Adorable Turtle Craft and 13 Ocean Animal Crafts Galore

Ocean animals are fascinating! A fan favorite is always the sea turtle. There are so many fun facts kids enjoy learning about sea turtles. A sea turtle craft is a great way to begin or wrap up a study about ocean life with kids. Continue reading to learn how to make this adorable craft with your students.

Fun Facts About Sea Turtles

A super fun activity to complete before a craft is some research! Use books or the internet to find facts that will fascinate kids. If you and your kiddos do a study about sea turtles, try including these fun facts for them!

• Sea turtles have existed for over 100 million years, even longer than dinosaurs!
• Seven different species of sea turtles exist, including the Leatherback, Green, Loggerhead, Hawksbill, Kemp’s Ridley, Olive Ridge, and flatback.
• Sea turtles are amazing travelers! Some sea turtles migrate thousands of miles across the ocean from their feeding grounds to their nesting beaches.
• Even though sea turtles live in the ocean, they have lungs and must come to the surface to breathe air.
• Sea turtles have hard shells, called carapaces, that protect them from predators. The shape and color of the shell vary among different species.
• Sea turtles can live for a long time. Some species can live for 50-100 years in the wild. The oldest documented sea turtle was 150 years old.
• Female sea turtles return to the same beach where they were born to lay their eggs. They dig a hole in the sand and lay about 100 eggs at a time!
• Baby sea turtles, called hatchlings, have to make a dangerous journey from their nest on the beach to the ocean. They follow the light of the moon to find their way. That’s why, during hatching season, beaches need to be completely dark.
• Sea turtles have different diets depending on their species. For example, Green sea turtles mainly eat seagrass and algae, while Leatherbacks love to eat jellyfish.
• Unfortunately, all seven species of sea turtles are considered threatened or endangered due to factors like habitat loss, pollution, and hunting. Many people try hard to protect them!

How to Make a Turtle Craft

Creating this fun Sea Turtle Craft is simple! Like most of my crafts, the instructions are easy to follow and kids can complete them independently. Add these sweet crafts to your bulletin boards or lessons this summer.

Supplies Needed:

• Construction paper
• Scissors
• Printable template
• Glue
• Crayons or colored pencils if students are coloring

Instructions:

1. Begin by printing and cutting out the pieces of the turtle craft template.
2. Then, glue the four legs to the turtle shell. Place them underneath the shell.
3. Add the tail and the head.
4. Next, add the squares to the turtle shell.
5. Finally, add the turtle’s facial features.

Check out this quick video to learn how to make a sea turtle craft! The step-by-step instructions are easy enough for kids to follow on their own.

When to Use a Sea Turtle Craft

Do you love this craft but are unsure when you could use it? Here are some ideas!

Use the craft while studying the letter T! Discuss many words that start with T, and then allow each child to make a turtle!

Add this turtle craft to your fine motor centers. It’s a great way to practice cutting and pasting during centers.

The turtle craft can easily be added to morning work bins as an activity to invite them into the day. Display the instructions on the board so they know what to do independently.

Research sea turtles and complete this fun craft to wrap up the lessons. Kids will appreciate the visual project!

Decorate your walls with ocean animals, including this sea turtle. If you have an ocean-themed room, this craft will make perfect decor!

Check out the Ocean Animal Crafts Bundle

If you like this sea turtle craft, you will enjoy the other 12 crafts in the Ocean Animal Crafts Bundle! Along with the sea turtle, you will find:

• Crab
• Dolphin
• Fish
• Jellyfish
• Octopus
• Pufferfish
• Scuba Diver
• Seahorse
• Shark
• Sea Turtle

There’s a craft for tons of fun ocean animals. Use them to decorate your bulletin board, showcase students’ work, discuss a theme being researched, or match your classroom theme!

I hope you enjoy this adorable turtle craft as much as I do!!

For more amazing bulletin board crafts, check out these posts:

• Transportation Crafts Your Kiddos Will Love Making!
• Blast Off in Learning Using a Rocket Name Craft
• Cute Summer Sun Hat Craft for Kids