Educational Alphabet Activities for Kids: F is for Fish

Summer is here! It’s that magical time of year when rules seem to fly right out the window and families try to fit in as much summer fun as possible. I’ve been loving handprint crafts lately, and I thought this fish shirt would be perfect for starting the summer off. Wear it to the beach, the zoo, the aquarium or while running through the sprinkler! It is sure to become a favorite. Let’s get started!

A light blue Fish Shirt for kids, featuring two fish designs crafted from handprints. The tan-colored fish boast brown and white details on their eyes and gills. Perfect for summer adventures, it includes a small pocket on the right side.

What you need:

Simple white or blue cotton shirt (you can often find them at A.C. Moore for $2.50)
Newspaper to put in between shirt and for work space
Fabric paint (we used orange)
Puffy paint (for stripes)
Black Sharpie (for mouth)
Googly eyes
Hot glue gun
You might want to read these fabric painting tips before you get started.

What You Do:

Lay shirt out flat with some newspaper or a piece of cardboard in the middle. We used an old shirt, but you might want to pre-wash yours if it’s new.

A charming light blue toddlers T-shirt, perfect for summer days, features short sleeves and a small pocket on the left chest, laid flat on a wooden table.

Pour some paint on a paper plate and spread it out with a brush so your child doesn’t get a huge glob on their hands.

A toddler with blonde hair sits on a chair, clad in a colorful shirt, orange paint adorning their hands and parts of their body. With a playful expression, they reach toward the camera. The background reveals part of a sunny window and table, echoing the carefree days of summer.

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Have your child push down their hand into the paint and then lay their hand on the shirt. Repeat with the other hand. As you can see, our paint got everywhere! (Like always)

A blue hot glue gun rests on a sheet of paper with handwritten notes, alongside several small, round, plastic googly eyes. The paper shows a few glue marks and scattered writing, as if planning the perfect summer fish shirt design.

When the paint is dry (about 1 hour), add stripes with puffy paint and googly eyes with a glue gun.

Wear with pride!

About the Author

Lindsey Whitney is a mom of two, home day care provider, and blogger over at Growing Kids Ministry. Growing Kids Ministry is a blog designed to help parents, teachers, and Children’s Ministry workers who want to help the kids they love grow in their faith. You can connect with her via twitter or on facebook!