Toilet Roll Narwhal

Toilet Roll Narwhal Craft

A sweet ocean animal craft for kids using a toilet paper roll, tissue paper, pipe cleaners, and googly eyes—perfect for Ocean Week, summer crafts, and under-the-sea learning.

Toilet roll narwhal craft for kids with blue tissue paper, googly eyes, foam fins, and a pipe cleaner horn.
Age3+
Prep10 minutes
Activity20 minutes
Mess★☆☆☆☆
SkillsFine motor + ocean

Why we love this activity

This toilet roll narwhal craft is such a cute way to reuse a cardboard tube while adding a little ocean magic to your day.

Kids get to crumple tissue paper, glue, cut simple shapes, add googly eyes, and twist a pipe cleaner horn. It is simple enough for preschoolers, but still adorable enough to display or use in pretend ocean play afterward.

I love this craft for Ocean Week because it naturally opens up conversations about sea animals, arctic waters, whale families, and imaginative under-the-sea storytelling.

Materials needed

  • Empty toilet paper roll
  • Blue or teal tissue paper
  • Blue or teal construction paper or craft foam
  • Blue pipe cleaner
  • Googly eyes
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • Pencil

How to make a toilet roll narwhal

Supplies for making a toilet roll narwhal craft including tissue paper, pipe cleaners, scissors, pencil, foam, and googly eyes.
Step 1

Gather the supplies

Set out the cardboard tube, tissue paper squares, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, scissors, glue, and craft foam or paper for the fins and tail.

Finished toilet roll narwhal craft with tissue paper body, blue pipe cleaner horn, foam fins, and googly eyes.
Step 2

Decorate the body

Have your child crumple small pieces of tissue paper and glue them onto the front of the cardboard tube. This gives the narwhal a fun, textured body and is great for fine motor practice.

Child holding a completed blue toilet roll narwhal craft.
Step 3

Add the narwhal details

Glue on two googly eyes, add side fins and a tail, then twist a small piece of pipe cleaner into a horn and attach it to the top.

Parent tip

Pre-cut the fins and tail for younger preschoolers, then let them focus on crumpling tissue paper and gluing. Older kids can draw and cut the pieces themselves.

Ocean week learning ideas

This narwhal craft is a simple way to add an ocean animal activity to your Ocean Week plans.

After making the craft, talk about where narwhals live, what their tusk looks like, and how they are related to whales. You can also compare narwhals with other ocean animals like dolphins, whales, seahorses, fish, crabs, and sharks.

Then use the finished craft as a puppet for storytelling, small-world ocean play, or a pretend underwater adventure.

Learning skills

Fine motor skills Cutting practice Gluing Ocean vocabulary Pretend play Recycled crafts Creative storytelling

Questions to ask kids

  • What kind of animal is a narwhal?
  • Where do narwhals live?
  • What does the narwhal horn look like?
  • What other ocean animals can we make?
  • What should your narwhal’s name be?
  • Can your narwhal swim through an ocean story?

Ocean products to pair with this craft

Extend Ocean Week with sensory play, dramatic play, and printable learning activities.

Mermaid printable dramatic play kit for ocean themed pretend play.

Mermaid dramatic play

Create an underwater kingdom with printable mermaids, sea creatures, ocean props, and treasure-themed pretend play.

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Mermaid sensory kit with ocean themed sensory filler and play pieces.

Mermaid sensory kit

Add sensory filler, shells, charms, and mermaid pieces for a magical ocean sensory bin.

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Mermaid busy book printable for preschool ocean learning activities.

Mermaid busy book

A printable ocean learning activity book with early literacy, matching, and fine motor practice.

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Sea animals wood play rounds for ocean sensory play.

Sea animal play rounds

Wooden ocean animal play rounds for sensory bins, matching games, and small-world ocean play.

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More Ocean Week ideas

Ocean sensory play setup with sand, blue sensory filler, sea animal cards, shells, and beach props.

Ocean sensory play

Set up a mermaid and sea animal sensory tray with ocean vocabulary and hands-on play.

Ocean sensory play
Coral reef sensory play activity for toddlers with ocean animals and pasta coral.

Coral reef play

Explore ocean animals and coral reefs through sensory play and small-world storytelling.

Coral reef play
Ocean themed crab sandwiches for kids with googly eye toothpicks and mermaid party decor.

Ocean snack idea

Make playful crab sandwiches as a themed lunch or snack for Ocean Week.

Ocean week snacks

Toilet roll narwhal FAQ

How do you make a narwhal out of a toilet paper roll?

Use an empty cardboard tube as the body, cover it with tissue paper, add fins and a tail from craft paper or foam, glue on googly eyes, and twist a pipe cleaner into the narwhal horn.

What age is this narwhal craft best for?

This craft is best for ages three and up with adult supervision. Younger children may need help cutting the fins, tail, and horn.

What can kids learn from an ocean animal craft?

Kids can practice fine motor skills, cutting, gluing, ocean vocabulary, animal recognition, storytelling, and creative expression.

How can I use this craft for Ocean Week?

Pair it with ocean sensory bins, mermaid dramatic play, sea animal books, crab snacks, and vocabulary cards for a full Ocean Week activity plan.

What other toilet roll ocean animals can kids make?

Kids can make seahorses, whales, fish, sharks, jellyfish, octopuses, and mermaids using recycled cardboard tubes.