Dinosaur Paper Plate Craft
Dinosaurs may be extinct, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to be! This dinosaur paper plate craft is the perfect mix of silly and adorable, plus, it’s easy enough for preschoolers to tackle with a little help. With just some paint, a paper plate, and a couple of cardboard rolls, your kids can make their very own dino buddy. Roars guaranteed.
This is a great project for rainy afternoons, dinosaur unit studies, or simply when your child insists on stomping around the house pretending to be a T-Rex (you know the days).
What You’ll Need for This Dinosaur Paper Plate Craft
Before you get started, gather your dino-making gear:
- Paper plate
- Green acrylic paint
- Pink acrylic paint
- Paintbrush and sponge dauber
- Black marker
- Scissors
- Googly eyes
- Toilet paper rolls or cardboard tubes
- Glue gun or school glue
How to Make a Dinosaur from a Paper Plate
Ready to get crafting? Find the instructions below!
Dinosaur Paper Plate Craft
Make a fun dinosaur paper plate craft with your kids using paint, googly eyes, and cardboard rolls. This easy step-by-step activity is perfect for preschoolers and dinosaur lovers!
Materials
- Paper plate
- Green acrylic paint
- Pink acrylic paint
- Black marker
- Googly eyes
- Toilet paper rolls or cardboard tubes
- Glue gun or school glue
Tools
- Paintbrush and sponge dauber
- Scissors
Instructions
- Gather your supplies, including a paper plate, green paint, pink paint, googly eyes, cardboard tubes, scissors, glue, and a black marker.
- Paint the front of the paper plate green and let it dry completely.
- Flip the paper plate over and paint about half of the back green. Allow to dry. The half paper plate that is green on both sides will become the dinosaur's body. The other half of the paper plate will be used for the head, tail, and spikes.
- Use a pencil to draw the dinosaur’s head, long neck, and tail on one half of the plate, and triangular spikes across the top of the body.
- Carefully cut out the dinosaur’s shape, including the spikes and tail. Save the extra painted pieces for the spikes.
- From the leftover plate pieces, cut out small triangles to use as the dinosaur’s back spikes.
- Paint and cut two cardboard tubes to create the dinosaur’s legs.
- Cut slits into the cardboard pieces to set the dinosaur body into.
- Dip a sponge dauber in darker green paint and stamp spots all over the dinosaur’s body and legs.
- Glue a googly eye to the dinosaur’s head and add pink paint circles for cheeks.
- Glue the dinosaur body pieces together.
- Attach the cardboard tube legs to the underside of the dinosaur using glue.
- Use a black marker to draw a smile and small details on the face.
- Let everything dry, then add any extra details you’d like, such as toes on the feet.
- Display your adorable dinosaur paper plate craft!
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Why This Dino is Dynamite
This little dino isn’t just cute, it’s also a sneaky way to mix fun with learning:
- Science tie-in – Pair the craft with dinosaur books or a quick chat about herbivores vs. carnivores.
- Math play – Count the spikes or legs together for a mini-lesson in numbers.
- Pretend play – Once finished, the dinos can star in an entire prehistoric adventure (watch out for toy volcanoes!).
- Fine motor skills – Cutting, painting, and gluing all work those important little muscles.
And there you have it, a dinosaur that’s way friendlier than the Jurassic Park kind, but just as fun to roar around the living room.
Get This Paper Plate Dinosaur Craftivity Now!
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