Creating an ocean diorama is a wonderful way to discover more about marine habitats. By adding fish, sea mammals, and ocean vegetation, you can gain an idea of how the creatures of the sea live.
Children of different ages can adapt this ocean diorama project to suit their abilities. It is suggested for children ages 3 and older and generally requires two to three hours to finish.
Materials Required
Collect the following supplies:
- Shoebox
- White craft glue
- Sand
- Acrylic paint
- Paintbrush
- Craft paper
- Scissors
- Small ocean-animal figures
- Magazine pictures
Directions
- For younger children, choose a small shoebox; older children can use a larger one. If no shoebox is available, an empty cereal carton or another small cardboard box is suitable.
- Take the cover off the shoebox and set it aside for another craft. Turn the box onto its longest side, positioning the open part toward you.
- Spread school glue across the surface that is now the base of the shoebox. Scatter sand over the glue and allow it to set. Use sand collected from a nearby shore or buy some at a craft shop. This forms the ocean bottom.
- Use blue acrylic paint to cover the shoebox walls and top, representing the ocean water. Let the paint dry completely before moving on.
- Place plant and animal features on the ocean floor. Consider adding kelp, seaweed, starfish, lobsters, algae, crabs, lichens, clams, coral, and seagrass. There are multiple ways to create this marine life. Draw the pieces on construction paper, cut them out, and attach them, or buy small plastic figures. If you live close to the coast, you may also have real seaweed, coral, or seashells available for your project. These items can be glued down easily.
- After completing the ocean floor, include animals that swim through the sea. Possible choices include octopuses, jellyfish, assorted fish, sharks, stingrays, eels, dolphins, seahorses, turtles, and sea urchins.
- Use magazine images, sketch the creatures on construction paper, or find plastic figures for the diorama. Each method can be used to build your ocean scene.
- Using yarn, suspend the ocean animals from the shoebox ceiling. Others can be attached along the box walls. Older children may like arranging a school of fish in a swimming pattern on one side. Placing animals on the walls and hanging others overhead creates a three-dimensional effect.
- Allow the glue to fully dry, then put your completed ocean habitat on display.
Helpful Tips
- Protect your work surface with newspaper sheets or an outdated plastic table covering.
- Instead of painting with blue acrylic, trim metallic blue wrapping paper to the size of each wall and adhere it.
- Suspend the ocean creatures at varied heights to make them seem as though they are swimming at different depths.
- Apply pale blue plastic wrap or cellophane across the shoebox front to create the appearance of viewing the scene underwater.