Baby Shark Do Do Do Do Do Do Do! Some people may find that song a little annoying… but one thing it’s shown us is that kids love sharks! Well here’s a build a shark craft for all the future marine biologists out there.
It’s a simple craft in which your kids will need to cut out and correctly put together the pieces to make a cute shark.
This craft is great for toddlers and preschoolers because it’s so easy to do!
And there’s a color and a plain template – so your little ones can create and customize their own super sharks!
It could also make a lovely activity for anyone having a shark or undersea themed party!
Other free ‘build-a-‘ characters you may want to check out:
- Build-A-Unicorn
- Build-A-Fairy
- Build-A-Superhero
- Build-A-Leprechaun
- Build-A-Pirate
- Build-An-Easter Bunny
I’ve created quite a lot more characters and animals and will be uploading them when I can – so be sure to check back regularly.
What Skills Can Your Children Learn And Practice?
When making this build a shark craft, your children will have the chance to practice and develop some skills such as:
- Cutting Skills – if you feel they’re ready, you can let them have a go at cutting out the pieces all by themselves – they’ll need to be careful and have good scissor control if they want to cut out the pieces neatly
- Fine Motor Skills – when they’re sticking and picking up and moving the parts and placing them where they need to go
- Body Knowledge – great for the little ones to think about how the different parts of an animal’s body fit together
- Pencil Control – if you print off the black and white version they can practice their pencil control and develop hand strength through coloring.
This simple shark craft will also give them a chance to practice their concentration and perseverance skills as they may find it tricky to place the pieces exactly where they want them to go.
How To Prepare This Build a shark Craft
First you’re going to want to download the free shark templates by clicking on the ‘click here for free printables’ image at the bottom of the page – I’ve made a color and a black and white version!
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Other materials you’ll need:
- Safety scissors
- Card Stock or Craft Paper
- Glue
- The printable build a shark templates
- Some coloring pencils or pens
Once you’ve downloaded the templates, you’ll need to print them off onto paper or card.
Then, you can cut them out. Or if you’d like your children to get some cutting practice, you can let them have a go.
Then you can stick all the pieces together to build your shark.
It can be really nice to let you’re kids have a bit of free rein here and see if they can work it out – kind of like a puzzle.
If they’re struggling, the order I’d do it in is:
- Stick the eyes on the body
- Stick the mouth on the body
- Stick the tail on the body
- Stick the three fins on the body
(I expect you could have worked that out but I do like to be thorough…)
The finished one should look something like this:
If you want to you could always laminate them and use them as a puzzle. That way the different parts would be kept nice and they can use them again and again.
I’ve also created even more cute characters which I will be releasing in the coming weeks so they could use them together in a mix and match game as well (if you don’t want to miss them you can turn on notifications by clicking on the bell in the bottom right corner).
Other free ‘build-a-‘ characters you may want to check out:
- Free Build-A-Unicorn Printable
- Free Build-A-Leprechaun Printable
- Free Build-A-Pirate Printable
- Free Build-A-Fairy Printable
If you don’t have a laminator at home here’s an affordable and reliable one (definitely worth investing in if you plan to make a lot of printables!):
After that you’re all done!
Let your kids practice their cutting and sticking skills in a simple and fun way!
But Wait… There’s Also A Black And White Build A Shark Craft!
I’ve also made a black and white version which would be an awesome way for your little ones to practice their coloring skills and personalize their sharks in their own way!
So why not crack out the pens, crayons, paints or collage (or all of them if you’re feeling adventurous) and let your kids get creative!
I’d love to see what they create!
Grab the Build a Shark Printables
To grab both the free build a shark templates as well as all the other printables I’ve created click on the image below:
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I hope your children enjoy making this simple shark craft – be sure to check back in for more educational and free printables.
Until next time,
Let’s nurture those neurons!
If your little ones enjoyed these please share the love by sharing the post. And if you have any feedback or anything that you would like me to try to create give me a shout out in the comments below. Thanks!
Some More Free Preschool and Kindergarten Activities You Can Do At Home:
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