Download the Shark Template and make this Easy Beach Craft for Preschoolers. Find step-by-step instructions, Craft Templates, and Free Printables on CraftingJeannie.com!
Check out this simple and cute paper shark! Kids will love making it. It’s perfect for a Baby Shark Party, an Ocean School Lesson, or a Shark Week Craft (Discovery Channel).
I fell in love with a shark on IHeartCraftyThings.com, and wanted to make a version with a template that was great for a group of kids.
Get the Free Paper Shark Printable below and you will be able to make enough supplies for a group of 20 kids (or more!) with about 10 minutes of cutting.
Do you want more Ocean fun? My Ocean Animal Activity Packet will entertain kids for hours. It includes 12 printable activities and 2 craft templates!
Watch the Shark Craft Video or Continue Reading for Step-by-Step Instructions
What You Need:
Here’s what you need (This post contains affiliate links to the products mentioned. Read my disclosure policy for more information):
- Free Paper Shark Printable <— Get it Here!
- construction paper, colored copy paper, or colored cardstock
- scissors
- stapler
- glue sticks
Make this Preschool Shark craft while reading these Fun Books:
Step 1: Download and Print the Shark Craft Template
Download the Free Paper Shark Printable. You will be stapling the shark template to sheets of colored paper and cutting out shapes up to 10 at a time. You will need:
- Free Paper Shark Printable <— Get it here!
- light blue paper for the body and fins.
- red paper for the mouth
- white paper for the body and teeth
Step 2: Staple and Cut Out the Shark Body and Fins
Once you have the print outs, staple them to up to 10 sheets of copy paper or construction paper or 5 sheets of cardstock.
The shark appears to be on gray paper, but it’s actually the standard light blue that comes in a construction paper pack.
So, did you know, you can staple together 10 pieces of copy paper and cut out 10 shapes at a time?! That’s my SECRET to fast & easy crafting.
Stapling the paper is very important because it makes sure it doesn’t move as you cut. The more staples the better. Cardstock is the thickest so you may only be able to cut 5 sheets at a time.
Tip: While you’re cutting, if you cut off all parts of the pages that have staples, make sure to re-staple the sheets that are left.
Whenever you’re cutting multiple sheets at a time, make sure they are always stapled together!
Step 3: Staple and Cut Out the Shark Mouth and Teeth
For the white and red parts of the shark, you can save paper by cutting the template in half before you staple. Staple the template to the paper and start cutting!
Step 4: Cut Out the Eyes or Use Googly Eyes
I’ve included a template for the shark’s eyes. You can always choose to use googly eyes or have the kids draw their own. If you want to use the template, here’s how.
Cutting out the shark’s eyes is a little bit more difficult because you want to keep the printed outline for the craft. You will need to print or copy the eye page for as many as you need. Again, you can cut the template in half to save paper.
Staple the pages together and cut out multiple pieces at once. Just make sure you line the paper up perfectly before stapling. Hold them up to the light and rotate the paper until they all line up. So, line up all those shark eyeballs and get cutting!
Step 5: How to Assemble This Ocean Craft
The kids will just need to glue it all together! Watch my Shark Video or just follow the steps below.
- Glue the light blue semi-circle and white semi-circle together to make a full circle.
- Glue the two moon shaped fins on either side of the shark face.
- Glue the triangle fin on the top of the light blue of the face.
- Glue the red mouth onto the white half of the face.
- Glue the white teeth onto the red mouth.
- Glue or draw on the eyes.
- Don’t forget to write your name on the back.
Step 1: Glue the light blue semi-circle and white semi-circle together to make a full circle
Step 2: Glue the two moon-shaped fins on either side of the shark face.
Step 3: Glue the triangle fin on the top of the light blue of the face.
Step 4: Glue the red mouth onto the white half of the face.
Step 5: Glue the white teeth onto the red mouth.
Step 6: Glue or draw on the eyes. Don’t forget to write you’re name on the back.
And you’re finished!
It took me about 10 minutes to have the supplies for 20 kids. How amazing is that?! Now you’re ready to take your Paper Shark craft to your event. This would be a great craft for an ocean lesson, preschool, elementary school, girl scouts, boy scouts or just a fun school party idea.
More Ocean Crafts & Activities
If you liked this craft, check out some of my other ocean crafts and animal crafts.
As always, I try to make my classroom and party crafts fast, easy & inexpensive. Enjoy!
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Want to remember this? Post this craft to your favorite Pinterest board!
My kids loved this activity! I paired it with the book Shark vs Train by Chris Barton. After we read the story some of the students made sharks, some made trains and then retold parts of the story.
Oh my, what a great idea!! Sounds like the kids had a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Really looking forward to doing this activity with my two young grandsons
That’s so exciting! Thanks for downloading the template, let me know if you have any questions 🙂
Great crafts for toddler program
So glad you like them, thanks for the feedback 🙂