Rainbow Fish Paper Windsock

It is scorching hot here. Summer's hanging on with all her might and we're praying for rain and cooler temps. And a breeze. Oh, how amazing a cool breeze would feel on these 90+ degree days!

Thankfully, this weather won't hold and we're bound to get the crisp mornings and leaf-shaking breezes that are inevitable with fall. Hopefully our windsocks usher them in.

This simple paper craft is easy enough for preschoolers and yet still enjoyable for elementary-school-aged kiddos. My boys were surprised by how easy it was to turn a bunch of paper rectangles and circles into a phenomenal fish!

Supply List

1 piece of colored 12- x 18-inch construction paper, cut down to roughly 12 x 14

black construction paper

Assortment of ribbons

Stapler

White school glue

Circle punch

Tissue paper, heavy duty aluminum foil, tissue paper, etc. punched into small circles

Hot glue gun (optional)

Instructions

Trust me when I say that the hardest part of this project is step one.

Step 1

Roll your large piece of construction paper into a tube and glue it. Let me assure you, this is trickier than one would think. For my oldest son's windsock, we used the glue gun. For my youngest son's, I used school glue, holding it in place while it dried by gently-applied clear tape and at the ends, paperclips. When it was dry, we moved on to Step 2.

Step 2

Cut lengths of ribbon (ours were roughly 16 inches long) and staple along the bottom of the tube. Cut a shorter length of ribbon (approximately 8 inches long) and staple each side to the opposite end of the construction paper tube to create a handle.

Step 3

Punch lots of circles out of your decorative papers. My oldest son used tissue paper, while my youngest opted for brightly colored office papers and heavy duty kitchen foil (to make shiny scales).

Step 4

Run a bead of school glue around the tube (at the end where the ribbons dangle) about an inch up from the bottom. Begin adding the brightly colored circles. This first layer will cover the staples. Repeat this step until you have five or six layers of circles, overlapping each row slightly.

Step 5

Cut a 1-inch-wide strip of black construction paper and glue it around the windsock slightly overlapping the top of the last row of scales applied. If necessary, use a piece of clear tape to hold it in place while the glue dries.

Step 6

Punch (or cut) two circles from black paper for eyes. Add these to the fish on opposite sides of the windsock toward the top.

Step 7

Let it dry and hang it inside near a window. When the temperature cools down and the windows are open, you'll be able to see the beautiful tail (aka ribbons) of the fish blowing in the breeze.

Want a book to pair with this? Why not read The Rainbow Fish, the delightful tale of a fish with brightly colored scales.