FLOATING OTTER STEM CRAFT 💛 Lucky Mary Sunshine

Prepare for some seriously cute and fuzzy entertainment with these floaty otters! They have always been one of my favorite animals and thanks to the Octonauts, my kids love them too! (Where the Shellington fans at? haha) Of course, they asked if we could make an otter craft…but one that actually floats and that is waterproof! After a bit of brainstorming, we came up with these little guys.

This is another great craft to sneak in some extra learning. After we tested them out to make sure they were truly waterproof and floaty (that’s a technical science term, btw!), I asked the kids to gather different objects from around the house and guess how many of each object could fit on the otter before it sank. Mighty wrote all the data down in her science notebook. (You can grab your own free sink and float science chart here.) Max just got a kick out of sinking the otters and splashing water all over us! LOL
So who’s ready to get started on the otterly amazing project?!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

foam board
craft foam
acrylic craft paint and paintbrush
printable template
googly eyes
hot glue gun
paint pens or sharpies
scissors
exacto knife
straw and double-sided tape (optional for whiskers)

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LET’S CREATE!

1. Print out our otter template. Cut out and trace the head, arms, tail and feet onto the craft foam. Trace the body onto the foam board. Trace the baby otter onto the foam board as well. Cut all the pieces out.

2. Cut the nose from black craft foam.

3. Peel any paper backing off of the foam board. It helps to soak the foam in water if the paper doesn’t come off easily. Paint the body to match the color of your craft foam. (You can also paint the craft foam if you want an exact match.)

4. Glue the head and the feet to the front of the body. Glue the arms and tail on the back.

5. Glue eyes and nose onto the face. You can use googly eyes, or stickers or you can just draw the eyes and nose on; just make sure it is non-washable.

6. Use paint pens or sharpies to add mouth and details like fur and pink cheeks.

7. Glue paws onto baby and add details. Don’t forget to give them a sweet little smile.

8. This step is totally optional. But as my husband will tell you, I’m extra. LOL. So I decided these otters needed neon whiskers. If you’d like to add whiskers to your otter, cut tiny strips from a straw. Take a tiny piece of double-sided tape and put right next to the nose on either side. Put 3 whiskers on each side. And you’re done!

With or without whiskers, you can’t deny how adorable these otters are! And the fact that they can actually float is a huge plus with the kiddos. These guys are the perfect distraction for your little ones at bath time, and they even help teach them about buoyancy with some fun experiments. These otters were my kids go-to bath toy for months! I can tell you from experience, there will be zero shortage of squeals (and splashing). They are even a hit at the pool! Oh, and if you liked our floating otters, you’re going to love our surfing snail craft! So go ahead and check it out – we guarantee your kiddos will have another go-to animal in their bathtime collection soon.