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Simple Oyster Shell Crafts For Kids And Mollusks Activities

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have rounded up some fun oyster shell crafts for kids. Also, look at my page Oceans Unit Study and Lapbook for more hands-on ideas.

Too, look at my page Seashore Beach Watching Unit Study and Seashore Lapbook for more fun ideas.

The oyster is a bottom dwelling creature. It filters sand in and out of its shell looking for food.

In the process of filtering sand, it produces a deposit of minerals that eventually turns into a pearl.

Simple Oyster Shell Crafts For Kids And Mollusks Activities

Too, oysters are a fun topic to study about in the summer along with doing the crafts I have listed below.

For example, here are some ideas for an oyster unit study or themed day.

Your child can describe the anatomy and ecological role of oysters and analyze oyster habitats and map where they live. Learn about filter feeding and understand how oyster reef habitats help the environment.

Next, look at some of these books about the group mollusks.

BOOKS ABOUT MOLLUSKS FOR KIDS

We prefer to read living books when we can find them.

Then add reference books as we can.

8 Books About Mollusks

Add some of these books to your home library or to your unit study for the day.

Next, look at these mollusk activities for every age.

MOLLUSK ACTIVITIES FOR EVERY AGE

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MIDDLE SCHOOL

HIGH SCHOOL

  • Dissect an oyster or study diagrams of internal systems
  • Research the economic and ecological impact of oyster farming
  • Investigate the chemistry of pearl formation

ALL AGES

Look through Julia Rothmans Ocean Anatomy and search for all the different types of mollusks inside.

Print and cut out images of different mollusks. Have students sort them into bivalves, gastropods, cephalopods, etc.

Older students can research what class each belongs to and describe its role in the ecosystem.

Decoupage an oyster shell for a pretty little dish you can use in lots of ways beyond decoration, see below for instructions.

Simple Oyster Shell Crafts For Kids And Mollusks Activities

Finally, look at these oyster shell crafts for kids.

OYSTER SHELL CRAFTS FOR KIDS

Cool Facts About Mollusks | How To Create A Decoupaged Oyster Shell

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Cool facts about mollusks, ideas for amazing activities, and a tutorial for a decoupaged oyster shell are just a portion of what I have for you. Also, look at my page Oceans Unit Study and Lapbook for more hands-on ideas.

Mollusks are a fascinating group of animals that live mostly in water and have soft bodies, often protected by hard shells.

They are invertebrates, which means they don’t have backbones.

Cool Facts About Mollusks | How To Create A Decoupaged Oyster Shell

And they belong to the phylum Mollusca, one of the largest groups of animals in the world and there are over 85,000 known species of mollusk.

We loved this book About Mollusks: A Guide for Children.

Next, look at more books to add to your study.

MOLLUSKS BOOKS FOR KIDS

I prefer living books when I can find them.

8 Books About Mollusks

Add some of these books to your home library or to your unit study for the day.

Today we are going to look at the 3 main types of mollusks-bivalves, gastropods, and cephalopods before we begin our craft.

3 MAIN TYPES OF MOLLUSKS

BIVALVES

(“Bi-” means two)These mollusks have two shells hinged together, like a book. They are usually filter feeders and don’t have a head or much visible movement.

  • Scallops – Can “swim” by clapping their shells together
  • Oysters – Create reefs and sometimes pearls
  • Clams – Live buried in sand or mud and use a foot to dig
  • Mussels – Attach to rocks using strong fibers called byssal threads

GASTROPODS

(“Gastro” means stomach and “pod” means foot—because they move on their stomach-foot!). This is the largest group of mollusks. Most have a single, spiraled shell, though some (like slugs) have none at all.

  • Snails – Found on land and in water, with a coiled shell for protection
  • Slugs – No shell, but covered in mucus to keep from drying out
  • Sea Hares – Large marine snails with soft bodies and beautiful colors
  • Whelks and Conchs – Marine snails with beautiful spiral shells.

CEPHALOPODS

(“Cephalo” means head and “pod” means foot—because their feet (tentacles) come out of their head!) Cephalopods are the smartest and fastest of the mollusks. Most don’t have external shells, except the nautilus, and can change color and texture.

  • Octopuses – Eight arms, high intelligence, and the ability to squeeze into tiny spaces
  • Squid – Ten limbs (eight arms, two longer tentacles) and fast swimmers
  • Cuttlefish – Similar to squid but with a special shell inside (the cuttlebone)
  • Nautiluses – Have beautiful, coiled shells and many tentacles, but lack the speed of other cephalopods

8 COOL FACTS ABOUT MOLLUSKS

  1. Cephalopods like squid, octopuses, and cuttlefish use special skin cells called chromatophores to change their color and pattern for camouflage, communication, and to scare off predators.
  2. In ancient times, people harvested murex snails to make a deep purple dye known as Tyrian purple, used in royal clothing. It took thousands of snails to make just a small amount, which is why it became a symbol of wealth and power
  3. Oysters can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day, they do this to extract food and minerals from the water.
  4. Octopuses can open jars, use tools, and even solve puzzles!
  5. Scallops have dozens of tiny blue eyes along the edge of their shell.
  6. Some oysters produce pearls- a smooth, shiny ball formed when a grain of sand gets trapped inside their shell.
  7. Giant clams can grow over 4 feet wide and weigh more than 500 pounds.
  8. Some sea snails have shells that spiral in different directions—right (dextral) or left (sinistral).
Cool Facts About Mollusks | How To Create A Decoupaged Oyster Shell

Also, look at my post How Do Mollusks Breathe | Easy Pipe Cleaner Snail Craft.

Finally, look at how to do this fun decoupaged oyster shell.

HOW TO CREATE A DECOUPAGED OYSTER SHELL

You will need:

  • Decorative napkins or tissue paper
  • Mod Podge (or white glue mixed with water)
  • Small paintbrush
  • Scissors
  • Optional: gold paint or a gold paint pen
Cool Facts About Mollusks | How To Create A Decoupaged Oyster Shell

If you are using shells you found on the beach (or collected from a seafood restaurant) clean the shells to make sure your oyster shells are free of dirt and debris.

You can scrub them lightly with soap and water.

Using a paintbrush, coat the inside of the shell with Mod Podge.

Cool Facts About Mollusks | How To Create A Decoupaged Oyster Shell


Separate the thin printed layer from the white layers.

Cool Facts About Mollusks | How To Create A Decoupaged Oyster Shell


Gently press the paper onto the Mod Podge-coated shell. Smooth it out carefully to avoid wrinkles.

Cool Facts About Mollusks | How To Create A Decoupaged Oyster Shell

While still wet carefully tear away the excess away from the edges all the way around the shell.

Cool Facts About Mollusks | How To Create A Decoupaged Oyster Shell


Once everything is dry, paint the edges of the shell with gold paint for a polished, elegant look or use any color you like to finish off the edge.

Here are a few of the creative ways you can put your decoupaged oyster shell to use. To hold your sea glass collection…

Cool Facts About Mollusks | How To Create A Decoupaged Oyster Shell

For spare change…

Next to the sink to hold your ring while you do dishes…

For hairpins…

How Do Mollusks Breathe | Easy Pipe Cleaner Snail Craft

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

We’re learning how do mollusks breathe and making a fun snail craft.

Mollusks are one of the largest groups of animals.

For example, they include octopus, snails, clams, and squid.

And they are soft bodied creatures. Because they do not have a backbone, they are called invertebrates.

How Do Mollusks Breathe | Easy Pipe Cleaner Snail Craft

In addition mollusks can be divided into 3 main groups.

They are Gastropoda (snails and slugs), Bivalvia (clams, oysters, and mussels), and Cephalopoda (octopuses, squids, and cuttlefish).

Gastropods make up the largest group of mollusks.

SNAIL BOOKS FOR KIDS

Next, look at some of these books about snails.

We love to read living books when we can find them.

6 Books About Snails

Add some of these books to your home library or to your unit study for the day.

Also, look at these facts about how do mollusks breathe.

HOW DO MOLLUSKS BREATHE

Most mollusks live in water. For instance, clams, oysters, and snails use gills.

However, land snails breathe through a lung-like organ called a “pallial cavity,” which works kind of like our lungs.

The majority of mollusks live in marine environments.

Additionally, two groups, the bivalves and the gastropods, contain freshwater species.

And only the gastropods have animals that live on land (snails and slugs).

For breathing, the gills or lung-like organ is located inside their bodies.

Water or air flows through an opening in their body called the mantle cavity.

So mollusks have different ways of breathing depending on where they live.

How Do Mollusks Breathe | Easy Pipe Cleaner Snail Craft

Look at more activities about mollusks.

MORE ACTIVITIES TO GO WITH HOW DO MOLLUSKS BREATHE

Finally, look at how to make this adorable pipe cleaner snail.

HOW TO MAKE A PIPE CLEANER SNAIL WITH KIDS

First, look at this short list of supplies.

  • Colorful pipe cleaners
  • Googly eyes
  • Craft glue
  • Round object (pen or marker or sharpie)

Step 1:

Select 3 pipe cleaners, 2 of the same color and 1 different color.

How Do Mollusks Breathe | Easy Pipe Cleaner Snail Craft

Step 2:

Take that one pipe cleaner and a round object such as a pen or a sharpie.

How Do Mollusks Breathe | Easy Pipe Cleaner Snail Craft

Step 3:

Coil the pipe cleaner around the round object firmly and evenly.

How Do Mollusks Breathe | Easy Pipe Cleaner Snail Craft

Step 4:

Coil the entire pipe cleaner.

How Do Mollusks Breathe | Easy Pipe Cleaner Snail Craft

Step 5:

Take out the coiled pipe cleaner carefully.

How Do Mollusks Breathe | Easy Pipe Cleaner Snail Craft

Step 6:

Now, place the 2 other pipe cleaners adjacent to each other.

How Do Mollusks Breathe | Easy Pipe Cleaner Snail Craft

Step 7:

Insert both pipe cleaners through the coil and draw out about 1.5” of their length from the other end of the coiled pipe cleaner.

How Do Mollusks Breathe | Easy Pipe Cleaner Snail Craft

Step 8:

Bend that 1.5” to 90 degrees.

How Do Mollusks Breathe | Easy Pipe Cleaner Snail Craft

Step 9:

Twist the longer sides of the pipe cleaners evenly.

How Do Mollusks Breathe | Easy Pipe Cleaner Snail Craft

Step 10:

Start by making a small coil at the open end of the longer end.

How Do Mollusks Breathe | Easy Pipe Cleaner Snail Craft

Step 11:

Continue to coil the twisted pipe cleaners.

How Do Mollusks Breathe | Easy Pipe Cleaner Snail Craft

Step 12:

Coil and bring them near the 90-degree bent part.

How Do Mollusks Breathe | Easy Pipe Cleaner Snail Craft

Step 13:

Bent the open ends of the 1.5” sides by a cm. Select 2 googly eyes.

How Do Mollusks Breathe | Easy Pipe Cleaner Snail Craft

Step 14:

Use craft glue to join the googly eyes to the bent parts. Allow the glue to dry.