For all of the turtle lovers out there, we’ve compiled 10 of our top turtle crafts and activities for your program! You can also use these for an under the sea theme, ocean or nautical theme, animal theme, or include them in your lesson plan on nature conservation or wildlife habitats. These ideas are turtle-y awesome.
Celebrate World Turtle Day on May 23, sponsored by American Tortoise Rescue. This observance raises awareness and knowledge of turtles and tortoises.
Turtle Crafts
Color-Me™ Turtle Key Rings
We are excited about this new craft item! Create unique designs on these adorable turtle key rings. The pack comes with 48 turtles. Your group can personalize them with fabric markers, gems, and more.
Velvet Art 3-D Turtle
Velvet art coloring with a 3-D twist! After coloring these cute sea turtles, simply tape or glue the unprinted “wedge” under the printed area to create the dimensional shell. Add wiggly eyes, glitter, or gems for more fun! Velvet printed cardstock is pre-cut and scored for easy assembly.
Myrtle the Turtle Craft Kit
Bring turtle fun to the craft table with the Myrtle the Turtle Craft Kit. This hands-on activity gives kids the chance to build and decorate their own adorable turtle using colorful craft materials like markers, glitter glue, and wiggly eyes.
What makes this kit extra fun is that it also includes Educraft instructions with turtle facts and cross-curriculum activities, making it a great option for programs that want to mix creativity with learning. Use it as part of a turtle-themed day, an ocean unit, or even a summer camp nature activity.
After decorating their turtles, invite participants to name them and share a fun “fact card” about turtles with the group.
Paper Quilling Sealife Designs
Create a beautiful paper quilled design with the ease of an adhesive surface and no glue! This kit includes a turtle design and also a fish and whale designs. It comes with an 8” square white chipboard base, assorted color paper strips, reusable slot quilling tools, wood quill tools, detailed activity guide, and instructions. Adhesive wiggle eyes are included to added personality to your sea turtle!
Turtle Stool
Assemble and decorate this cute turtle stool as a fun wood project for your group. It can be used to hold supplies in your classroom, or for a small activity table while small groups learn about turtles and other sea creatures. The kit includes wood pieces, wiggly eyes, sandpaper, nails and easy assembly instructions.
Carved Wood Turtle Craft Kit
These wooden turtles are ready to paint and display, making them a great project for summer programs, camp craft time, or ocean-themed activity days. Your group can get creative with bright beachy colors, realistic turtle patterns, or even whimsical designs. Once completed, the finished turtles stand up for easy display, making them a fun keepsake to take home or show off in a common area.
Pair this craft with a “beach day” or “under the sea” program and encourage everyone to design their turtle as if it were swimming through the ocean.
Leather Shape 3″ Turtle
The Leather Turtle Shape is a simple but versatile craft supply that can be turned into all kinds of turtle-themed creations. Participants can decorate these precut leather shapes with markers, paint, or stamps and transform them into key chains, bag tags, camp souvenirs, or name tags.
This is a great low-mess project for schools, camps, and recreation programs, especially if you want something easy to personalize. It also works well as a quick craft station during a larger turtle or nature-themed event.
Turn this into a “Design Your Turtle Tag” activity where each participant creates a personalized keepsake to hang on a backpack, lanyard, or key ring.
Turtle Activities
I Am Lil’ Sea Turtle 100-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle
This 100-piece puzzle has a uniquely designed shape featuring a sea turtle and ocean and extra large pieces for easy grasping. Use the sea turtle puzzle image for reference. It also comes with a fun fact insert that you can use as an educational lesson.
Undersea Turtle 35-Piece Tray Puzzle
For a calmer turtle-themed activity, the Undersea Turtle Tray Puzzle is a great way to encourage focus, problem-solving, and social interaction. Featuring a cheerful underwater turtle scene and a pre-fitted tray, this puzzle is especially helpful for mixed-age groups or intergenerational programming.
Puzzles are a wonderful option for quieter moments in your activity schedule and can easily be incorporated into an ocean, sea life, or animal appreciation theme.
Set up a Turtle Puzzle & Chat Station where participants work together on the puzzle while sharing favorite beach memories, ocean facts, or stories about animals they’ve seen in nature.
Makerspace Sea Turtle Activity
Check out our blog on how to make a sea turtle using these awesome Plus Plus pieces. This makes a great additon to your Makerspace or STEAM lesson plans. Kids can make several different types of animals, shapes, and objects by fitting the pieces together.
Turtle Squirters (Pack of 12)
The Turtle Squirters allow for lots of playful activity ideas, both with water and without. These cute little turtles are perfect for summer fun, sensory play, party favors, or quick turtle-themed game stations.
Turtle Splash Target Game:
Set up buckets, hula hoops, or floating targets and have participants use the squirters to aim and spray at the target. You can also use them in relay races, outdoor cool-down stations, or water table play for younger groups.
Turtle Toss Game:
Use the squirters as toss objects and have participants try to land them into baskets, cups, or target zones marked with different point values. This makes an easy indoor or outdoor game and works well for camps, classroom reward time, or family event stations.
Bonus idea: Hide the turtle squirters around the room or outdoor space for a “Turtle Treasure Hunt” and have participants search for them as part of a themed scavenger hunt.
We hope your group enjoys these turtle themed projects. Check out our Under The Sea themed ideas here.
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