Hyena Paper Plate Craft
If you’re looking for a craft that’ll have your preschooler laughing like a hyena while you question your life choices in washable paint, this is it. This hyena paper plate craft is goofy, simple, and just the right amount of messy. It’s got spots. It’s got a snaggle-tooth smile. It might even have glitter eyebrows if your kid’s in that kind of mood.
Basically, it’s preschool gold.
So grab a glue stick, clear a corner of the kitchen table, and let’s make something loud, wild, and weirdly adorable.
Materials Needed for This Hyena Craft
(Or what you’ll find between the couch cushions and that random drawer of mystery)
- 1 paper plate
- Yellow paint
- Brown, black, and white paper
- Glue stick
- Scissors
- Paintbrush
- Black marker
- Printable hyena template (or wing it with scissors and confidence)
No yellow paint? Mix stuff. No brown paper? Let your kid scribble on white paper until it’s brown-ish. Don’t overthink it. This craft does not require a degree in color theory.
How to Make This Paper Plate Hyena Craft
Ready to get crafting? Find the instructions below!
Hyena Paper Plate Craft
Create a fun and expressive paper plate hyena craft with your kids using our free printable template. Perfect for zoo units and imaginative play!
Materials
- Paper plate
- Yellow paint
- Brown, black, white paper
- Glue stick
- Black marker
- Printable hyena craft template
Tools
- Scissors
- Paintbrush
Instructions
- Gather your supplies.
- Use yellow paint to fully cover one side of the paper plate. Let it dry completely before moving on.
- Print the hyena template and cut out each piece. Use the pieces as a guide to cut colored paper shapes.
- Use brown paper to cut a large snout shape and a jagged hair tuft.
- Attach the brown snout in the center of the plate, and the hair tuft at the top.
- Use black paper for the outer ears, brown for the inner ears, and layer white and black for the eyes.
- Glue the brown inner ears onto the black outer ears. Layer the white eye ovals with black eye outlines and glue those together.
- Cut an oval nose shape from black paper and a jagged smile from white paper. Use brown to make the gums.
- Attach the ears to the back of the plate, and glue the completed eyes above the snout.
- Add the nose and the teeth to the snout and make any final adjustments.
- Use a black marker to draw the pupils in the eyes and outline any features that need more expression.
- Once all the glue is dry, your hyena craft is ready to show off!
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Wanna Make It Weird? Do It.
Hyenas don’t have to be brown and yellow. Want a rainbow hyena with polka dot fur and blue teeth? Absolutely. Is that what they look like in the wild? No. But does your preschooler care? Also no.
Encourage the chaos. Add fabric scraps for fuzz. Draw a tiny crown. Give it a mohawk. The weirder it gets, the better the fridge photo.
Pro Tips for Surviving Preschool Craft Time
- Pre-cut anything that might lead to a meltdown. (Theirs or yours.)
- Let them do the gluing. You can fix things later… or don’t.
- Narrate the whole thing in a hyena voice. Yes, really.
- Keep wipes handy. You’re gonna need them.
Kid-Friendly Hyena Facts to Drop While You Craft
- Hyenas don’t really laugh when they’re happy. That giggle sound is how they talk to each other. Preschoolers and hyenas? Basically the same.
- They live in groups called clans, which is way cooler than “pack” or “herd.”
- Even though they look like dogs, they’re closer to cats. Surprise!
- Spotted hyenas have, you guessed it, spots. So let your kid go full polka dot.
Ask your preschooler what their hyena would sound like if it had to call grandma. The giggles will be worth it.
Ready to build a whole zoo? Of course you are. Check out the rest of our zoo animal paper plate crafts for more wild fun that doesn’t require a trip to the craft store (or a second cup of coffee).
Please Share This Hyena Paper Plate Craft
Your shares are how this site grows and I am sincerely grateful. Know a friend who’d like this? Please share it on Facebook or save it to your favorite kids’ activity board on Pinterest.
