The Mermaid Activities
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If you have a child who is obsessed with mermaids, your family might enjoy these mermaid activities. These mermaid activities are a great addition to The Mermaid book by Jan Brett.
This story tells the tale of Kiniro the mermaid. She and her puffer fish friend explore a house that belongs to an octopus family. She gets a little too curious and a little too comfortable in the home.
Like all Jan Brett books, the illustrations are lovely. I particularly enjoy the side panels on each page. They tell a story all of their own! The side panels in this book let us see what the octopus family is up to while they are out of the house.
Read the book and then do as many of the mermaid activities as appeal to your kids.
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Mermaid Activities
Paint Shells
A few years ago we rented a beach house with friends. Every morning we would walk along the beach, collecting shells. It didn’t take long before we had a huge collection of seashells lined up on the kitchen counter.
I happened to bring along a few craft supplies in case of rain . . . which was a good plan because it rained every single day. The Magic Stix markers came in very handy!
The kids enjoyed decorating the shells with bright bold colors and I appreciated that it wasn’t messy.
Of course, regular craft paint will also work, it is just a little messier and requires drying time.
If you don’t live on the coast, many craft stores have shells available for purchase.
- Magic Stix Markers: These vibrant markers are designed to last up to 7 days without drying out with the cap off – guaranteed!
- Magic Stix Markers: The Pencil Grip triangular markers 24 set features vibrant application and long-lasting performance; Magic Stix markers are suitable…
- Triangular Shaped Markers: The unique triangular shape of our markers gives a stable grip that will assist your kids in developing fine motor skills and…
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Create a Paper Tiara
Kiniro wears a tiara made out of coral, a scallop shell, and a starfish. Unfortunately, she ends up leaving the octopus home so suddenly that she forgets her beautiful tiara.
Create a new tirara as one of the mermaid activities for the book.
Making a paper tiara is easy. The first step is to print out the crown or tiara template on cardstock.
Next, let your kids decorate the tiara any way they like. Options include:
- Crayons
- Markers
- Paint
- Stamps
- Plastic jewels
- Confetti gems for all your special event decoration needs!
- Suitable for handmade accessories like personalized Christmas ornaments. Vibrant colors work amazing as table confetti for birthdays, sweet 16, baby…
- Gems come in an assortment of shapes such as hearts, circles, and ovals. Each gem comes with a strip on the back that peels off to easily stick onto…
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Let the paper tiara dry completely. While the paint and glue is drying cut a piece of construction paper long enough to go around your child’s head. Staple the paper strip so that it creates a circle just long enough to go around your child’s head, but not so long that it falls down.
Finally, staple the dry tiara to the front of the construction paper strip. Now your little one can wear their own mermaid tiara.
Paper Plate Scallop Shells
This craft is perfect for those times you want to do a sea shell craft, but don’t live near the ocean. All you need is:
- 1 Paper plate
- Scissors
- Paint
- 1 Cotton ball
- Glue
The link above has the full directions, but the general idea is to cut and fold a paper plate into the shape of a scallop shell.
Cardboard Tube Mermaid
This simple craft uses a cardboard tube (either from a toilet paper roll or a cut paper towel roll) to create the body of a mermaid. Every step of the directions has a picture, but little ones might need a little help keeping all of the steps straight.
Compare with Goldilocks and the Three Bears
This is probably the most educational of the mermaid activities.
The Mermaid by Jan Brett has very strong similarities to Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Kiniro enters a strangers home without their knowledge or approval, she tries their food, she breaks a piece of their furniture, and she falls asleep in the baby’s bed.
Read Goldilocks and the Three Bears and see how many of the similarities your kids can spot.
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