Sea Urchin Craft

This sea urchin craft is insanely simple but it’s also totally beneficial for preschoolers as every step helps to develop skills needed for their developing handwriting and self-help skills. Kneading the clay helps to develop hand strength, placing the toothpicks helps with pincer grasp development as well as hand-eye coordination, and carefully painting the hardened sea urchin with a small paintbrush offers students another chance to work on these same skills.  While very little time is spent in preschool or even PreK on explicit handwriting lessons, much time is spent with activities like this sea urchin craft that help to develop a strong foundation of the skills that will be needed once it is time to teach children things like handwriting and how to tie their shoes! Want to make your own sear urchin? Here’s how we made this great under the sea craft.

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Gather your materials. You will need some air dry clay ( bought mine here), some toothpicks ( about 10-15 per student), paint, and a paintbrush.

Start by kneading the clay into a ball. Press lightly to make the bottom flat.

Now it’s time to add the toothpicks.

Pinch and push in. This under the sea craft is starting to look like a sea urchin!

Let dry for 2-3 days.

Time to paint! Carefully paint the clay.

Now paint the toothpicks. Your sea urchin craft is almost done!

Let dry again.

 

After you make this sea urchin craft if you are looking for more Under The Sea, preschool activities check out our Under The Sea thematic unit. It’s perfect for 3-5-year-olds with ways to differentiate most activities, it has circle time ideas, printable materials, a book list, fingerplay, and more!