We All Live in a Yellow Submarine Kids Craft

In the town where I was born

Lived a man who sailed to sea

And he told us of his life

In the land of submarines

So we sailed on to the sun

'Til we found a sea of green

And we lived beneath the waves

In our yellow submarine

-Yellow Submarine by The Beatles

Under the Sea is a popular thematic unit for young children in elementary school, afterschool programs, summer schools, and even summer camps. As a part of this unit, children learn about aquatic plants and animals, the oceans and seas around the world and the types of transportation people use to travel them. Sometimes they will also read fictional stories about mermaids and pirates. Fun! This craft particular craft would integrate well with any Under the Sea unit and is inspired by The Beatles' song Yellow Submarine. Keep reading to learn more!

Parts of this article were used as a guest post that I wrote for Lil Tigers, a children's crafting blog owned and operated by Susanne Williams. Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

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Read Super Submarines

Before starting a new craft with my students, it's always fun to read them a related children's book to get them excited. There is a book rolling around out there called Yellow Submarine and it's by The Beatles. However, it can be tricky to find and is more about the adventures of Sargent Pepper than actual submarines.

Instead, I prefer to read Super Submarines by Tony Mitton and Ant Parker. Super Submarines is a rhyming children's book that is great for introducing the basics of submarines. Readers are able to learn how submarines work, the parts of submarines, and the difference between submarines and submersibles. They will also learn new vocabulary words such as:

propeller, hydroplane, navigate, rudder, periscope, sonar, quarters, submersible, salvage, and ballast

About Super Submarines

🍎 Author's Summary: Explore an underwater world with Rabbit, Bird, and Mouse in this marine adventure all about submarines. Zippy wordplay, zappy art, plus a visual dictionary, make this title a must-have for bookshelves everywhere. This book is filled with lively rhyming text by the award-winning poet Tony Mitton that perfectly complements Ant Parker's bold, bright illustrations. A picture dictionary identifying submarine parts builds vocabulary and makes learning about subs engaging and fun.

🍎 Title: Super Submarines

🍎 Authors: Tony Mitton and Ant Park

🍎 Illustrator: Ant Park

🍎 Publisher: Turtleback Books

🍎 Date: October 14, 2014, reprint

🍎 Pages: 24

Listen to Yellow Submarine

This submarine craft was inspired by The Beatles' song Yellow Submarine. After reading Super Submarines and learning about what submarines look like and what they do, listen to Yellow Submarine with your students. Have some fun. Dance to the music. Sing the words. March around the classroom. Imagine what it'd be like under the sea. Then get ready to create some windows for a yellow submarine!

How to Make a Window for a Yellow Submarine 

Making a submarine window... also called a porthole... is an easy craft for children in elementary school. Younger children will also enjoy this craft but may need assistance with some of the steps. All of the materials can be purchased inexpensively at a dollar or craft store.

A porthole, sometimes called bull's-eye window or bull's-eye, is a generally circular window used on the hull of submarines to admit light and a view of the area around them.

Materials Needed

• two paper plates
• crayons
• blue watercolor paint 
• yellow tempera paint
• paintbrush
• scissors
• white glue or stapler

Step One

Paint the back of two paper plates yellow and set them aside to dry. Then cut a large hole in one of the paper plates. These paper plates will become the round edges of the submarine's window.

Step Two

Once your paper plates are dry, use your crayons and draw an underwater scene on one of your plates. Draw an underwater scene you might see if you were to look through a porthole.

Add some fish and other sea creatures, rocks, plants, shells, seabed, etc. You could even draw a shipwreck if you wanted to. Use your imagination and have fun with it!

Note: Be sure to apply a lot of pressure to the crayon while drawing and coloring. The harder you press, the brighter your final product will be.

Step Three

After you draw your underwater scene, take your watercolors and paint over everything. The watercolors will adhere to the paper plate, but not to the crayon... a technique called crayon or water resist. This will add a watery effect to your drawing. When you are done, set the paper plate aside until the watercolors dry.

Step Four

Take your two paper plates and either glue them or staple them together with the yellow sides out. After the glue dries, your underwater scene is complete.

Step Five

Feel free to add additional embellishments to your fish tank submarine decoration if you’d like. These would look terrific on a yellow submarine bulletin board. You can also punch a hole in it and add a string so you can hang it from the ceiling for everyone to see. Get creative!

Did you enjoy reading about this children's book + craft idea? If so, check out these blog posts for more children's books + activities:

• Book + Craft: Pete the Cat and the Treasure Map by James Dean
• Book + Craft: Keko and the Lost Bananas by Cynthia Pilcher
• Book + Craft + Writing: Lucy's Mask by Lisa Sirkis Thompson
• Book + Slime: It Came from Under the High Chair: A Mystery by Karl Beckstrand
• Book + Slime: Goo on My Shoe by Jacqui Shepherd
• Book + Craft: Broccoli Rob and the Garden Singers by John S. Armstrong

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