Fun Summer Paper Plate Crafts for Kids to Make

You won’t believe all the summer paper plate crafts I’ve discovered! From mermaids and pirates to flowers and summer fruit, there are so many crafts to choose from you won’t know where to start! Which one will you add to your summer activities?

Whether you’re trying to escape the heat or you’re looking for a rainy day craft to do with your preschoolers, these paper plate crafts are perfect for summer afternoons. Many can be done with craft supplies you’ve already got on hand.

Summer Paper Plate Crafts

Get ready for some sunny-day fun with these super cute summer paper plate crafts! ☀️ These easy and colorful projects are perfect for keeping little hands busy on warm days.

Whether you’re at home, in the classroom, or at summer camp, these crafts are sure to bring smiles. Grab some paper plates, a bit of paint, and let the creativity shine! Now, let’s dive into the list and see what fun we can make together!

Paper Plate Flower Craft for Kids – Red Ted Art – Kids Crafts

This craft turns a simple paper plate into a pretty flower. Kids can cut out petal shapes and paint them in bright colors. It's a fun way to practice using scissors and learn about flowers too.

Paper Plate Life Cycle of a Butterfly Craft for Preschoolers

This craft helps kids learn how a butterfly grows, step by step. Using a paper plate, they can make the four stages: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly. It's a fun way to mix art and science while practicing cutting and gluing skills.

Paper Plate Watermelon Craft

This craft is a fun way to help kids practice counting. They'll paint a paper plate to look like a watermelon and then add seeds while counting them. It's a great mix of art and early math skills.

Paper plate watermelon craft – the-gingerbread-house.co.uk

This watermelon craft is a fun way for kids to practice their cutting and gluing skills. They'll snip red and green tissue paper into small pieces and glue them onto a paper plate to make a juicy slice. After it dries, they can draw on the seeds with a marker. It's a simple and creative activity that's perfect for summertime.

Paper Plate Pufferfish Craft for Kids

This pufferfish craft is a fun way for kids to practice their cutting and gluing skills. They'll paint a paper plate with bright colors and cut little tabs around the edges to make it look spiky. Adding big eyes and a smile brings their friendly fish to life.

Paper Plate Sun Craft for Preschoolers

This sun craft is a fun way for kids to practice their cutting and gluing skills. They’ll paint a paper plate yellow and add sun rays around the edges. It’s a simple and cheerful activity that’s perfect for summertime.

Paper Plate Fish Craft for Kids – Rainbow Fish Craft – Natural Beach Living

This fish craft is a fun way for kids to practice their cutting and gluing skills. They'll paint a paper plate blue, cut out a triangle for the mouth, and use it to make the tail. Then, they'll add colorful folded circles for the scales and stick on a googly eye. It's a bright and cheerful craft that lets kids explore colors and shapes.

Paper Plate Rainbow Sun Catcher Craft

This rainbow sun catcher craft is a fun way for kids to explore colors and light. They'll glue tissue paper in rainbow stripes onto a paper plate and add hanging streamers. Once it's dry, they can hang it in a sunny window or take it outside to watch it flutter in the breeze.

Summer Crafts with an Ocean Theme

This ocean-themed craft is a fun way for kids to practice their cutting and gluing skills. They'll paint a paper plate to look like the sea and add colorful fish and sea creatures. It's a creative activity that lets children explore the wonders of the ocean.

Paper Plate Garden: a Fun Letter “G” Craft – Happy Hooligans

This garden craft is a fun way for kids to practice their cutting and gluing skills. They'll paint a paper plate and add colorful flowers, butterflies, and bees to create a cheerful garden scene. It's a simple and creative activity that's perfect for summertime.

Rocking Paper Plate Submarine Craft for Preschoolers – Red Ted Art – Kids Crafts

This submarine craft is a fun way for kids to practice their cutting and gluing skills. They'll paint a paper plate and add a yellow submarine with windows and a periscope. It's a simple and creative activity that's perfect for summertime.

Paper Plate Ice Cream Craft – “I” is for Ice Cream!

This ice cream craft is a fun way for kids to practice their cutting and gluing skills. They'll decorate a paper plate with colorful tissue paper to create a scoop of ice cream, then add a cone made from cardboard. A red pom-pom on top makes it look just like a cherry.

Paper Plate Watermelon Craft – Happy Hooligans

This watermelon craft is a fun way for kids to practice their cutting and gluing skills. They'll paint a paper plate red and green, then add black seeds using a marker or small pieces of paper. It's a simple and creative activity that's perfect for summertime.

Easy Paper Plate Butterfly Craft {Plus Free Butterfly Printables Packet}

This butterfly craft is a fun way for kids to practice their cutting and gluing skills. They'll paint a paper plate, sprinkle on some glitter, and add pipe cleaner antennas. It's a simple and creative activity that's perfect for summertime.

Paper Plate Scuba Mask Craft for Kids to Make and Play

This scuba mask craft is a fun way for kids to practice their cutting and gluing skills. They'll cut out the center of a paper plate, add a blue mask and snorkel, and hold it up to pretend they're exploring the ocean. It's a simple and creative activity that's perfect for summertime.

Bird Feeder and Water Filtering Experiment

This under-the-sea craft is a fun way for kids to practice their cutting and gluing skills. They'll paint a paper plate blue to make the ocean, then add sea creatures and plants using stickers or cut-out shapes. It's a simple and creative activity that's perfect for summertime.

“You Are My Sunshine” Paper Plate Craft

This sunshine craft is a fun way for kids to practice their cutting and gluing skills. They'll paint a paper plate yellow, cut out sun rays, and add a big smile and sunglasses. It's a simple and creative activity that's perfect for summertime.

Fantastic and fun nature silhouette craft using paper plates

This nature silhouette craft is a wonderful way for kids to explore the outdoors and practice their cutting skills. They'll draw simple shapes like leaves or trees on a paper plate, cut them out, and then hold the plate up to see nature through the shape. It's a peaceful activity that helps children notice the colors and textures around them.

Sunshine Wand

This sunshine wand craft is a fun way for kids to practice their cutting and gluing skills. They'll cut triangles around a paper plate to make sun rays, paint it bright yellow, and add sparkly sequins. Then, they'll tape colorful ribbons to the back and attach a stick to turn it into a wand. It's a cheerful activity that encourages movement and creativity.

Paper Plate Mermaid Twirler – Red Ted Art – Kids Crafts

This mermaid twirler craft is a fun way for kids to practice their cutting and gluing skills. They'll paint a paper plate, cut it into a spiral, and add a colorful mermaid at the top. When hung up, it spins and dances in the breeze, bringing a touch of underwater magic to any room.

Woven Paper Plate Bee Craft

This bee craft is a fun way for kids to practice their cutting and gluing skills. They'll paint a paper plate yellow, weave black yarn through slits to make stripes, and add handprint wings and googly eyes. It's a simple and creative activity that's perfect for summertime.

PAPER PLATE PORTHOLE CRAFT (Printable Template)

This porthole craft is a fun way for kids to practice their cutting and gluing skills. They'll use two paper plates to create a window that shows a pirate ship or mermaid scene inside. By turning the plate, the picture moves, making it look like the ocean is alive. It's a simple and creative activity that's perfect for summertime.

PAPER PLATE SHARK PUPPETS

This shark puppet craft is a fun way for kids to practice their cutting and gluing skills. They'll paint a paper plate, cut it in half, and add a movable jaw using a brad fastener. With big eyes and sharp teeth, it's perfect for pretend play and storytelling.

Rocking Paper Plate Crabs

This rocking crab craft is a fun way for kids to practice their cutting and gluing skills. They'll fold a painted paper plate in half, add paper claws and legs, and glue on big googly eyes. When they give it a gentle push, the crab rocks back and forth like it's dancing on the sand.

Paper Plate Rainbow

This rainbow garden craft is a fun way for kids to practice their cutting and gluing skills. They'll paint a paper plate with a bright rainbow and add flowers, butterflies, and other nature decorations. It's a colorful and creative activity that's perfect for summertime.

Mermaid Paper Plate Collage

This mermaid collage craft is a fun way for kids to practice their cutting and gluing skills. They'll decorate a paper plate with shiny sequins, colorful paper, and natural items like leaves and shells. It's a creative activity that lets children explore textures and colors while imagining an underwater world.

Easy Printable Rocking Paper Plate Mermaid – Red Ted Art

This rocking mermaid craft is a fun way for kids to practice their cutting and gluing skills. They'll paint a paper plate, cut it into a curved shape, and add a colorful mermaid on top using a free printable template. When they give it a gentle push, the mermaid rocks back and forth like she's swimming in the sea.

FAQs About Summer Paper Plate Crafts

What age are these crafts best for?

These crafts are perfect for preschoolers and young kids, around ages 3 to 7. Just make sure a grown-up helps with the cutting if the kids are still learning to use scissors safely.

Do I need special supplies to make these?

Nope! Most of these crafts use things you probably already have at home—like paper plates, paint, glue, and some colored paper. If you have tissue paper, googly eyes, or buttons, that’s a fun bonus, but not a must.

How do I keep the mess under control?

I hear you! I like to lay down newspaper or a plastic tablecloth before we start crafting. Keep baby wipes or a damp cloth nearby, and have a little bin for scraps and wrappers. Clean-up becomes quick and easy, promise!

Thanks for joining me on this sunny crafting adventure! Summer paper plate crafts are such a fun and easy way to keep little hands busy while letting their imaginations shine. Whether you’re making a fish, a flower, or a friendly sun, these simple projects are full of color, learning, and giggles. I hope these ideas bring lots of joy to your days together. Don’t forget to snap a few pictures and share your child’s creations—they’ll be so proud!

Tara

Tara is the brains behind Homeschool Preschool, where her journey from preschool and public school teacher to homeschooling mom of three fuels her passion for early childhood education. With a blend of expertise and firsthand experience, Tara’s writings offer practical tips and engaging resources to support families in creating meaningful learning adventures at home.