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Fishy fun. Your children will enjoy making and watching their fish in this do-it-yourself aquarium!

What You’ll Need

cardboard box
tape
scissors or cutter
paints
paintbrushes
toy fish, if available
shells collected from the beach, if available
construction paper
markers
green tissue paper, yarn or ribbon
glue
sand or aluminum foil
nylon string

Optonal: gold glitter

Instructions

1. Tape the flaps of the cardboard box closed. Cut off a rectangular opening from one big side of the box. Paint the inside of the box blue or blue-green. Paint the outside in the desired color. Let the box dry completely.

2. Meanwhile, make some seaweeds by cutting and twisting green tissue paper to look like seaweeds. You can also use green yarn or ribbon. Brush with glue and let dry to make them stiff and keep their shape. When dry, tape the seaweeds at various parts of the top of the box so they hang down.

3. Cover the bottom of the box with glue. Pour sand all over the glue. If you don't have sand, take some aluminum foil, crumple it up, and attach it to the bottom of the box.

4. Place shells at various parts of the seabed. If you don't have shells, make a few out of construction paper. Add fine details with markers.

5. Now it's time to add fish. If you don't have plastic toy fish, make your own by cutting them out of construction paper. Add details with markers or crayons. Tie a nylon string to the top of each fish. Tape the other end of the string to the top of the aquarium. Place the fish on different parts of the aquarium. If you have a toy diver, put him in there, too.

6. If you like, you can make and add a chest filled with pearls, jewelry and gold coins, or even a sunken ship, too! Get creative in this undersea world. Add a little gold glitter in the treasure chest to make it look like a real treasure.

Submitted by Leximom