Although this product of this craft isn’t the same as having a real fish and a real fish bowl, it is a fun way to let kids make their own pretend fishbowls! These fake fish bowls are simple to make and fun to swirl around and play with, and the craft also lets kids create any type of fish they want. In order to make this craft, you’ll need the following materials:
-Baby jars, one for each fish bowl
-Water
-Oil
-Spoon
-Food coloring
-Paint and paintbrushes
-Hot glue gun with glue
Step One: Clean the baby jars so that there is no longer any food inside. Next, you will need to remove as much of the external paper wrapping as possible. Once you have done this, you can easily remove the rest of the paper wrapping by soaking the baby jars in hot water for five minutes and then using the scrubbing surface of a sponge to clean off the rest of the paper. If the paper refuses to come off, try using a bit of vinegar to remove the rest of the paper.
Step Two: Dry the baby food jars and then fill them three-quarters full with water. Add a few drops of blue food coloring to each and stir the mixture with a spoon until the blue color is consistent all the way through. Then, top off the mixture with one-quarter of a jar’s worth of oil. This will create a wavy, ocean-like look to the mixture. Regular vegetable oil is recommended for this craft, as it has the least amount of color. You can experiment with different types of oil, however. Sometimes kids like the green look of olive oil to create a swampy look…you can achieve an even better swamp appeal by using green food coloring.
Step Three: Using a hot glue gun, apply glue to the inside rim of the baby jar, and then firmly attach the lid. This will prevent the baby food jar from ever opening or leaking colored water and oil. Now you never have to worry about stains on your carpet or your child’s clothing!
Step Four: Make sure that the hot glue has dried, sealing the lid to the baby food jar. Using the paint and paintbrushes, let your kids paint fish on the outside of the baby food jars. Remember that paint smocks are great to use so that your kids don’t get paint on their clothing. Kids can paint goldfish, sharks, eels, anything they want to paint! Kids can also use the paint to make underwater plants and stones on the bottom of the fish bowl for a more realistic look.
Step Five: Let the paint dry completely before letting your kids play with their new fake fish bowls. Don’t be surprised if they want to make more!
Tips:
-Sometimes kids like to include rhinestones, glitter, or sequins in their water to make the water sparkle. Add these objects right after you add the water to the baby food jar.
-See if your kids can come up with other ideas for the fish bowl. For example, red food coloring and oil can make a lava flow.
