10 Cool and Fun Beach Crafts for Preschool

| Last Updated: February 8, 2023

Summer is probably a crowd favorite season, especially for young children. After all, most kids enjoy the beach. If you are looking for ways to bring the summer vibe into your classroom, you’re in the right place! Today, we’ll share some cool beach crafts that your preschoolers will surely enjoy.

Great Beach Crafts for Preschool

Creativity | Concentration | Fine Motor Skills

1. Tissue Paper & Paper Plate Beach Ball Craft

The young ones will definitely have fun with this simple yet amazing activity. The materials are also very accessible, and most importantly, it’s super easy to make!

First, take your paper plate and use a marker to outline the different sections for your beach ball. Next, cut some colored tissue paper into small squares and keep them in separate files for each section of the beach ball. 

Then, place some glue in each section of the divided paper plate. You can then paste the tissue paper on top until each section is completely covered. Make sure to use different colors for each section. Finally, add other desired decorations on your beach ball and display them for everyone to see!

Materials Needed:

  • Large Paper Plate
  • Colorful Tissue Paper
  • Colored Cardstock or Construction Paper
  • Black Marker
  • School Glue
  • Kid Friendly Craft Scissors

For more information about this amazing craft, you may visit gluedtomycraftsblog.com.

Creativity | Concentration | Fine Motor Skills

2. Sandy Handprint Keepsake

This simple yet adorable craft will surely put a smile on your children’s faces. It is a perfect summer time activity to keep them busy on your next beach trip!

You can start by measuring the plaster and then keeping it in a resealable plastic bag. Then pack it, along with the other materials, in your beach bag. At the beach, find a spot with clean sand and make the kid’s hand impression there. Afterwards, carry up some seawater in your pail and mix an appropriate amount of it with the plaster in the bag.

Knead the plastic bag until the plaster is completely mixed. Now you’re ready to fill all your molds with the plaster. Wait for a bit and let it harden. Finally, gently remove the print and give it a quick rinse.  

Materials Needed:

  • Plaster of Paris
  • Resealable Plastic Bag
  • Measuring Cup
  • Watertight Pail

Want to know more about this awesome craft? Go check out craftingagreenworld.com.

Creativity | Concentration | Fine Motor Skills

3. Tape Resist Surfboard Craft

Photo credit: andnextcomesl.com

Looking for a summer-vibe craft that is more suited for younger kids? This might just be it! This craft is so simple and is great for kids of all ages, from toddlers to preschoolers.

First off, take the cardstock and cut a surfboard shape out of it. Next, create two strips of tape by cutting a piece of painter’s tape lengthwise. 

Then, paste the strips of tape on the middle of the cardstock. Once that’s done, it’s time to proceed with painting and decorating! Let the kids decorate their surfboards however they want. 

When they’re done, peel off the tape to reveal the stripes on the surfboard. Viola, you’re done!

Materials Needed:

  • White Cardstock
  • Painter’s Tape
  • Scissors
  • Dot Markers or Washable Kids’ Paint

You can find more details on this lovely craft and a whole lot more at andnextcomesl.com.

Creativity | Concentration | Fine Motor Skills

4. Seashell Necklaces

Photo credit: momsandcrafters.com

This pretty and chic craft is a perfect activity for a summer camp or a beach party with the kids! It’s easy to make with minimal guidance, so your preschoolers will surely enjoy it.

First, soften the clay with your fingers then flatten it. Add a few drops of water-based paint and mix it up. Next, press your clay into a coin shape that’s around ¼ inch thicker and larger than your shell. 

Decorate your clay with glitters, beads, or chalk shavings. Finally, press the shell in the center and poke a hole using the back of your paintbrush. Then, paint it with two layers of polymer clay glaze and bake to seal. Add the string and knots and you’re done!

 Materials Needed:

  • Clay
  • Water-based Paint
  • Microbeads
  • Glass Glitter
  • Chalk Pastels
  • Small Seashells
  • Polymer Clay Glaze
  • Paintbrush
  • String

Feel free to check out momsandcrafters.com to find out more details about this cute activity.

Creativity | Concentration | Fine Motor Skills

5. Orange Peels Crab Craft

Photo credit: littleladoo.com

Looking for fun ways to recycle leftover citrus peels? Then it’s your lucky day, ’cause this crab craft is exactly what you need. It’s very easy and the kids will surely enjoy working on it, too!

You can start by cutting the orange in half and separating the fruit from the peel. Take the peel, and cut out a small part of the peel so it looks like a crab claw. 

Next, make thin slits for the legs and claws. For your base, paste the blue cardstock on top of brown craft paper. Let it dry. Afterwards, you can glue the peels on your base using a glue gun. Add the googly eyes and use the marker to draw a smile. Finally, add some seashells to decorate the rest of the base. That’s it!

Materials Needed:

  • Blue Cardstock
  • Brown Craft Paper
  • Orange Peels
  • Hot Glue Gun
  • Googly Eyes
  • Black Permanent Marker
  • Shells (optional)

For more information about this cool activity, go check out littleladoo.com.

Creativity | Concentration | Fine Motor Skills

6. Paper Plate Fish

Photo credit: hunnyimhomediy.com

Kids can’t wait to go to the beach? Bring the ocean to them through this adorable beach craft! It’s simple and easy, so they’ll have lots of fun working on it.

First off, create the fish’s mouth by cutting a triangle out of the yellow paper plate. Over the top of the mouth, glue a googly eye. For the tail, take your full-size cupcake wrapper and fold it in half twice. Then, glue the pointed end to the back of the paper plate.

Next, create the fins by flattening mini cupcake wrappers and cutting them in half. Then, glue a row of mini cupcake wrappers along the center of the plate, overlapping each of the wrappers slightly. Use a different color for each row to make it more attractive.

Materials Needed:

  • Yellow Paper Plate
  • Mini Cupcake Wrappers (yellow, red, green, blue, and purple)
  • Yellow Full-size Cupcake Wrapper
  • Googly Eyes
  • Glue
  • Scissors

Loved this craft? Visit hunnyimhomediy.com for more details.

Creativity | Concentration | Fine Motor Skills

7. Starfish Footprint Art

Photo credit: easypeasyandfun.com

Looking for an ocean animal craft that will suit both your toddlers and preschoolers? This quick and simple activity will make them giggle as they work on it.

The steps are easy-peasy! First, paint your little one’s foot with orange paint. Then, press it down on the blue construction paper. Rinse it and repeat four more times in a circular pattern, toes pointing towards the center. 

Afterward, you should be able to see a star-like shape that has formed. Then, use the permanent marker and have the kids draw in the eyes and mouth. They can even decorate it however they would like. A piece of cake, isn’t it? Finally, let it dry and put it on display for everyone to see.

Materials Needed:

  • Blue Construction Paper
  • Orange Paint
  • Permanent Marker

Discover more about this craft and a whole lot more at easypeasyandfun.com. You might as well check out more of our favorite starfish crafts for preschoolers!

Creativity | Concentration | Fine Motor Skills

8. Paper Bowl Jellyfish

Photo credit: firstpalette.com

This wonderful jellyfish craft will surely leave your preschoolers in awe! You can start by punching a hole at the center of your paper bowl using a pencil. 

Then, paint the paper bowl. Jellyfishes are mostly pink, blue, and purple, but you can also let the kids choose what color they want. Let the initial paint dry and then paint some details on each jellyfish.

Afterwards, cut a string around 10 inches in length, then tie one of its ends to a paper clip or button. Insert its free end inside the center hole of your paper bowl. Next, create the tentacles by cutting strips of tissue or crepe paper. 

Finally, glue the tentacles inside of your paper bowl and add a face by using googly eyes and drawing a smile. That’s it, you’re done!

Materials Needed:

  • Paper Bowl
  • Tissue Paper or Crepe Paper 
  • Paint
  • Paintbrush
  • Scissors
  • White Glue
  • Pencil
  • String
  • Paper Clip or Button
  • Googly Eyes

You can learn more about this cute craft at firstpalette.com.

Creativity | Concentration | Fine Motor Skills

9. Sand Dough Sculptures and Ornaments

Photo credit: pinkstripeysocks.com

Your preschoolers will fall head over heels with this simple and fun summertime activity! First off, combine two cups of sand, one cup of cornstarch, and one cup of water in an old pot. Cook the mixture over low heat while constantly stirring it. 

Once it thickens, you can then pull it off the stove and let it cool down. While waiting, cover your work area so there’ll be less mess to clean up after.

As soon as the dough cools down, you can give it to the kids and they can start working on their sand dough sculptures. Finally, let the sculptures dry overnight, and make sure to flip them over to ensure that both sides are dry. 

Materials Needed:

  • Sand
  • Cornstarch
  • Water 
  • Old Pot
  • Old Spoon
  • Tooth Picks, Perler Beads, and Alphabet Stamps (optional)

Looking for more details on this amazing craft? Go check out pinkstripeysocks.com to learn more!

Creativity | Concentration | Fine Motor Skills

10. Paper Plate Beach Scene Craft

Photo credit: glitteronadime.com

Young ones will surely enjoy creating this wonderful masterpiece! It’s beautiful and simple, so it’s going to be a piece of cake for your preschoolers or kids of any age. With very basic materials needed, they can even work on it on their beach trip. Pretty cool, right?

To begin, all they need to do is paint the paper plate with blue on the top half, and gold on the bottom half. After they’ve finished the coloring, it’s time to decorate the beach! Let them add stickers, such as fishes in the sea, sandcastles by the shore, or anything they want. Let their imagination be the limit!

Materials Needed:

  • Paint Sticks or Markers (blue and gold or yellow)
  • Paper Plates
  • Beach Themed Stickers

If you’re curious about this amazing activity, you can find more details at glitteronadime.com, along with other awesome crafts.

Conclusion

So there you have it — ten awesome beach crafts that are perfect as summer time activities for your preschoolers. Summer is indeed a fun season, especially for the young ones. 

We hope our list helps you to make your little artist’s summer even more meaningful and enjoyable. Thank you for reading! Come back and check out our other articles on preschool crafts.



Hi, I'm Amanda! Welcome to Education Outside! Im passionate about educating young minds and helping parents/teachers by providing easy and effective teaching resources. Check out all of my teaching resources on my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

0
YOUR CART
  • No products in the cart.