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Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

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

Today we’re making a jellyfish lights crafts. Also, look at my page Oceans Unit Study and Lapbook.

Learn how to make this easy jellyfish lights craft with just a few inexpensive supplies and learn a lot about the life and characteristics of the fascinating jellyfish at the same time.

This is a great way to incorporate a hands-on activity that is fun and themed for summer learning into your day.

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

Your jellyfish can be as small or large as you like.

Upcycle empty fruit cups or use large plastic clear bowls from the party section to create an entire swarm.

Then use your child’s creation to teach them how to identify the anatomy, learn jellyfish vocabulary, and terminology, as well as create an adorable ocean craft for decoration.

Hands-On Activities-Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

Ocean Anatomy was the perfect book for our easy jellyfish lights craft.

There is so much to learn in just a few pages.

You can reference it for the life cycle of a jellyfish, the anatomy of a jellyfish, facts, and a quick blurb on 5 different types of jellyfish.  

The watercolor illustrations and tidbits of information are wonderful for reference.

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft
  • Make these fun Jellyfish in a Jar to observe their movement.
  • This stunning wooden Jellyfish Puzzle would make a wonderful hands-on activity as well as a keepsake for the whole family, especially middle to high school ages.

Jellyfish Facts

  • A group of jellyfish is known as a swarm or a bloom, which can contain millions of jellyfish and spread out over 10 square miles.
  • Jellyfish are not really fish or made of jelly, they are made of 95% water and classified as invertebrates from the phylum Cnidaria.
  • There are at least 2000 different species of jellyfish and they come in a wide range of shapes and colors like pink, white, yellow, orange, green, and blue, as well as multicolored.
  • They have no brain and no heart.
  • Jellyfish eat and poop from the same spot.
  • While some are tiny, the lion’s mane jellyfish can stretch its tentacles as long as 120 feet.

Challenge your child to create more than one jellyfish species.

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

Get creative using other craft supplies to make each one as unique as their real counterparts.

I was able to find everything I used at Dollar Tree, but you may already have most of it around the house.

More Ocean Themed Activities

And add Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity.

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

Moreover, look at some of these books and fun resources to learn about jellyfish.

7 Books and Resources about Jellyfish

Add some of these books and resources to your study of jellyfish.

Finally, look how to make this fun jellyfish light craft.

Easy Jellyfish Light Craft

You will need:

  • Push light (or battery-operated tea light)
  • Clear plastic bowls or cups
  • Tissue paper
  • Ribbon
  • Hot glue gun/ stick
  • school glue

You want to make sure that your light fits inside of your bowl.

The tea lights fit everything, but they put out less light than the little tap light I used (from Dollar Tree).

First, place your bowl upside down and paint the outside with a full coat of watered-down school glue or use mod podge.

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

Cover with tissue paper in whatever color you like and press firmly into the glue. You can add multiple layers, but I like the translucent look.

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

“Paint” another coat of glue all over the top of the tissue paper to seal it well. Press the paper until it is mostly smooth. Allow it to dry.

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

Once it is completely dry you can rip off or cut the excess tissue paper left on the edges.

Flip the bowl over and glue the light into place on the inside.

I used a generous amount of hot glue and only secured the back so that I could twist off the front to change out the batteries.

You could also secure your light with adhesive velcro strips for easy removal.

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

Cut 2 or more types of ribbon to the same length, ruffled or shimmer ribbon is fun with the lights and resembles the tentacles more.

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

Hot glue the ribbon just inside the edge of the bowl all the way around.

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

If you want to, add a little detail to the body with markers or watercolor paint.

Finally, to hang your jellyfish, make a little loop on top with some of your leftover ribbons and secure it with hot glue.

How fun and simple was this easy jellyfish lights craft?

Learn How to Make an Easy Jellyfish Lights Craft

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

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

I have some fun coral reef activities and play dough invitation to play. Also, grab more ideas on my Coral Reef page and Oceans Unit Study and Lapbook.

June 9th is all about celebrating Coral Triangle Day.

It’s a day to promote ocean conservation and protection, especially in the Coral Triangle.

To mark it, I have fun coral reef activities and a play dough invitation to play.

Additionally, the Coral Triangle includes the waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and the Solomon Islands.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

While coral reefs everywhere are important, the coral triangle gains a lot of attention for its diversity within its waters.

Let’s dive into an ocean of learning about the beauty and diversity of coral reefs and the Coral Triangle.

I have books, hands-on activities, facts, and more.

Summer is the perfect time to learn more about the oceans that surround us and the unique coral reefs in them.

Coral Reef Activities Facts

  • The Coral Triangle is also known as the Amazon of the Seas.
  • Here, in the triangle, live 6 out of the world’s 7 species of marine turtles.
  • It is one of the eight major coral reef zones throughout the world, and it is recognized as a very important place of marine biodiversity and a major priority for conservation.
  • Over 600 different species of reef-building coral make their home in the triangle.
  • 76% of all the world’s coral species are found in the Coral Triangle. The area boasts the highest coral diversity in the world.
  • Researchers believe that the Coral Triangle may be where all Coral Reefs once began.
  • The most endangered species in the area are Yellowfin, Tuna Skipjack, and Bigeye Tuna.

Also, look at some of these fun coral reef books and resources.

Coral Reef Unit Study Resources

Add some of these coral reef unit study resources to your unit study.

Also, look at these hands on ideas to study about the ocean and coral reef.

More Coral Reef Activities and Resources

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Moreover, look at my huge Ocean Unit Study and Sea Turtle Unit Study.

Coral Reef Activities Play Dough Invitation

You will need:

  • 1 cup Flour
  • ½ cup table salt
  • 1 cup of Water
  • 1 Tbsp. Coconut Oil (or vegetable oil)
  • 1 tsp. Cream of tartar
  • Food coloring
  • Optional-essential oils

Also, you will need:

  • Small bowls, cups, or a divided tray
  • Shells
  • Plastic ocean creatures
  • Beads
  • Toothpicks
  • Aquarium pebbles
  • Chenille stems

First, combine flour, salt, water, coconut oil, and cream of tartar in a medium pot over medium-high heat.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Stir constantly until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and is no longer sticky.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Quickly remove from heat and put the dough onto a smooth surface.

When it cools enough to touch, knead it for a few minutes and add food coloring and essential oil mixing well.

This is the perfect time to mix in a fun beachy scented essential oil like coconut or pineapple.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Now that your playdough is ready to go you can begin building your coral reef Hands-on invitation to play.

Grab some small clear cups or use a divided tray to place all your items out in an inviting way.

Cut colorful pipe cleaners down into different lengths.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Put playdough in one bowl, beads and toothpicks in another, chenille stems, toys, shells, and any other little items you have each in their own bowl.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Encourage your child to build an ocean base with the playdough, press chenille stems into it, poke in toothpicks and stack pony beads on them, Add fish and other ocean toys.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Your child can build and rebuild unique coral reefs as they learn about their beauty and importance.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

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

Your kids will love this fun blow painting coral reef hands-on activity. Also, grab more ideas on my Coral Reef page.

Too, June 1st marks World Reef Day, a day that is a call for everyone to reflect on our beautiful coral reefs as well as come to action to protect and preserve them.

Even if you have never visited them in person, you have surely seen their beauty in pictures or videos.

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

I have a beautiful craft project to share with you which is coral reef blow painting.

It is a unique and fun activity for the kids to make and is a beautiful piece of artwork to hang up in your home as well.

This project is so fun you will probably want to make one yourself.

Coral reefs are important to us because:

  • they hold an abundance of life,
  • reefs protect coastlines from storms and erosion,
  • provide jobs for the community around them,
  • they are a source of food and medicine,
  • and are a source of recreation for those who wish to appreciate them up close.

10 World Coral Reef Day Facts

Next, look at some facts to remember on world coral reef day.

  1. The NOAA estimates that over 75% of the world’s reefs are currently threatened, and within the next 10 years, 90% of reefs will be threatened by human activities.
  2. The biggest threat to coral is climate change.
  3. Corals are animals, not plants, and are the cousins of marine animals like jellyfish and sea anemones.
  4. Corals can move. Adult coral is attached to the ocean floor but larval or baby coral can swim to find a spot to set down anchor.
  5. Coral supports 25% of ocean life, it is much like an underwater forest.
  6. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef system on Earth.
  7. Like trees, coral has growth rings inside that can help determine the age of the coral.
  8. There are over 800 different types of hard coral around the world.
  9. Coral reefs only grow up to a certain water depth which is about 200 to 300 feet.
  10. Corals eat 2 different ways- either by capturing zooplankton that floats near their polyp tentacles or by their symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae.

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

Then look at ways to protect coral reefs.

4 Ways Kids Can Preserve Coral Reefs

1. Choose Reef Friendly Sun Protection.

Many sunscreens hurt the coral reefs causing coral bleaching and stopping its development.

Instead of using sunscreen made with toxic chemicals, focus on practicing sun management cover-up, avoiding the sun during peak hours.

And opt for non-nano mineral-based sunscreen on exposed areas. These sunscreens are made with zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide.

2. Recycle And Dispose Of Trash Properly.

You may think tossing just one water bottle from the boat isn’t a big deal, but imagine millions of people doing that, or carelessly leaving trash on the beach.

These actions have big impacts on marine life including corals.

3. Research When Purchasing Aquarium Fish.  

Avoid buying living coral instead look for imitation corals, if you purchase a marine aquarium fish, make sure that it has been collected in a sustainable way.

4. Spread the Word.

Especially if you live anywhere near these precious coral reefs, you can work together with local groups to educate everyone on how important and precious they are.

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

You can find a lot of information online but here are a few books that I highly recommend you use for ocean studies; they both contain a good amount of information on coral reefs as well as the marine animals that make their home there.

More Coral Reef Ideas

Also, look at these resources for studying coral reefs.

Coral Reef Unit Study Resources

Add some of these coral reef unit study resources to your unit study.

Finally, look how to make this blow painting coral reef hands-on activity.

Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

You will need:

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

Cut straws in half to make it a little easier to blow through and direct your watercolors.

Place a sheet of watercolor paper onto a baking sheet, this can get a little messy.

Using a pipette or small paintbrush drop various sized dots of the liquid watercolor all over the bottom of the page, or you can fill the entire page for a closer up view of the coral reef.

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

Have your child blow through the straw spreading the watercolor droplets around.

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

You may wish to repeat and add more “limbs” or new coral once you see the white space.

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

I like to let some of it dry and do the dots again to create different shades and give it a little depth.

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

Allow it to dry.

Lightly add a watered-down wash of light blue onto all the white space if you like to create water.

Let your picture dry completely.

Younger children will probably want to stop here, and that is totally fine but challenge your older children to add more detail. To do this they can trace around each dried shape with a fine liner black pen to define them a bit more.

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

They can also use markers to add some fish in the painting. Use your books or Google for inspiration.

Once completely dry, lay your painted page under a couple heavy books for several hours to press the paper flat.

Create several paintings, each one will be completely unique just like the beautiful coral in the ocean.

Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity

10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

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

I have 10 sea shell activities today. And your kids will love making these fun crystal sea shells. Grab more ideas on my Seashore Watching Unit Study and Beach Lapbook.

Sea shell activities are a fun way to explore one of your favorite parts of the beach.

If you find yourself with an abundance of sea shells from your beach visits or you just want to have some seashell-themed fun I have a fun learning activity.

 I have dug up 10 great sea shell activities and put together one of my own for you.

10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

You can observe and describe seashells, identify them with a favorite guide or reference book or use them for a multitude of crafts and activities.

I am sharing a tutorial today for how to make crystal seashells.

This is an activity that can be educational as well as pretty.

Your child can place these glittery shells alongside the plainer ones on your science shelf to remember the fun they had watching them grow crystals.

Gather up handfuls of your favorite seashells and let’s see what kind of fun and learning we can do with them.

10 Stupendous Sea Shell Facts

First, look at these facts about sea shells.

  1. A sea shell is a hard, protective outer layer usually created by an animal that lives in the sea.
  2. Mollusks can make their shells become different colors by eating a variety of colorful food. Eating red seaweed gives some sea animals a red shell.
  3. There is more to the pattern of the seashell than just being pretty. Scientists believe that mollusks use the patterns and colors as engineering blueprints. The design of the shells helps the animal know where to place their mantle, ensuring they grow its shell in the right spots.
  4. People used to use sea shells as currency, even as far back as Pompei.
  5. 90% of shells are dextral, meaning their shells open to the right.
  6. There are over 100,000 varieties of mollusks including snails, clams, mussels, scallops, oysters, and more.
  7. The official term for someone who collects shells is a “conchologist”.
  8. You can guess the age of shells, a scallop, for example, produces about a ridge per day. 
  9. The largest sea shell is the Australian Trumpet, weighing up to 40 lbs.
  10. Sea shells are an excellent source of calcium carbonate making them a great choice for adding calcium to your garden beds.
10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

10 Sea Shell Activities

Get your shell on with these fun and beachy-themed crafts and activities you can do with your sea shells.

  1. Sea Shell Sand Craft
  2. Sea Shell Necklaces
  3. How to Dye Rainbow Seashells
  4. Seashell Science and Math
  5. Storytelling Seashells
  6. Sea Shell Decorations
  7. Sea Shell Craft Project
  8. Ocean-Themed Playdough Invitation
  9. Glittery Seashells
  10. Sand Clay Handprint Keepsake with Seashells
10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

More Sea Shell Activities and Beach Resources

Also, look at more summertime and sea shell fun.

In addition, look at these fun books.

4 Seashells Books for Kids

Add one or two of these books or resources to your unit study about sea shells.

Also, look at some of the science before we make this fun sea shell borax crystal.

Crystal Sea shell Science

Before we soak up the next activity let’s look at some of the science behind it.

First, it is important to know that hot water holds more borax crystals than cold or room temp. 

This is because the hot water molecules move far apart and make room for the borax crystals to dissolve.

You can extend this experiment by trying the same measurements of borax and water with different water temperatures.

As the solution cools down the saturated water molecules come back together and force the particles out of the solution.

They will then land on the nearest surface (sea shells) and then they will keep building up to form crystals.

Once dried you will really be able to see the unique crystal shapes, and how they build on different surfaces like the edges, ridges, cavities, etc/

You can purchase sea shells online or even at dollar tree but how much fun is it to use the ones you found on your last beach vacation?

10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

Finally, let’s make crystal sea shells.

How to Make Crystal Seashells

You will need:

  • Seashells
  • 4 cups hot water
  • ¼ to ½ cup borax
  • Shallow glass container
10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

Directions:

Heat the water in a microwave-safe container.

You can do it in a shallow glass container or a spouted glass measuring cup is perfect for pouring later in the activity.

The water doesn’t have to be boiling but you want it hot, as it is necessary to melt and absorb the borax crystals.

10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

Stir in the borax a few tablespoons at a time, adding more and more until it no longer dissolves.

This means the water is fully saturated.

10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

Place seashells in the bottom of a shallow glass dish and give a little space between each of them.

Lay them down upside down and right side up to observe what happens with the crystallization.

10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

Place the shallow dish in an area where they will not be disturbed.

Wait at least 24 hours before you check them for crystals.

Moving them around and removing them from the water will disturb the crystallization process.

Once they are done lay on a paper towel to dry.

Investigate your shells with a magnifying glass and a favorite resource book.

You can see here that the crystals started filling in the cavity of this conch.

10 Sea Shell Activities for Kids and Make Crystal Sea Shells

Free Coral Reef Printable Lapbook and Fun Hands-on Unit Study Ideas

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

I have a free coral reef printable lapbook. Grab more ideas on my Coral Reef, lapbook ideas, and on my best homeschool unit studies pages.

My coral reef lapbook is a fun one to do anytime of the year.

Besides a coral reef being an ecosystem, you’ll want to learn about the organisms which live there.

Free Coral Reef Printable Lapbook and Fun Hands-on Unit Study Ideas

The Great Barrier Reef is so vast it can be seen from space.

At one time it was thought coral reefs were only in shallow depths, but scientists are discovering that some are as deep as 19000 feet.

However, most coral reefs are found at 150 feet where sunlight penetrates.

What Is Coral

Coral reefs are formed by colonies of tiny coral animals.

It is formed from the hard outer skeletons of tiny animals called polyps.

When the tiny animals die, the old skeletons remain, and new coral animals grow over them.

That is how coral reefs grow.

Too, coral can only grow in warm water because polyps only eat algae.

Moreover, living polyps are what give the coral color. If they die, the reef bleaches. It becomes white or loses it color.

Coral is a type of animal that lives in colonies. Each animal consists of a polyp that is the size of an ant.

Polyps have stinging tentacles which they use to catch small plankton as they drift by.

Coral reefs have a symbiotic relationship with tiny algae called zooanthellae.

The algae live inside the polyp tentacles.

Two Main Types of Coral

There are two main types of coral. One is hard coral with an outer skeleton made of calcium carbonate and soft coral which have bits of calcium carbonate inside their bodies.

Then, add a few of these words to your coral reef unit study and lapbook.

Coral Vocabulary

  • algae – a plant like organism that turns light into energy but does not have leaves or roots
  • coral reef – have been described as underwater gardens and coral polyps have the unique ability to thrive in nutrient poor water
  • ecosystem – a community of plants and animals relying on each other to survive
  • habitat – the place where an organism or group of organisms live
  • polyp– it’s a tiny animal that looks like an upside-down jellyfish and comes in many sizes and shapes
  • phytoplankton – a type of plankton that gets its energy from the sun through photosynthesis
  • zooplankton – tiny ocean animals like some jellyfish

Next add hands-on ideas.

Free Coral Reef Printable Lapbook and Fun Hands-on Unit Study Ideas

Look at these hands-on ideas to study about coral reefs.

Coral Reef Hands-on Ideas

Coral Reef Unit Study Resources

Add some of these coral reef unit study resources to your unit study.

More Lapbook Ideas

Additionally, grab these other free homeschool lapbooks.

Free Coral Reef Printable Lapbook and Fun Hands-on Unit Study Ideas

Coral Reef Printable Minibooks

Also, look at these minibooks which come in the free coral reef lapbook.

  • 1 Color Cover for outside of the file folder
  • 1 Black and White Cover for outside of the file folder
  • 3 Main Types of Coral
  • Anatomy of Coral Polyp
  • Layers of a Reef and Soft and Hard Coral
  • How Fast Do Reefs Grow, Where Do They Form and How Many Formations Can You Name
  • Life At The Reef
  • What is a Coral Reef – Plant or Animal and What is Coral

How to Get the Free Coral Reef Lapbook

Now, how to grab the free lapbook. This is a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get access to my subscribers library and this freebie.

However, not all my freebies are in the library (wink).

I like to keep up to date with what is valuable to you so I can give you more, some freebies you must sign up again on the form below even if you are already a follower.

And it’s the only way I have of freely delivering them to you. Just follow the steps below.

► 1) Sign up on my list.
► 2) Go to your inbox and confirm your email from the automatic reply I sent you. If you’re already a confirmed subscriber, you will not have to do this. You’ll receive the freebie instantly.
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