Blow Fish Toy

March 11, 2011
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47 comments

I made a sketch for this idea awhile ago, and just came across it in my drawer this morning, so I thought we should give it a try. All you do is make the fish (using the template and the directions on the sketch below), thread the string through the straw that’s inside the fish, then tape the string ends to your wall. Once it’s on the string, you blow the fanned out tail and make the fish zoom down the line. We got it to zoom pretty fast. And making it was fast and entertaining too. I’m going to print some more out so we can color them. It might also be cool to make a couple of fish and lines so two people could have a race. If you try them out, feel free share your photos on the Made by Joel Facebook page!

Click on the image below, then print.

47 Responses
  6. r8chel

    My kids have made something similar with a balloon inside a ziploc bag taped to a straw, but this adds art and character to the idea! Fun!

  7. Joel Henriques

    Thanks everyone! Yeah, I'm sure there are lots of similar things out there. The balloon idea sounds cool!

  8. fraufertig

    You really do have amazing ideas! So simple and so cool. Thanks for sharing and for your wonderful blog.

    greetings fraufertig

  15. Joel Henriques

    Thanks everybody!

    jfidz – Great ideas! I'll have to try those. You could even tape one end of the string up a little higher to make them blow harder if it got too easy. That could work well for the rocket blast-off. ha.

  18. Maiz Connolly

    Hmmm… This is giving me an idea about how to make blowguns for the kids without the total-mayhem-factor that has been scaring me off. I'll let you know if we try it!

  19. zzoe

    che bello! lo propongo oggi ai miei bambini… sarà un successo!!

    what a beautiful idea! I'll propose to my children … It'll be a successful

    sara

  24. Vanessa/NessieNoodle

    you are so clever!
    love this and will have to put one together in preperation for our visit to the real aquarium

  27. Eveline

    Not only is this a great idea and lots of fun, it's also great for children's development. Blowing helps train their face/mouth-muscles which in turn will help them learn to speak. Great stuff!

  30. Jenny

    J'adore Joël ce que tu fais, c'est si simple et pourtant tout est là…. Tu es encore dans le monde des enfants, de tes enfants et ceux des autres… Merci merci merci! (Jenny, Marseille, France)

  41. Kate

    I’ve made something similar with toilet rolls and paper “wings” to look like a bee. We have an open, split level lounge room so it worked really well! Such a simple, cheap and super fun idea!

  44. josephine broekhuizen

    Hey Joel,

    This also works realy good with a ballon.
    You just atach te ballon to the straw with some sticky tape.
    perhapse you can design something around the ballon.
    Btw really really love your site