Build your own coral reef

1. You will need a long piece of paper, water-based paints, and some (paper) straws.
2. Mix your paint with plenty of water.
3. Place a splodge of paint where you would like your coral to begin.
4. Now use the straws to blow the watery paint all over! It should form arms and branches. Race each other to the top edge. Grow your corals and reef until it is full and colourful.

Top tip: Once it is dry, you can use your reef in the collage activity below, or even as a background to an animation:

You’ll hear a reef-themed poem in the background of this video. Why not have a go at writing your own?

Get creative with a shell collage creature

1. Collect up shells from previous visits to the beach, stones, empty snail shells, or leaves from your outside space.
2. Choose a background. We have used parcel paper, but you can use any colour or type of background you like.
3. Create your creature!
4. Take a photograph of your creature to remember your design.

Now that you have documented your design with a photograph; you can return your materials or create another.

You can share your collage creations with us. Ask a grown-up to help you to tag us in your picture on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Build a turtle

Use this activity sheet to build your own 3-dimensional turtle. Colour the shell in to look just like one of the world’s species of reef turtles.

Share any of your Crafty Creatures creations with us to feature in our community gallery. Kit, aged 5, would like to share his with you:

Ask a grown-up to help you to tag us in your picture on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Find out more about how climate change is impacting coral reef habitats around the world here (with Primary school curriculum links).