25+ Octopus Activities For Kids That you Might Know!

Did you know that the oldest octopus🐙 fossil belongs to an octopus that lived over 250 million years ago? Octopuses are fascinating sea-dwelling animals known for having eight legs. 

My children are absolutely fascinated by octopuses, and why wouldn’t they be? Even as an adult, I am mesmerized by them. 

Teaching your children🧒 about octopuses will fuel their curiosity about the other wonderful sea creatures that exist and can even make them compassionate toward the cause of conservation. 

These art projects and snack ideas are catered toward toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary school kids. 

Entertaining octopus activities 

While coming up with these activities for my children🧒, I learned that the octopus is not only able to regenerate their fallen limbs but that each tentacle has a mind of its own, which helps the octopus🐙 multitask. 

There are so many other fascinating facts about octopuses that will open your child🧒up to exploring the marvels of the natural world. 

Hopefully, with these activities and snack ideas, you are able to do the same for your child. 

Paper Roll Octopus For Preschoolers 

My daughter loved this exercise, and she was impressed with the final outlook. 

What you need- 

Scissors✂️, marker, glue, googly eyes👀, scissors✂️, paint🎨, paintbrush🖌️, and toilet paper roll🧻. 

Steps- 

• Ask your child🧒 to paint the toilet paper roll🧻 with their favorite color. 
• Then, supervise them as they cut eight strips from the bottom of the paper roll🧻 halfway up the roll🧻. 
• Curl each tentacle at the end. 
• Paste the googly eyes👀 with the glue and draw a smile using the marker. 

Sock Octopus Craft 

Help your child🧒 make sock octopus🐙 puppets to play with. 

What you need- 

Old socks, cotton stuffing, rubber, pipe cleaners, googly eyes👀, and glue. 

Steps- 

• Stuff the part of the sock where the toes go with cotton stuffing. Tie a rubber band where the cotton stuffing ends. 
• Cut the ends of the socks into eight tentacles. 
• Glue the googly eyes👀 on the sock head. 

Pro Tip- 

You can make this craft with other old clothes, like gloves. 

Octopus Ritz Cracker Snack 

My children🧒 are obsessed with the ocean. Therefore, for their late afternoon snack, I made them this simple octopus🐙 snack. 

What you need- 

Raisins, Salted Crackers, Pretzel Sticks, and Peanut Butter. 

Steps- 

• Apply a thin layer of peanut butter on two salted Ritz Crackers. 
• On one of the crackers, stick eight pretzel sticks and place the other cracker on top. 
• Dip two raisins in peanut butter and paste them on the cracker. Repeat the process. 

Pasta Octopus Craft 

My children🧒 are fascinated with octopuses. With this activity, they can work on strengthening their fine motor and counting skills. 

What you need- 

Hole punch, markers, pipe cleaners, colored penne pasta, paper plate, and colored markers. 

Steps- 

• Using the colored markers, ask your child🧒 to make an octopus🐙 face on the paper plate. 
• Use the single-hole punch, punch eight holes, and feed eight separate pipe cleaners through each hole. Secure the pipe cleaners by tying the knot. 
• Feed the colored penne pasta through each pipe cleaner and then tie a knot at the end. 

Octopus Picture Puzzle for Preschoolers 

Improve your child’s hand-eye coordination, shape and number recognition, and problem-solving skills with this craft. 

What you need- 

A large picture of a cartoon octopus🐙, a ruler, and a marker. 

Steps- 

• At the bottom of a large cartoon picture, make a mark after every 1 inch. 
• Write the number starting from 1 until the page ends. 
• Use the ruler to cut the picture into strips. Shuffle the strips and ask your child 🧒to arrange them in the right order 

Octopus Carrots and Cheese Snack 

If you are looking for a healthy after-school snack for your children🧒 who love octopuses, then check out this recipe. 

What you need- 

Raisins, cheese slices, and baby carrots🥕. 

Steps- 

• Slice the baby carrots🥕 into thin curricular sections. 
• Cut the cheese slice into the shape of an oval. 
• Put the cheese on the plate and use the circular baby carrots🥕 to make the eight legs of the octopus🐙. 
• Place two raisins on the cheese slices for the octopus🐙 eyes👀. 

Pro tip- 

You can use a raisin to cut a sliver to make the octopus’ smile. 

Watch a Nature Documentary 

I recommend showing your kids a nature documentary like ‘My Octopus Teacher’ on Netflix by Craig Foster. Through this documentary, the director teaches kids about where the octopus🐙 lives, how it interacts with other animals, and how it finds food. 

It also depicts how intelligent and intuitive octopuses can be, along with their mating habits and regenerative abilities. 

Watch this film to teach your children🧒 about the importance of conservation and build empathy. 

Pro Tip- 

Watch the film with your kids, as it might raise several questions in their minds. 

Marshmallow Octopus Dessert 

My kids absolutely loved eating this dessert. 

What you need- 

Wax paper, baking sheet, paper straws, marshmallows, pretzel sticks, chocolate melts (any color), Cheerios, and candy eyes👀. 

Steps- 

• Place the wax paper on the baking sheet. 
• In a microwaveable bowl, melt the chocolate melts. 
• Cover eight pretzel sticks in the chocolate melts and place them in the shape of a star on the wax paper. 
• With a spoon, put some liquid chocolate melt in the center of the eight pretzel sticks. 
• Stick a paper straw or a toothpick through each marshmallow. Cover the marshmallow in the chocolate melt and place it in the center of the eight pretzel sticks. 
• While the marshmallow is still wet, paste two candy eyes👀 and a cheerio for the octopus’ mouth. 
• Let the chocolate set in the fridge. Your Octopus🐙 Marshmallow dessert is done. 

Books About Octopus 

Read fiction and non-fiction books about octopus🐙 with your children🧒. 

I read the following books with my children🧒- The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery, Octopus: The Ocean’s Intelligent Invertebrate by James B Wood, Octopus Shocktopus! By Peter Bently, An Octopus Is Amazing by Patricia Layber, and The Octopus and I by Erin Hortle. 

Octopus Cupcakes 

If you are organizing an ocean-themed birthday party for your child🧒, then you should definitely consider serving these homemade Octopus 🐙cupcakes🧁. 

What you need- 

Vanilla extract, blue food coloring, salt, milk, powdered sugar, sprinkles, gummy crawlers🪱, sour candy balls, candy eyeballs, and chocolate cupcakes🧁. 

Steps- 

• To make the cupcake🧁 frosting, in a mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, milk, and butter. Use a stand mixer or a whisk until the frosting is soft. Add a few blue food coloring and blend.
• Spread the cupcakes🧁 with the frosting and top with a light layer of sprinkles. 
• Stick the candy eyeballs on the sour candy balls with the remaining frosting and place them on the cupcakes. 
• Now, arrange eight gummy crawlers 🪱around the candy ball, and you are done. 

Pro Tip- 

For the cupcakes🧁 you can follow any known recipe. Store-bought cupcakes🧁 work fine as well. If they already have frosting on, just decorate it with the candy ball and gummy crawlers. 

Octopus Counting Exercise 

Strengthen your child’s counting skills with this convenient craft that also improves their motor skills. 

What you need- 

Cheerios, construction paper, markers, and scissors✂️. 

Steps- 

• On a construction paper, ask your child🧒 to draw an octopus🐙. 
• Help them cut it with the help of scissors✂️. 
• To make the suction cups of the octopus🐙, give your child🧒 glue and some Cheerios in a bowl. 
• Once they have pasted the cheerios on the construction paper, ask them to count the number of cheerios on each tentacle and in total. 

Octopus Grape Snack 

Encourage your child🧒 to eat their fruit with this simple snack idea. 

What you need- 

Green grapes, mini marshmallows, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and green apples. 

Steps- 

• Cut the green apple🍏 in half and place them in the center of the plate. 
• Put some peanut butter on the mini marshmallows and paste them on the green apple🍏. 
• Use the peanut butter to make a smile underneath the marshmallow, and stick the chocolate chips on the peanut butter. 
• Halve the grapes and start arranging them in the shape of the legs around the green apple🍏. 

Pro Tip- 

If you can only find purple or red grapes, then I recommend using a red or purple fruit for its body, like a plum or an apple🍏. 

Practice Reading and Oratory Skills With Octopus Fact Sheets 

My son is a massive fan of the ocean, and he is constantly asking me to open up a document with facts about the ocean and the many creatures that delve into it. However, his attention span is low, like with many children🧒. 

Therefore, I ask him to read the words out loud. This has improved his diction, his spelling, and his ability to figure out how to pronounce new words. 

Pro Tip- 

Correct your child🧒 when they mispronounce a word. 

Foam Ball Octopus Craft for Preschoolers 

Your preschoolers will really enjoy making this foam ball craft. 

What you need- 

Colored paper, scissors✂️, glue, Google Eyes 👀, foam balls, stickers, glitter tube, paint🎨, and paintbrush🖌️. 

Steps- 

• Ask your child🧒 to pick a colored paper and draw eight tentacles on it. 
• Use the scissors✂️ to cut the tentacles. 
• Let your child🧒 decorate the tentacles with glitter and stickers. 
• Paint🎨 over the foam ball in the same color as the colored paper. 
• Paste the foam ball on the tentacles with glue, along with the googly eyes👀. 

Octopus Hotdogs 

This snack can be made with both normal hotdogs🌭 and baby hotdogs. 

What you need- 

Hotdog🌭, mustard, and ketchup. 

Steps- 

• Halve the hotdog two-thirds of the way. Then turn and halve it again. Repeat the process until you have eight octopus legs. 
• Boil a pot of water and place the hotdogs🌭 in it. The legs will start to curl. 
• Once all of the hotdogs are cooked properly, line them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven until the legs are crisped. Do not do this in a frying pan, as the legs might come off due to agitation. 
• Serve with mustard and ketchup. 

Octopus word search 

Make a word search using facts about children🧒 for your child. To make a word search, compile 10 to 15 words that are related to octopus🐙. Write these words diagonally, horizontally, and vertically in a grid of 15*15 letters. 

Then, write random letters around it. This activity teaches kids about new words and even improves their letter recognition. 

Octopus Egg Snack 

Encourage your kids to eat their eggs🥚 with this simple octopus-inspired presentation. My kids are very picky eaters, so I have to look for ways to make them eat their veggies and protein in a fun way. 

What you need- 

Hard-boiled eggs🥚, strawberries, carrots🥕, and Goldfish Baked Crackers. 

Steps- 

• Halve the hard-boiled egg🥚 and scoop the yolk out. Cut it into eight equal segments. 
• Assemble the egg🥚 segments in a circle on the plate. 
• Cut the tip of another hard-boiled egg🥚 and place it in the center of the eight segments. 
• Scatter the goldfish crackers around it. And decorate with diced strawberries and carrots🥕. 

Pro Tip- 

You can decorate the ‘sea floor’ with other fruits and vegetables like broccoli🥦, cucumbers, and bell peppers. 

Octopus Crosswords 

If your kids are obsessed with octopuses and love to tell you facts about them, then build them a crossword. 

Meant for kids ages 8 and up, make a crossword that includes prompts like- ‘A group of octopuses is known as?’ ‘What is a baby octopus🐙 called?’ ‘Plural of Octopus is called,’ ‘How many brains do octopuses have?’ and ‘How many hearts do octopuses have?’ 

Octopus Lemon Jelly 

This octopus lemon🍋 jelly is the perfect summer’s day treat for your children🧒. 

What you need- 

Silicone octopus🐙 mold, fresh lemon🍋, sugar, gelatin sheet, strainer, and wooden spoon.

Steps- 

• In a small bowl, soak a sheet of gelatin in cold water for 10 minutes. 
•  In a saucepan, heat at least two cups of water and 1 cup of sugar. Mix well to dissolve the sugar and let the solution come to a boil. 
• After taking it off heat, add the zest of three to four lemons🍋 along with the gelatin mix. Let the gelatin melt. 
• Add half a cup of juice. Mix well and pour in the silicone mold. 
• Put the mold in the fridge and let it set overnight. 
• Unmold and serve once the jelly has set. 

Octopus Paper Plate Craft 

My daughter loved this easy craft and decided to decorate her room with it. 

What you need- 

Paper plate, colored paint🎨, paintbrush🖌️, glitter tube, black marker, scissors✂️, glue, pencil, and colored paper. 

Steps- 

• On colored paper, ask your child🧒 to draw eight tentacles and cut them using the scissors✂️. 
• Paint the paper plate with the same color as the colored paper and let it dry. 
• Once the paint has dried, using the white paint, ask them to draw two eyeballs. Let the white paint🎨 dry and draw two iris using the black marker. 
• Use the black marker to make other features like suckers. 
• Help your child🧒 paste the tentacles around the paper plate. 
• Make the suction cups on the tentacles using glitter tubes. 

Octopus Dinner Rolls 

My kids love eating these easy-to-make dinner rolls. 

What you need- 

Milk, sugar, egg🥚, butter, yeast, baking sheet, wax paper, salt, and flour. 

Steps- 

• Slightly warm a cup of whole milk. 
• In a standing mixture, mix 2 teaspoons of yeast, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and milk. To activate the yeast, cover the bowl and set it aside for at least 5 minutes. 
• Now add 1 egg🥚, a quarter of a cup of unsalted butter, and 1 cup of flour to the standing mixture with a paddle attachment. Mix for 30 seconds and then mix with a spatula. 
• Add the remaining flour to the stand mixer and let the dough mix for another 2 to 3 minutes. 
• Knead the dough in the mixer until the dough seems firm. 
• Lightly grease a large bowl with butter and place the dough. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and keep it in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours or until the dough has expanded. Punch the air out of the dough and divide it into 10 balls. 
• Grease a baking pan and place the balls on the pan. With the remainder of the dough, make the legs. Cover the pan with a kitchen towel for another rise. 
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• Bake the rolls till they appear golden on the top (usually takes 20 to 25 minutes). Rotate the tray halfway through the bake. 

Pro tip- 

Leftover bread rolls can be kept in the fridge for at least a week. Make sure to cover the rolls in an airtight container. 

Octopus Juice 

Your kids will love this cool drink on a hot summer day. 

What you need- 

Lime juice, spinach, green grapes, cucumber, green apple🍏, and gummy worms🪱. 

Steps- 

• In a juice press, press spinach, cucumber, apple🍏, and grapes. 
• Collect the juice and mix the lemon🍋 juice. 
• Pour the juice into a cup filled with ice and decorate the side of the cup with gummy worms🪱. 

Pro Tip- 

You can make any type of juice your child🧒 likes. 

Octopus Pizza 

If you are planning on making a homemade pizza🍕, then I highly recommend making it in the shape of an octopus🐙 for your children🧒. 

What you need- 

Store-bought pizza🍕 dough, minced garlic, butter, pizza sauce, toppings (sliced olives, bell peppers, broccoli🥦, chopped tomato, mushroom, shredded chicken), shredded mozzarella, and cheddar cheese. 

Steps- 

• Follow the instructions on the back of the store-bought dough for storage and rising. 
• In a saucepan, melt some butter and then add minced garlic. Take the butter off the heat and pour the mixture into a heat-safe bowl. Let it rest. 
• Once the dough has doubled in size, on a clean surface, sprinkle some flour and knead the store-bought dough. 
• Divide the dough into four equal balls (this will make two pizzas). 
• Using a rolling pin, roll two of the pizza🍕 dough in a circular shape. 
• Place the pizza🍕 base on a baking sheet. Spread the sauce, then add cheese, and then the toppings. Follow the same process with the other rolled pizza🍕 dough. 
• With the remaining balls of dough, make 16 tentacles and place them carefully around the baking sheet with the pizza🍕. Score the tentacles and spread the garlic-infused butter all over the tentacles. 
• Place in the oven until the cheese is bubbly and the dough is golden-brown. 

Pro Tip- 

You can customize the shape and size of the octopus🐙 in accordance with the size of your oven, along with the toppings as you like. 

Octopus Bubble Wrap Craft 

Children🧒 and adults alike all love playing with bubble wrap. Bubble wrap is a novelty in our house, and we rarely ever get it, but when we do, I like to repurpose it in my children’s artwork. 

What you need- 

Paint🎨, paper plate, paintbrush🖌️, and bubble wrap. 

Steps- 

• Ask your child🧒 to paint a cartoon octopus🐙 face on the paper plate with a paintbrush🖌️. 
• While the paint🎨 is drying, help them cut eight tentacles out of the bubble wrap. 
• Then, paint🎨 the bubble wrap on both sides with a paintbrush🖌️. 

Octopus Lollipops 

If you are having an ocean-themed birthday party, then consider serving these octopus🐙 lollipops🍭. 

What you need- 

Lollipops🍭, wrapping paper, googly eyes👀, and pipe cleaners. 

Steps- 

• Cut the wrapping paper into two 4-inch by 4-inch squares. Paste two googly eyes👀 on each wrapping paper
• Wrap the lollipop with the wrapping paper using four pipe cleaners. 

Handprint Octopus Painting Activity 

Although this painting activity is a little messy, your toddler or preschooler will thoroughly enjoy this craft. 

What you need- 

Blue cardstock paper, fruit loops, paint, glue, scissors✂️, googly eyes👀, and bubble wrap. 

Steps- 

• Ask your child🧒 to use the scissors✂️ and cut a piece of bubble wrap. 
• Paint🎨 over it with blue paper and ask your child🧒 to press against the blue cardstock paper. 
• Help your child🧒 paint their hand with one color and then press it against the cardstock paper, add three more tentacles. Repeat the process with other paint🎨 colors. 
• Use the glue to paste the fruit loops on the tentacles. 
• Paste the googly eyes👀 on the palm with glue. 

Conclusion 

In my opinion, octopuses🐙 are the most mesmerizing creatures in the world. With these octopus-themed activities, you can not only educate your child🧒 about how these creatures operate but also open them up to a world of fascinating animals in the wild. 

Let me know in the comments down below which snack your kids liked the most and what was their favorite activity.