26 Fish Coloring Pages (Download Free Printable PDF)

Dive into Creativity with Free Fish Coloring Pages!

Hey there, coloring lovers! I’m James, a father of two, a former private school teacher, and now part of the GreenColoring community. My goal is to make activities for kids that are fun and help them improve their motor skills and creativity. I’m excited to share something special with you today: a brand-new set of free fish coloring pages in high-quality PDF format. You can print them out and enjoy them right below.

We had a nice afternoon at home last weekend. Lisa, Mike, and I sat down together with hot cocoa and our coloring books because it was a little chilly. Mike wanted to color a shark, but Lisa, as always, came up with the idea that her dolphin should be pink. We talked about different sea creatures, where they live, and some cool facts about the ocean while we colored. That’s when I understood coloring could be fun and teach things at the same time!

What’s Inside This Exclusive Fish Coloring Collection?

I made sure this collection is diverse, fun, and educational. You’ll find:

• Simple and cute fish for little kids.
• Detailed, intricate fish for kids who enjoy a bit more challenge.
• Dolphins having fun, starfish being happy, and even a shark being friendly.
• Different ocean scenes to get your mind working.

Each page is designed to help kids practice their fine motor skills, color coordination, and creativity while having tons of fun. Whether they want to bring a clownfish to life with bright orange or create a magical rainbow fish, the possibilities are endless.

Why Fish Coloring Pages Are More Than Just Fun

Coloring isn’t just about filling in the lines. It’s an amazing way to learn and explore the world. This collection can help kids:

• Learn about marine life: Kids can learn about fish habitats, diets, and traits while coloring them. Did you know starfish arms regenerate? Mike was beaming at that fun fact.
• Concentration and Patience: Coloring is a fun way for kids to stay focused, follow patterns, and improve their hand-eye coordination with no effort at all.
• Lisa thought of coloring a dolphin pink because, in her words, “Why should fish only be blue? Let’s give them magic!” I loved how creative it made me feel.

Pro Tip: Turn Coloring into an Educational Adventure

Want to make it more interesting? Use these coloring pages along with a short research project. You can take your kids to an aquarium, watch documentaries about the ocean, or read books about sea life to see the real-life versions of the pictures they color. You could check out National Geographic Kids, which has interesting information about animals that live underwater.

And don’t forget, you can grab your free printable fish coloring pages in PDF format right below. Print as many as you like and let the underwater fun begin.

Download Free Coloring Pages:

8 Crafts for Kids Using Fish Coloring Pages

Last week, my son Mike and I spent an afternoon making fun fish crafts. We had a blast turning simple fish coloring pages into creative art projects! If you are looking for exciting ways to use your child’s colored fish pages, you are in the right place. And the best part? I have published 26 free fish coloring pages in PDF printable format right above this article. Print them out, grab some supplies, and let’s get crafting!

1. Fish Puppets

Materials Needed:

• Colored fish coloring pages
• Craft sticks
• Scissors
• Glue
• Tape
• Googly eyes (optional)

Steps:

1. Cut first the fish from the coloring pages. Should your children be younger, you could wish to assist them with the cutting. Lisa enjoys doing it herself with safety scissors; Mike always gets enthusiastic and occasionally cuts outside the lines.
2. Apply glue to the rear of your fish cutouts, then stick them onto a craft stick. Press them down firmly and let them dry for a few minutes to make them more robust.
3. If you want to add some fun details, glue on googly eyes. Mike once stuck three eyes on his fish and called it a “mutant sea creature!” It was hilarious.
4. Secure the fish to the stick with extra tape if needed. This will help them last longer, especially if your kids like to play rough.
5. Now, encourage your kids to create a little fish puppet show. Lisa made up a whole underwater adventure story last time, and Mike turned his into a superhero fish!

Smart Tip: Use different sizes of fish to create a whole underwater world. You can also color the back of the fish for a double-sided puppet. For more fun puppet ideas, visit PBS Kids Crafts.

2. Fishy Mobile

Materials Needed:

• Several colored fish coloring pages
• String or yarn
• A coat hanger or a wooden stick
• Hole puncher
• Tape

Steps:

1. Cut out a number of fish first from the coloring pages. Before cutting, let your children embellish them with glitter, stickers, or metallic markers if you wish for a more artistic look.
2. Create holes at each fish’s top using a hole puncher. Should you not have a hole puncher, gently poke a hole with a pencil. Younger children should especially pay attention to this aspect to prevent injuries.
3. Cut different lengths of string or yarn. Lisa enjoys choosing the string colors to match her fish. She picked pink last time, of course!
4. Tie the fish to the string and then attach them to a hanger or a stick. Try to place them at different levels to create the illusion of fish swimming at different depths.
5. Find the perfect place to hang your mobile. We put ours near the window, and when the breeze hits it, the fish look like they are swimming in the air!

Safety Tip: Keep the strings at a safe length for younger children to avoid any tangling accidents. For more mobile craft inspiration, check out Scholastic’s craft ideas.

3. Fish Collage

Materials Needed:

• Fish coloring pages (cut into pieces)
• Colored paper or cardboard
• Glue
• Scissors
• Stickers or sequins (optional)

Steps:

1. Cut the fish of your choice into different shapes using the coloring pages. Fish can be used whole or in parts, such as fins and tails.
2. Arrange the pieces on a large sheet of colored paper to create an underwater scene. Lisa once made a giant mermaid with fish scales from different pages, and it turned out amazing!
3. Glue the pieces in place, pressing down firmly to ensure they stick properly.
4. To create texture, cover the collage with stickers, sequins, or even actual sand.
5. Let it totally dry before showing. We put Lisa’s masterwork on the wall and framed it!

Fun Tip: Add bubbles using cotton balls or sponge paint for an extra fun effect!

4. DIY Fish Puzzle

Materials Needed:

• A colored fish coloring page
• Cardboard
• Scissors
• Glue

Steps:

1. Glue the page with colored fish onto a strong piece of cardboard. Even distribution of the glue will help to prevent bubbles or wrinkles. Mike rushed this section once, and his puzzle featured jagged pieces!
2. Let it dry completely before cutting. This step is super important. We once got too excited and cut too soon, and the pieces curled up!
3. Use a pencil to lightly sketch puzzle shapes on the back before cutting. Lisa likes making wavy, playful puzzle shapes, while Mike prefers sharp, angular pieces for an extra challenge.
4. Cut precisely along the lines such that every piece is distinctive. Going slowly and avoiding too small edges will help to prevent tearing.
5. Sort the bits and challenge your children to complete their own handmade puzzle. Mike became annoyed the first time we tried this, but he worked it out and felt quite proud of himself with some encouragement!

Genius Hack: For an additional challenge, flip the pieces over and color the other side if your children become rather good at solving the puzzle. Try sketching another fish on the rear.

5. Fishy Bookmarks

Materials Needed:

• Fish coloring pages
• Laminating sheets (or clear tape)
• Scissors
• Ribbon (optional)

Steps:

1. Choose a fish from the coloring pages and cut it long and narrow to mimic a bookmark. Should your children enjoy reading, their books will be even more unique!
2. If you have laminating sheets, place the fish inside and seal it. If not, use clear tape on both sides to make it sturdy. We once skipped this step, and the bookmark got crinkled in Lisa’s backpack!
3. Punch a hole at the top and add a ribbon for decoration. Lisa chose a sparkly pink ribbon last time, while Mike went with blue to match his ocean-themed book.
4. Use them as bookmarks for bedtime stories! Lisa is now attached to her pink fish bookmark and refuses to use anything else. She even named it “Swimmy” and takes it everywhere!

Pro Tip: Let your kids personalize their bookmarks by adding their names in glitter glue or writing a fun ocean fact on the back!

6. Ocean-Themed Greeting Cards

Materials Needed:

• Folded cardstock
• Fish coloring pages
• Glue
• Markers or crayons

Steps:

1. Pick out a fish with a beautiful color and carefully cut it out. Lisa likes fish that are very bright, while Mike likes fish that have big, happy smiles.
2. Glue the fish to a folded cardstock front. Press gently and let dry to avoid loose edges.
3. Write something funny inside the card, like “You’re fintastic!” or “Have a splashy birthday!” It made Lisa’s grandmother smile all day when she made a card for her that said, “Sending you oceans of love!”
4. Use your imagination to make the card look like it’s underwater by adding doodles, stickers, or even glitter.

Idea: For birthdays or “just because” notes to family and friends, these are great. These can even be made in bulk and saved for later use.

7. Fishy Window Decorations

Materials Needed:

• Fish coloring pages
• Transparent contact paper
• Fish cutouts
• Scissors
• Tape

Steps:

1. Sort the fish cutouts on a contact paper sheet. Try overlapping them to create the impression of their swimming together.
2. Cover the fish with another layer of contact paper and press down firmly to seal them in. Lisa and Mike once made a giant underwater scene with seaweed and bubbles, and it looked amazing when the sun shined through!
3. To make the fish look more interesting, cut them out in different shapes or trim the edges of each one.
4. Attach them with little bits of tape to a sunny window. See how the light performs to brilliantly accentuate the colors!

Seasonal Tip: Particularly in the summer, these decorations really look fantastic when sunlight streams through them! For a nighttime magical impact, try including some glow-in-the-dark stickers.

8. 3D Paper Plate Aquarium

Materials Needed:

• Paper plates
• Fish coloring pages
• Blue paint
• Scissors
• Glue
• String
• Tape

Steps:

1. Put blue paint on the inside of a paper plate. This is going to be the ocean background. Before going to the next step, let it dry well.
2. Cut out fish from the coloring pages while you wait. To make the aquarium more interesting, make sure you choose a range of sea creatures.
3. Tape one end of a string to each fish and the other end to the plate’s top. This will let the fish dangle freely. Lisa had a great time tapping the plate gently to make her fish “swim.”
4. Take another paper plate and cut a hole in the center to create a window. Place it over the first plate and secure it with glue or tape.
5. You now have a cool 3D aquarium. Shake it slowly, and the fish will move around like they’re swimming.

Mike became quite enthralled last time and glued fish upside down. We laughed good-naturedly fixing it together! Should you also make the same error, just pretend it’s a foolish fish performing tricks.

Fish coloring pages make fun, creative, and interactive crafts! Kids can use their imagination and fine motor skills with these fish puppets and DIY puzzles. Remember, I posted 26 free PDF fish coloring pages above this article. Print them and craft today!

Have you tried any of these crafts? Let me know which one your kids enjoyed the most!