Neon Paper Plate Jellyfish Craft for Preschoolers and Toddlers
Have you ever planned a craft thinking “this will be quick and easy”, only for it to turn into an entire day of neon ocean art? 🙋♀️ Yep, same here.
The plan was simple: make a neon paper plate jellyfish craft with my two-year-old. I grabbed a paper plate, thinking he’d finger paint it like he usually does. But the second he saw my bin of funky paintbrushes and sponges, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. And honestly, I’m all about a good pivot if it means he’s engaged, learning, and having fun.
We dug out the leftover neon paints from my five-year-old’s birthday party (which, side note, was the coolest neon glow party ever – black lights, neon paint splatters everywhere, streamers, loud music, total vibe). We had plenty of paint left, and what better way to use it up than crafting bright jellyfish?
What You’ll Need For This Neon Jellyfish Craft
- Paper plate
- Neon paint (or any paint you have)
- Paintbrushes, foam brushes, or sponges
- Scissors
- Googly eyes (or draw your own with paper and markers)
- Colored paper strips, ribbon, yarn, or whatever you have for tentacles
- Glue
Neon Jellyfish Craft for Preschoolers: Step-by-Step
Prep your jellyfish base.
Take a paper plate and cut off the bottom section in a wavy line (or straight if you prefer). We cut ours about 2/3 down so the jellyfish body was big enough to decorate.
Paint it up!
Let your kiddos choose their colors and painting tools. My two-year-old used sponge brushes, textured brushes (found at the dollar store), and traditional brushes to swirl and dab bright neon pinks, oranges, yellows, blues, and purples. If you don’t have neon paint who cares! use whatever paint you have on hand.
Let it dry.
This is the perfect snack or movement break moment.
Add the tentacles.
We used bright paper strips, but you can use ribbon, yarn, tinfoil, or cut paper strips from your scrap bin. Tape or glue them to the back of your jellyfish.
Attach the eyes.
Giant googly eyes make everything better. My little one insisted his jellyfish needed a smile too, though his “smiles” are always these straight-line mouths while he sucks in his lips and says, “Look! It’s happy!” 😂
Real-Life Tip Time
I love using what I already have. It can get so expensive to buy new craft supplies for every project.
Meet yourself where you are, just like you meet your kiddos where they are.
If you don’t have googly eyes, cut out paper circles.
No paper plates? Cut a jellyfish body shape out of construction paper or cardboard.
The goal is creativity and connection, not spending every penny or adding more craft clutter to your already bursting bins.
Trust me, as a craft supply hoarder myself, I get it.
Extend the Learning
Want to take this jellyfish craft further? Try these ideas:
Movement fun: Use finished jellyfish as puppets and dance them through the “ocean” while listening to calming ocean sounds or upbeat sea-themed songs.
Color sorting: Create jellyfish in different colors and match tentacles to their bodies.
Letter learning: Write letters on tentacles. As kids glue them on, they can name each letter.
Counting practice: Add a certain number of tentacles to each jellyfish and count them aloud.
Adapting for Different Ages
- Toddlers (2-3 years): Pre-cut the plate, offer large brushes, and let them explore freely.
- Preschoolers (3-5 years): Let them cut the plate themselves (with supervision) for scissor practice. Encourage pattern-making with paint or cutting different tentacle textures.
- Older kids (5+): Challenge them to research real jellyfish and design their tentacles to match their favorite species.
🐠 More Neon Ocean Art Projects
This simple jellyfish craft turned into a full-on neon ocean art day at our house. Check out the other projects we created from this crafting session:
Or dive into the three-in-one ocean art post for all the details in one place.
Related Ocean Activities You’ll Love
- Ocean Tracing Printable Pack
- Ocean Pre-writer Printable Pack
- Mermaid and Shark Bookmarks (Free Printable Craft!)
💬 Final Thoughts From The Coral Reef
One of my favorite parts of this neon jellyfish craft for preschoolers was watching where he wanted to take it. It’s easy to have a plan in mind, but some of the best moments come when we let go of our expectations and follow the lead of the littles we’re creating with.
Today, it was neon paint and jellyfish with googly eyes and smiles. Tomorrow, who knows? ✨
I’d love to see your bright jellyfish creations and hear how your kiddos made them their own. Share your masterpieces with us in our Facebook group I can’t wait to celebrate their creativity with you!
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