Coral Reef Diorama Project
A creative project inspired by reading Gracie Under the Waves by Linda Sue Park. Create your own coral reef diorama using a shoebox and basic art supplies.
April 20th, 2025
A creative project inspired by reading Gracie Under the Waves by Linda Sue Park. Create your own coral reef diorama using a shoebox and basic art supplies.
April 20th, 2025
Last week the kids and I finished reading Gracie Under the Waves by Linda Sue Park. We all loved the book and its message about climate change and the damage to coral reefs. The book also inspired us to research snorkeling here in California and look into pursuing another hobby. If you have an ocean-loving kid, I highly recommend Gracie Under the Waves as either a family read aloud or a great independent read for older kids.
After finishing the book, the boys came up with their own creative project to highlight what they learned about coral reefs and ocean life. They decided to create an ocean diorama, making all the different fish, crustaceans, coral and seaweed out of paper and seaweed.
To make your own ocean diorama you will need a few basic supplies:
Each individual can make their own diorama, however, we found a lot of joy in collaborating on one diorama together as a family. One my favorite parts of parenting and homeschooling is creating and making art alongside my sons.
Prepare your box. Set the box on its side so the open top is facing outward, diorama style. If you using a donut or pastry box, you can use the clear lid as the front to protect your diorama.
Blue and green tissue paper makes a great ocean background inside your diorama box. Crumple lightly and use a glue stick to glue to the inside of your box. Experiment with multiple layers to add dimension to your "ocean."
Create your sea life! Draw fish, coral, seaweed, crabs, jellyfish, etc. on paper or cardboard. We used a combination of markers and Kwik Stick paint sticks to make vibrantly colored fish and other ocean creatures. Some of the animals we drew were directly from Gracie Under the Waves, like the bright magenta and gold fairy basslets, while others were a combination of research and creative license.
We drew coral on cardboard so that it will have more structure and be able to glued to the bottom of the diorama.
Cut out your creations! This is where the kids needed the most help, especially with cutting cardboard.
Arrange your paper and cardboard cutouts inside your diorama box and begin gluing in place. Hot glue works best for attaching cardboard pieces to the edges of the box. Glue sticks work well for paper cutouts.
If using a pastry box, add the clear lid to the front of the diorama. For a similar effect, you can wrap plastic wrap over the front of your box to protect your diorama and complete the look.
Share your work with family members and friends and tell them what you learned! Share your creation with your Roadschool Atlas Adventure Pod by taking a picture of it and sharing in the message board. Invite your friends to create their own ocean diorama!