Summer means FUN for the kids! From family vacations to trips to your favorite local parks or a snowball or two, the kids are always ready for a family fun activity. However, the summer heat in Louisiana or even a summer thunderstorm may interfere with your outdoor plans. But that doesn't mean your indoor fun can't be just as exciting.
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A few years ago, we created this super fun Fish Tank Paper Plate craft on Good Day Acadiana with Alex Worstell and the morning crew, and we had a blast! Check out the post from our Facebook page a few years ago:
This craft is purposely designed to create a special one-on-one kind of fun with your kids! It will let them be as creative as they like and bring an ordinary paper plates to fish-tastic status!
 Image by Tracie Ysaguire |
Fish Tank Paper Plates
What you'll need:
- Paper or Styrofoam plates
- Paint and paintbrushes
- Glitter glue pens or loose glitter
- Pipe Cleaners and/or pom-pom balls
- Stickers or other small craft items like noodles, beans, sequins, or small rocks
- Scissors
- Plastic sheet protectors or plastic wrap
- Glue and tape
- Construction Paper
- Clean up supplies
Instructions:
Get two paper plates from the pantry. It doesn't matter if it is paper or styrofoam, although I recommend styrofoam since it will offer a little more stability after they are completely painted and decorated. You will use one plate as your tank and the other as a cover for your fish tank.
Once you have your plates, begin painting one. You can make the water of the fish tank the top half of the plate and then create a sandy shore or grass on the bottom of the plate. While painting I placed a blue piece of painter's tape across the middle while painting. One reason was to have a spot to hold while the paint was still wet and the other was to try and give the water some dimension from the sandy bottom.
I used different colored blues, greens, and some white paint for my water. For my sandy bottom, I used a blend of browns, and yellows. Your kids can use whatever colors they like best!
Now put your plate aside and let it dry completely. Take the other plate and cut out the center so you just have the rim of the paper plate. This will be your fish tank cover. While your other plate is drying, you can paint your rim. We decided to paint it the same colors as the main plate, but you can decide if you want to change your colors.
 Shrimp Macaroni Image by Mia Barletto |
Now it's time to let your creativity flow!
I started by adding the bigger pieces of the tank and then continued to glue in the smaller ones. I made seagrass from the sparkly pom-pom balls we have in our craft box and I used beans with a coat of glitter glue for rocks, pipe cleaners as plants, and made some origami fish for our bowl. There are no rules here!
I think my favorite thing to create was the macaroni noodle shrimp! I just painted them orange, added a few white stripes, and added a googly eye and Voila ... we have shrimp! Watch the clip below:
Once you have all your items in place, let your fish tank plate dry. Next, take your rim of the other plate and grab your plastic sheet protector. If you don't have a plastic sheet protector, you can always use plastic wrap. You will only need a piece of the sheet protector to make the "glass" of the fish tank. Cut the sheet protector in half so you have one side to use.
Turn your paper plate rim upside down, and glue the plastic sheet protector to it. It takes a little pressing on the sides to get it to hold in place while it dries. You can even place a book or magazine on top to hold it in place while it dries and attaches to the plate. Now that both plates are dry, glue your fish tank top, (the one with the plastic sheet cover) on top of your decorated fish tank plate. The kids will love to show off their indoor aquarium to their friends and family!
Looking for more craft inspiration or at-home fun this summer?
Watch our past crafting segments with Alex Worstell on Good Day Acadiana on their YouTube Channel!
