Paper Plate Seashell for Preschoolers

Looking for a seashell craft to do with your preschooler?  This paper plate seashell helps preschoolers with their fine motor skills and is really easy to make.  My son made this a while back in class a while back, but it is still one of my favorite summer crafts. 

You need 1) a hole puncher 2) a plain white paper plate and 3) scissors and 4) any color of yarn. 

Voila... You have a seashell!

Want more fun summer crafts and activities for tots, preschoolers, and older kids too?  Follow me on Pinterest.

Easy Craft: Seashell Vacation Memory Jars

Family vacations seem to go by so fast, but I found a way to capture our memories and enjoy them for years to come.  It all started when we went to Ft. Meyers Beach, FL.

While we were in Ft. Meyers, Sanibel and Captiva, we found some amazing shells, a dried up starfish and even the shell of a mini sea urchin. They were so beautiful, I wanted a simple way to display them and remember our special moments. So, on a visit to IKEA, I bought a glass jar and carefully placed all of our treasures inside.

Then, on a family vacation to Cape Cod, we collected the smoothest rocks and some sand from the beach. I got a smaller glass (also from IKEA) and placed the rocks in the jar along with a little bit of sand from our trip.

When we recently went to Naples, FL and collected shells and a sea sponge that washed up on the beach, you know what I did with them, right?  Yep, I got another glass jar and gently placed our new treasures into the jar.  

There are moments when we look at the jars or open them up and re-inspect our collections. The kids and I  like to see and feel our trinkets and reminisce about our special moments on our family vacations. These memory jars are so easy to make and, in my opinion, are a million times better than anything from a souvenir shop.

Here's another one of my favorite crafts to use those little seashells from vacation:

Sand & Shell Ornament Craft for Kids

If you don't have any shells, here's an easy seashell crafts for kids using a paper plate:

Easy Preschool Paper Plate Seashell Craft

Do you do anything special to capture your special vacation memories?

Easy Seashell Craft for Preschoolers

When my family was driving around Sanibel Island FL, we had so much fun with the tongue twister:

She sells seashells down by the sea shore.

Sanibel beaches are full of the most beautiful sea shells I have ever seen in my life.  Many of the shells I picked up on the beach were tiny. Just like snowflakes, each shell was different and special in it's own way.  I kept finding shells that were a shades of red and white.  My 6 year old and I nick-named them 'Strawberry Shortcake' shells. Every time we found a Strawberry Shortcake shell we'd get so excited.

But, what do you do with so many beautiful shells?  We used a basic recipe for homemade clay using whole wheat flour, salt and water.

Here is my recipe for how to make clay:

1 part Salt

2 parts Whole Wheat Flour

1 part Water

Glitter & Paint (Optional)

Mix up the ingredients until they are the consistency of a bread or pizza dough.  If it feels too dry, add a little bit of water.  Or, if it seems too sticky, add a little more flour and salt (in equal parts).

We used a cookie cutter to form a small oval shape.

Then, we pressed the shells into our oval shaped clay forms and created little keepsakes. We created a small hole in the top by pressing a straw through the clay. Finally, we dried them in the toaster oven at 250 degrees until they hardened.

Voila!

 What's your favorite summer themed craft for kids?