This jellyfish craft for kids was lots of fun for my preschooler to make. We used paperclips and disposable cups to create these cute and funky little jellyfish to hang outside. (We even added some small jingle bells so they’d be like wind chimes!) They’d make a perfect addition to an ocean theme or even just to do on a rainy day!

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I noticed Theo playing with my paperclip stash a few weeks ago. He was so focused on clipping them together and figuring out how they worked. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to come up with a simple craft that would allow him to practice his fine motor skills using the paperclips!

We decided that when we clipped a bunch of paperclips together they looked like legs or tentacles, so we decided to hang our connected paperclips from a plastic cup to make a jellyfish (or jellies as we call them since they are not actually fish). We even added some little jingle bells at the end to make it a jellyfish wind chime! (This post contains affiliate links.)

Jellyfish Craft for Kids Using Paperclips

Materials for Jellyfish Craft

Paperclips in a variety of colors
Plastic cups (Like Solo cups)
String or plastic cord for hanging
Small screwdriver (or other tool to poke holes)
Google eyes
Optional: Jingle bells

Directions for Jellyfish Craft

1. Start by making a number of different paperclip chains. You can make patterns or do each tentacle one color.

2. Have an adult use a small screwdriver (or other sharp tool) to poke holes around the top drinking edge of your plastic cup. (You can also use a paper cup if you plan on hanging your craft indoors- no need for it to be waterproof.)

3. Connect each paperclip tentacle to the cup through the little holes.