Make it: Your own floating jellyfish

Floating and drifting along the oceans' currents and coasts are thousands of different kinds of jellyfish.

Some, like the lion's mane jellyfish, are bigger than a deep sea diver. Others, including venomous box jellyfish, are smaller than your fingernail.

One of the most interesting things about these invertebrates, a name for animals that don't have a spine, are the patterns on their bells. Sort of like a jellyfish's head, the bell contains its muscles, belly and mouth, according to the National Science Foundation.

Sometimes jellies have intricate patterns decorating their bells, like curving lines or swirling circles. Lots of photos of beautiful jellyfish are on the internet — ask a grown-up to help you look them up, then get ready to decorate your very own jellyfish. This craft was adapted from the blog Buddy and Buggy.

What you will need:

•

An empty paper towel tube

•

Paint and brushes

•

Scissors

•

String

1. Cut off about one-third of the paper towel roll and recycle it. Then use scissors to carefully round the top of the tube.

2. Use a newspaper to cover the surface of a table, then get out some paint! Paint the outside of the tube one color and the inside another. (I did purple on the outside and pink inside.)

3. Decorate the bell, or the head, of the jellyfish. Look up photos of patterns on real jellyfish on the internet, or use your imagination!

4. Let everything dry. Then, use your scissors to cut long strips from the bottom of the squid up to where your mantle decorations begin. Use your fingers to curl and flip the tentacles.

5. Finally, use a hole punch (or a sharp pencil) to poke a hole through the top of your jellyfish and thread your string through. Where will you hang your new pal?