These Jellyfish Twirligigs Are Just As Pretty As The Real Thing

If you've ever spotted a jellyfish floating in the ocean, you probably were told to stay away from it. They're not animals you want to hold and cuddle because they have stingers all along their tentacles. Ouch!

By making a jellyfish twirligig, you can have a jellyfish who’s fun to play with just by using some colored paper and a wooden skewer. This means you don’t have to travel far to see a jellyfish in action!

Jellyfish are some of the most ancient creatures on Earth, having been around since before the dinosaurs! And they’re not actually fish — they’re invertebrates, meaning they’re animals who don’t have backbones. That means, rather than swimming with fins, they move around by squirting water out of their mouths located on the underside of their bell-shaped bodies.

There are jellyfish in almost every ocean on Earth, some preferring cold water and others warm. And they come in all different shapes, sizes and colors, with some kinds of jellyfish even being completely see-through. A few different types of deep-sea jellyfish even glow!

To make your very own jellyfish who bobs through the air rather than the ocean, all you need is a few materials you probably already have on hand at home. You can get inspired by looking up different kinds of jellyfish online or paying a visit to your local aquarium.
Here’s what you need to get started.

If you’re looking for more under-the-sea craft project ideas, check out how to make a narwhal using a “crayon resist” coloring method!