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There are so many things you can do when learning about sharks! This paper plate shark craft is the perfect craft to go along with shark week, the song baby shark, or when talking about the food chain. It’s not just for preschool, though. You can make this really with any child by adjusting the steps and helping as needed.
I love how versatile paper plate crafts for kids can be. This project only needs construction paper, school glue or a gluestick and a paper plate. You can use paint or markers and it can be customized with other colors. It’ll be so fun to see kids get creative and bring their shark creations to life!
Why kids love paper plate crafts
I love projects with classic, easy-to-find supplies like popsicle sticks, toilet paper rolls, and paper plates. There is something nostalgic and timeless about them. Kids can get creative and love seeing what they can turn into too!
- Easy to find supplies are everything! Easy to find, easy to make, easy on parents and easy for kids.
- The best kind of kids projects are things you already have in your home, or can easily grab on your next grocery store trip.
- If you mess up it’s very easy and possible to start over.
Supplies for your Paper Plate Shark
- Paper plates
- Scissors (remember to do the cutting if your child isn’t ready to yet.)
- Construction paper scraps or cardstock in blue, white and red.
- Markers, crayons or paint
- googley eyes, or you can draw them on.
- School glue
Steps for Making Your Shark
Begin by painting or coloring your plate blue. If you’re wanting this to be a faster craft you can use markers, crayons or colored pencils. You could also pre-paint plates too and have them ready for the kid to pick from.
Allow the plate to fully dry, then flip it over and use it as an outline to create a half circle on the white construction paper.
Cut out a red mouth and white teeth pieces. Also cut out three triangular pieces to be the fins. You can make these as big or small as you want! You could have these pre-cut and sitting out for kids to pick from too.
Glue on the eyes, fins, mouth and teeth. If you don’t have googley eyes handy or available you can use white paper to make cut out eyeballs and color the pupils black.
You can customize your shark with different fins, teeth sizes, an angry face vs. a happy one…seeing what kids come up with is the best part!
Tips for Making a Paper Plate Shark:
- Use leftover scraps of paper from other projects.
- If you’re making this with a younger child who can’t cut with scissors yet, it may be helpful to prep the paper pieces for the fins, teeth and mouth in advance.
- If you have a kiddo who will want to craft right away, you can even pre-paint the plate so that they can start assembling without having to wait for the paint to dry.
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Get the How-To
Supplies
- 1 paper plate
- 3 pieces cardstock (in blue, red, and white)
- 1 bottle school glue (or glue stick)
- 2 googley eyes (optional)
- 1 black marker (optional)
Instructions
- Begin by painting or coloring your plate blue. If you're wanting this to be a faster craft you can use markers, crayons or colored pencils. You could also pre-paint plates too and have them ready for the kid to pick from.
- Allow the plate to fully dry, then flip it over and use it as an outline to create a half circle on the white construction paper.
- Cut out a red mouth and white teeth pieces. Also cut out three triangular pieces to be the fins. You can make these as big or small as you want! You could have these pre-cut and sitting out for kids to pick from too.
- Glue on the eyes, fins, mouth and teeth. If you don't have googley eyes handy or available you can use white paper to make cut out eyeballs and color the pupils black. You can customize your shark with different fins, teeth sizes, an angry face vs. a happy one…seeing what kids come up with is the best part!