to make a star shape. Start by making a plus sign, then add 2 more diagonally to fill in the gaps. 

Step  4.

Glue 4 colored craft sticks to one another to make a star shape. Start by making a plus sign, then add 2 more diagonally to fill in the gaps. 

Step  5.

Glue the matching color foam circle to the craft sticks, then add wiggly eyes and a smile!

Step  5.

Glue the matching color foam circle to the craft sticks, then add wiggly eyes and a smile!

Step  6.

Glue white beads to each of your octopus’s arms to create its “suckers”. Fun fact, octopus do have arms, not tentacles, and yes, suckers is the technical term!

Step  6.

Glue white beads to each of your octopus’s arms to create its “suckers”. Fun fact, octopus do have arms, not tentacles, and yes, suckers is the technical term!

Step  7.

Repeat these steps with your other colored craft sticks and foam to create more octopuses.

Step  7.

Repeat these steps with your other colored craft sticks and foam to create more octopuses.

Step  8.

Glue your octopus pals to the canvas.

Step  8.

Glue your octopus pals to the canvas.

Step  9.

Use paint to decorate the ocean with waves and bubbles!

Step  9.

Use paint to decorate the ocean with waves and bubbles!

Step  10.

Your ocean of octopuses is now complete!

Step  10.

Your ocean of octopuses is now complete!

“Octopi” your time practicing math and fine motor skills while creating craft stick sea creatures!

  • Dive into Math: Did you know that the Giant Pacific Octopus has 2,240 suckers on its eight tentacles for tasting, smelling, and gripping? Create a fun math exercise by gluing any number of white pony beads onto the eight craft sticks — then, have your students add them all up to find the number of suckers on the octopus.
  • Monsters of the Deep: This is a nickname for an octopus, thanks to their deep-sea habitat! Challenge your students to paint their best ocean trenches on canvas — use all kinds of paints, brushes, and even their fingers to give it texture while exercising those fine motor skills.

These deep-sea creatures have a lot of cool factor — they can camouflage into their surroundings, shoot ink at predators, and communicate by changing colors! Once the class finishes crafting, watch this video to get up close and personal with some octopuses!