Tickly Octopus Craft

Octopuses have so many fascinating adaptations and we found a storybook that captures this information with humor and charm: Tickly Octopus.

Tickly Octopus is the story of a fun-loving octopus who enjoys tickling his friends–but only the wiggly, giggly fish appreciate his tentacled-tickles.  When our octopus protagonist goes on an adventure to recover his friend oyster’s pearl, he discovers he has so many other talents, including zooming through the water, squeezing through holes, and squirting ink to confuse foes.

My daughter also enjoys the Gentle Giant Octopus, which is more of a non-fiction discussion of an octopus but with a narrative style and lyrical language that is appealing to children. Children under four will probably prefer the more lively Tickly Octopus but future marine biologists and children four and older will appreciate the detail in Gentle Giant Octopus. Be forewarned that this book reveals that the mother octopus’s life ends as her babies’ begins so the themes may not be suitable for some families.

We made a simpler version of these water bottle octopuses:

Materials:

• Empty plastic water bottle
• Scissors
• Tempera Paint and Glitter Glue
• Googly Eyes
• Glue

Directions:

1. Cut off the top of the water bottle.
2. Cut slits from the area of the removed top, stopping about an inch from the bottom of the water bottle, to form eight tentacles.
3. Paint the octopus any color you wish.  Add glue to paints if they do not stick.
4. Paste on googly eyes

Educational Connections:

• Mathematics: Count the tentacles of the octopus.  What other animals have eight legs?
• Science: How has the octopus adapted to its environment? What are some other examples of adaptation to environments?
• Field Trip: Visit the Aquarium. What other adaptations has the octopus made to its environment?

I’m adding this to a fun educational meme: Story + Art = StART! Check out all the other cool ideas.