Rocking Paper Sharks Craft for Kids – Free Template
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Rocking Paper Sharks Craft for Kids – Free Template
If your little ones love ocean animals, this Rocking Paper Sharks craft is going to be an absolute showstopper! With a mommy shark and baby shark that actually rock back and forth, each one featuring a bold blue folded body, a tall dorsal fin, a sweeping tail fin, a pectoral fin on the side, a softly painted white belly, drawn on gills, and giant googly eyes — plus optional eyelashes on mommy shark for extra personality — this shark duo is as impressive as it is irresistible. Whether you're exploring ocean animals at home, planning a Shark Week theme in the classroom, or just looking for a fun summer craft that doubles as a toy, this Rocking Paper Sharks craft is guaranteed to make a splash from the very first fold of the paper.
Why Kids Love This Craft
There's something wonderfully playful about a craft that actually moves — the rocking motion of the folded half circle body makes every finished shark feel like a toy as much as a piece of art, and kids absolutely love giving them a gentle push and watching them rock back and forth. Making both a mommy shark and a baby shark together makes the craft feel like a complete little family, and the size difference between the two gives the finished display a sweet and charming quality. It's a wonderful craft for building fine motor skills through coloring, folding, cutting, and gluing, and because every kid personalizes the gills, mouth, and eyelashes differently, no two shark families ever look exactly the same.
What You'll Need
- Free printable Rocking Paper Sharks template from CraftyYak.com
- Blue paper or blue paint (pro tip — print the template directly on blue paper to save time!)
- White or light blue paint for the belly
- Darker blue paper for the fins
- Googly eyes — 1/2 inch for mommy shark, 1/4 inch for baby shark
- Black marker for gills, mouth, and eyelashes
- Scissors
- Glue
How to Make Rocking Paper Sharks
Step 1 — Print and color the template. Download the free Rocking Paper Sharks template from CraftyYak.com and print it out. Color or paint both shark bodies blue — or save time by printing the template directly onto blue construction paper and skipping the coloring step entirely!
Step 2 — Cut out all the pieces. Carefully cut out all the pieces for both sharks — the body circles, dorsal fins, tail fins, and pectoral fins for mommy shark and baby shark. Take your time on the fin edges for the cleanest and most realistic finished look.
Step 3 — Fold the bodies in half. Fold each shark body circle in half along the fold line. This is the magic step that creates the rocking base — the rounded bottom is what allows the sharks to rock back and forth once assembled!
Step 4 — Paint the bellies. Using white or light blue paint, paint a soft curved belly area along the lower portion of each folded shark body. This lighter belly color gives the sharks a beautiful and realistic ocean animal look. Let the paint dry completely before moving on.
Step 5 — Glue on the fins. Glue the dorsal fin to the top center of each shark body, the tail fin to the back left, and the pectoral fin to the lower right side. Press everything down firmly and let the glue set. This is the step where the sharks really start to look like sharks!
Step 6 — Add the googly eyes. Glue a googly eye to the front right portion of each shark face. Use a larger googly eye for mommy shark and a smaller one for baby shark to keep the size proportions feeling right.
Step 7 — Draw the details. Using a black marker draw three curved gill lines behind the eye on each shark, a smile or mouth at the front, and optional eyelashes above mommy shark's eye for extra charm and personality.
Your rocking paper shark family is ready to make a splash! 🦈🌊
Tips for Making It Even Better
- Print the template directly onto blue cardstock instead of regular paper for the boldest most vibrant color and the sturdiest rocking base — cardstock holds its shape much better than regular paper and gives the sharks a more polished professional finished look.
- Use a slightly darker blue paper for the fins than the body to give the sharks a beautiful two tone effect that looks incredibly realistic.
- Let the belly paint dry completely before gluing on any fins — rushing this step can cause smearing and muddy the clean white and blue contrast.
- Display mommy shark and baby shark side by side on a blue paper ocean background with some drawn on waves for a gorgeous finished ocean scene that kids will be proud to show off all summer long!