# Plaster of Paris Seahorses
> Cast a seahorse by pouring plaster of Paris into an oiled plastic sand-toy mold, pop it out once it sets, then paint it bright tropical colors. A good chance to chat about real seahorse facts while you work.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/molding-seahorses-with-plaster-of-paris/
- Ages: 3–8 yrs · Difficulty: medium · Mess: high
- Time: prep 15 min, activity 30 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group · one batch serves about 1 kids
- Skills: sculpting, painting, fine-motor, animal-science, conservation
- Cautions: ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- Plaster of Paris
- Water (household)
- 1 piece Plastic seahorse sand toy (sand mold)
- Cooking oil (household)
- 1 piece Mixing bowl or container (household)
- 1 piece Spoon or spatula for mixing (household)
- 1 piece Drop cloth, old sheet or newspaper (household)
- Paint
- 1 piece Paintbrushes
- 1 piece Paint palette (optional)

## Substitutions
- Instead of oil: Petroleum jelly (This is what the plaster directions recommend for easy removal. We just brushed the mold with oil.)

## Safety
- Adult mixes the plaster. Avoid breathing the dry powder.
- Wet plaster is not for messy hand play: it dries on the hands. Keep kids from squishing it like oobleck, and wash hands promptly.
- Plaster of Paris is not taste-safe. Supervise younger kids closely so nothing goes in mouths.
- Plaster warms as it sets. Only cast in the mold, and never cast hands or other body parts.
- Don't rinse leftover plaster down the sink. Let it harden in the container, then throw it away.
- Use non-toxic kids' paint, and cover clothes and surfaces.

## Before you start
- Cover your work area with a drop cloth or old sheet (or work outside).

## Steps
1. Brush the inside of the seahorse sand toy with a little oil.
2. Adult: mix 2 parts plaster of Paris to 1 part water until smooth, following the container directions.
3. Spoon the smooth plaster into the sand toy and fill it up.
4. Leave the mold to set. Play something else while you wait.
5. Remove the seahorse gently: tap on the back and stretch the sand toy up.
6. Paint the whole seahorse in a bright base color.
7. Add stripes and details in other colors.
8. Let the paint dry and show off your tropical seahorse.

## Tips
- Remember to cover your work area, because dried plaster is very hard to clean and will leave a stain. Unless you want a very colorful, well-used patio floor like us!
- The directions recommend petroleum jelly inside the mold, but we just brushed the mold with oil and the seahorse came out fairly easily.
- Remove the mold gently or you will end up with a seahorse with a broken tail and nose. We played with the broken guy anyway.
- Our younger one thought the plaster was oobleck and started messy play, but this is clearly NOT a messy play activity, because the plaster dries on the hands.
- While the mold dried, we played with cornstarch play dough.
- Use the craft for conversation: seahorses are a kind of fish, not mammals; the eggs hatch inside the male; some can camouflage; and they suck their food in.
- Painting the ridges is great practice for uniform strokes and paying attention to details.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2012)

Day-6 Animal crafts are so fun and engaging and younger kids seem to adore them. Today we are crafting up a sea horse! My older adores them and often repeats “ the daddy is the one that gives birth, not mommy” to anyone who will listen. Some animal facts really stick with the kids –don’t they? Another one is camouflaging. To encourage curiosity we did a sea horse related animal craft with another friend who was visiting us. Plaster of Paris Water Plastic Sand toy Paint and Brushes Remember to cover your work area, because dried up plaster is vey hard to clean and will leave a stain. Unless you want to have a very colorful ,well used patio floor like us We started off following the directions on the container which asked us to2 parts of Plaster of Paris to 1 part water.mix It is recommended that you apply some petroleum jelly to the insides of the mold, for easy removal. We just brushed the mold with some oil Once we got a good smooth consistency like this, we transferred to the sand toy

 The younger one thought it was oobleck and began messy play. But this is clearly NOT messy play activity because the plaster dries up o the hands. The kids don’t care now, do they? While the mold dried, we played with cornstarch play dough ( a detailed post to follow)

 Now back to our sea horse in the sand toy. Carefully remove the mold by tapping on the back and stretching the sand toy up. It should come out fairly easily because of the oil. Do it gently or you will end up with a sea horse with a broken tail and nose.

 WE nevertheless played with the broken guy. After the mold is removed, the kids can go to town with all the paint.

 Here is our tropical sea horse. He is a really bright, colorful happy guy who likes tropical shallow waters.

 Big A is getting better with her uniform strokes while painting. She is paying attention to details while creating art.



 I’m enjoying these animal activities with my kids because of all the conversation opportunities involved. While doing the craft, I get to talk to her about the animal and teach her the importance of respecting other species-of course in a very kid friendly way. Sea Horses are very tiny Some can camouflage Sea Horse is a kind of fish and IS NOT a mammal. The eggs hatch inside the male sea horse. They suck their food in. At the end of the activity, she declared “ I want a pet sea horse, not a dog anymore” I did write it off as a fickle nature of kids her age. But I know it is no laughing matter since sea horse population has gone down by 50% in the last five years alone.