Beautiful Rainbow Fish Papercraft for Kids
Celebrate the timeless classic ‘The Rainbow Fish’ with a gorgeous rainbow fish papercraft for kids! If you haven’t read it yet, now’s a great time for it!
Would you want to be the most beautiful person in the world, or would you rather share your beauty in exchange for friendship?
Well, of course, that’s a rhetorical question, but it was a real problem for the rainbow fish, called “the most beautiful fish in the entire ocean” in Marcus Pfister‘s book, ‘The Rainbow Fish‘!
The Rainbow Fish is unlike the other fish in the ocean – he has beautiful sparkly scales that make him stand out. However, he enjoys his beauty too much to share his scales, and the result is that he ends up with his scales intact – but with no friends.
So what happens next? Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out!
In the meantime, let’s make a beautiful rainbow fish papercraft complete with shiny, silvery scales. Kids will love making the craft after reading the story – and it’s one that has stood the test of time!
Beautiful Rainbow Fish Papercraft for Kids
Supplies required:
- Colored craft papers
- Sliver colored craft paper
- Pencil
- Craft glue
- A pair of scissors
- Googly eyes
How to make the Rainbow Fish Papercraft:
1. Download and print the Rainbow Fish Papercraft template. The template contains the parts of the rainbow fish, including body, head, mouth, scales, fins and tail. You’ll also find some squiggly patterns – we’ll tell you what they’re for soon!
2. Trace the parts of the pattern on craft paper and cut them out. We’re sticking to the color theme of the original rainbow fish in the book, which means shades of blue, green, purple and silver. You can also add a little pink if you’re feeling it. Keep the body of the fish white – it’s going to get covered up anyway.
3. Let’s answer your question about the squiggly bits – they’re to stick on the fins and tail patterns! Another thing you could try is use a 3D metallic marker to draw the squiggles on the fins.
4. Put aside the fins and tail and let’s move on to the main part of our rainbow fish papercraft – the body. Start sticking the scales from the tail end of the fish. Make sure to alternate the colors – use the original picture as a guide.
5. Continue adding more scales as you move forward, and don’t forget to intersperse the plain paper scales with the shiny ones – that’s what lies at the center of the story!
6. Once you’ve finished adding your scales, stick the front fin at the bottom of the rainbow fish papercraft.
7. That white space in the front is jarring, isn’t it? Let’s fix it by sticking the fish head on it – let it overlap the scales a little. Stick the mouth at the front of the fish head.
8. Stick on a jumbo googly eye – the rainbow fish papercraft is looking good!
9. Attach the two remaining bottom fins with glue.
10. All that’s left to do is to stick on the top fin and the tail.
And just like that – your rainbow fish papercraft is complete and it’s looking great!
Reading the story and making this rainbow fish papercraft is a great reminder about what’s really important in life – and it’s not just for the kids! In a society that puts far too much importance on looks and vanity, it’s refreshing to read a book that reminds us about the triviality of appearances, and the value of friends!
If you like fish crafts, here are some projects you may enjoy:
- Hooray for Fish Chalk Marker Art
- X-Ray Fish Recycled CD Craft
- One Fish Two Fish Paper Quilling Craft
- Easy Origami Koi Fish Craft
- Rainbow Fish Paper Collage Art
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