Introduction:
Teach your kids how to assemble with this paper plate fishbowl tutorial! This craft tutorial includes two printable cut-and-paste sheets in which they can color and practice their scissors skills. Once finished, they can play with this aquarium or use it as a decoration in the house.
Tools
- Stapler
- Scissors
- Coloring Materials (optional)
Supplies
- 2 Paper Plates
- Glue
- Popsicles Sticks
- Printables (Download below for printable)
Download Area
Download TemplateCut The Printables
Download then print the aquarium printable by clicking the green download button above. After printing it, cut along the dashed line of the printable with a pair of scissors.
*There’s a printable coloring sheet available for this aquarium craft if you click the green download button below. Feel free to download that if you and the kids would prefer to color the fish and the aquarium.
Once cut, it should look like this!
You now have two fishes (A clownfish and a blue tang)!
Get a paper plate and paste the circular aquarium on the center of it.
Your background should now look like this!
Build the frame of the paper plate fish bowl
To build the aquarium, get another paper plate. Flip the plate over.
Fold the paper plate in half.
Cut a half-moon shape on the center as illustrated above.
Unfold the paper plate, and it should now look like this! The outer part will be the frame of the aquarium.
Assemble the paper plate fish bowl
Get the frame and the aquarium cut out. Place the frame on top, as shown in the picture above.
To secure the frame to the other paper plate, staple along the edges of the top part ONLY.
Do not staple the bottom part of your frame.Make sure to staple the only upper edges of the aquarium. This is because the two fish cut-outs will be inserted on the bottom edge of the aquarium.
Once assembled, your aquarium should look like this!
Create the fish puppets
Get your fish cut-outs, glue, and some popsicles sticks.
Put some glue on one end of the popsicle stick. Then stick one of the fish cut-outs to it.
Now repeat the previous step to the other fish cut-out.
Your fish puppets are now done!
Insert a fish puppet inside at the open flap on the bottom part of the aquarium.
Insert another fish puppet inside.
Your paper plate aquarium is done! Let the fishes interact by moving the puppet and have a great time playing with this!
Optional: Printable Fishbowl Cut and Paste Coloring Sheet
Looking for a fun craft activity that your kids can also color? There’s a coloring sheet that comes with the download template button that you could use for the paper plate aquarium instead
Get them to be more creative by letting them color the fishes and the aquarium in any color or style they want it to be!
Extra Tips
- The paper plate fishbowl kind of looks plain. If you want to personalize it and make it prettier, we suggest that you decorate the frame with your art materials.
- If your kids are not into puppets, then they can use this craft as a decoration. Instead of sticking the fish into some popsicles, stick it directly to the aquarium cut out. Once finished, put some adhesive at the back and stick it to the wall. You may even punch a hole on the top middle part to hang it with a piece of string.
- When using sharp objects like scissors and staplers, make sure you use them with adult supervision.