Paper Plate Duck Craft for Preschoolers
This paper plate duck craft is so easy you can have your preschooler (or preschool classroom!) create their very own. I love this craft because it's fun and easy, and ignites their creativity.
Below you'll find a step by step guide to show you how I created this craft with my kids and then you can create them however your little would like!
Perhaps I should have stopped before adding the eyelids, but it looks like it was missing something. Feel free to take all the creative freedoms you need with this one.
Let's get started.
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Paper plate crafts are one of my favorites to do with my kids because paper plates are easy to find and inexpensive — the best plates for crafts are the extra cheap, flimsy ones from the dollar store.
They are also versatile and forgiving.
You can make a mistake and simply start over, or you can make an entire family of beautiful ducks at home without breaking the bank.
Here is a great article about how important creativity is in the classroom. I know we don't need an excuse to add fun crafts into our lives, but I like to add this just in case you need further convincing. Learn more about creative thinking.
This fun paper plate horse craft is easy to make and ends up looking adorable, it’s a great way to work on those tiny hand muscles to prepare for writing someday, and work on their creative muscles so they can flourish as they grow.
You can add in extra fine motor skills by giving them a little foam makeup applicator to paint their paper plate craft with. It gives their hands a different way to interact with the paint.
My kids are always putting their unique spin on these, and I loved seeing what they could create.
Here is where you can grab your printable template so you can have it ready!
I love to put crafts on their windowsills, or bureau, or along their shelves in their rooms. My kids love when they can decorate their rooms with their own creativity.
We talk about our favorite parts of the day every night before bed, and they often bring up their crafts, because they're surrounded by them, and we talk about how much fun they were.
They love being surrounded by things they've created with their hands, and I love how proud they are of their artwork.
How to make a duck out of a paper plate?
Imagine the joy and wonder in a child's eyes when they see a duck waddling in the park or paddling in a pond.
Ducks are fascinating creatures that capture the imagination of young minds, and with the right craft activity, you can bring their love for ducks to life.
If you're a preschool teacher looking for a fun and creative project to engage your students, then it's time for you to try this paper plate duck craft.
With just a few simple materials, you can guide your little ones through the process of making their own adorable duck that will have them quacking with delight.
Ha! Get it?
Great! Let's get this farm craft started.
But first, let's gather all the materials we need to create this future masterpiece. Don't forget to grab your duck's face shapes template, which you can find above by adding your email.
Get the full list of supplies and directions in a handy printable version at the end of this post.
- Paper Plate
- Orange Construction Paper
- Cardboard
- Glue
- Lemon Yellow Paint
- Scissors
- Pen
- Paintbrush
You can make this duck craft your own by using different colors, adding other objects for texture such as pom poms, ripped up newspaper, or crumpled up tissue paper. Let this tutorials help you decide how you want to create your owl.
PIN for later:
Pin this Cute Paper Plate Horse Face Craft to Come Back to Later
This easy paper plate duck craft for toddlers is a great activity to do when you introduce farm animals in your homeschool or preschool–pair it with your paper plate horse craft. It's also great every day — what kid doesn't love this quacky fella?
My favorite part about this paper plate duck craft is you can make it as unique to your child as you want. This is all just a way to spark that creativity. You can make it green with a white beak, or look like whatever kind of duck your child loves. The sky is the limit!
Some ideas for changing things up is finding different breeds of ducks and trying to make a similar craft, or picking their favorite colors!
Give them free rein to be creative! Once everything is glued down, they can proudly display their masterpiece on the mantle, or make them a fun tabletop decoration for a themed party.
My favorite decorations are the ones my kids made. The cool thing about these little crafts is you can make them every year if you want, or you can remake them like 30 times in a day, like my youngest always asks.
And I LOVE how they can decorate their rooms every season with the crafts they created.
Before diving in, let's get excited about making a duck! Talk with your kids about how cute and funny ducks are, go to a local park and sit down and watch the ducks, and ask them if they'd like to create one of their own.
You can even show them pictures or get them a duck book to get them inspired. Here is a great duck book you can probably find at your local library! I loved this book as a child.
Looking for more paper plate crafts?
- Paper Plate Owl Craft for Preschoolers
- Super Easy Paper Plate Fish Craft for Preschoolers
- Christmas Gnome Paper Plate Craft for Preschoolers
- Rainbow Paper Plate Wind Spinner Craft
How to make a paper plate duck step by step
If you'd like a printable version of these instructions, scroll to the bottom.
Put down some newspaper to help reduce the mess.
Grab all your materials and let's go.
Take the paper plate and have your child paint it using the lemon yellow acrylic paint.
Let them get creative with their painting and encourage them to cover the entire plate. This step is sure to be messy, but it's all part of the fun.
You might need to take a few deep breaths and find your composure, but remember everything is cleanable.
As your plate dries, it's time to cut out the duck face shapes. I've provided you with a handy template that shows you which colors to use and how to cut out each shape. Take your time and make sure you cut them out neatly.
After cutting out the pieces, you'll have some cardboard hair. Paint this to match your duck's face, since that is made of feathers, and so is this little hair tuft on top of his head.
A cool idea my son had for this was to add actual feathers to the top. SO MANY WAYS TO DO THESE CRAFTS! I love it.
Using a black marker or pen, draw the duck's eyes into the white cardboard paper.
Use the image below to help you decide how to use the pieces you removed.
Next up, we are gluing all these pieces down.
Arrange them on the paper plate the way you like, and then glue each piece down. Make sure everything is aligned properly and press down firmly.
Perhaps this is good enough for you. It definitely should have been good enough for me, but alas, here we are.
You can cut out a curved shape with a flat base from the orange construction paper to create eyelids. Attach to the top of the eyes.
I might have made a mistake here. But I have to live with it. Once everything is attached, make a border around the edges and around the outside of each piece you glued down.
Don't forget to add a line for its mouth!
Here is your completed duck! Yay! You did it!
You did it! You created a really adorable paper plate duck!
If your littles are old enough to use scissors without cutting off their sister's ponytail, feel free to let them take the reins with this craft, and see where they end up with it.
Understand there will be a lot of cleaning up at the end of this, just make your peace with that now!
Every duck can be different, and they can still be perfect!
How to make a paper duck craft printable tutorial
Here is a great printable version if you'd like it!
Paper Plate Duck Craft for Preschoolers
This DIY paper plate duck craft is simple, yet perfect for the farm loving kid in your life.
Materials
- Paper plate
- Orange construction paper
- White cardstock
- Glue
- Lemon yellow paint
- Duck Face Shapes Printable
Tools
- Glue (stick or white glue) and Glue Gun
- Scissors
- Paintbrush
- Pen
Instructions
- Gather all of your materials.
- Begin by painting the entire paper plate with lemon yellow acrylic paint. This will be the base of your duck's face. Be sure to let the paint dry completely before moving on to the next step.
- Next, print and cut out the template provided. You can use this template to cut out the different parts of your duck from construction paper. Refer to the craft photo to see which colors to use for each part.
- Once you've cut out all the pieces, use your paintbrush to paint the duck's crown with the lemon yellow acrylic paint. Then, use a pen to draw on the duck's eyes. Leave a white spot for highlights.
- When the paint has dried completely, it's time to add the parts to the paper plate. Start by attaching the duck's beak to the center of the paper plate. Add the eyes to the top of the beak, and add the second part of the beak underneath.
- Next, cut a curved shape with a flat base out of orange construction paper. This will be the duck's eyelids. Attach it to the upper area of the duck's eyes using stick glue, making sure it's positioned just right to give your duck a cute, whimsical look.
- Finally, attach the crown to the top of the paper plate behind the duck's head, using stick glue to hold it in place.
- For a finishing touch, use a pen or marker to draw a border around the edge of the duck's face.
Notes
Tips:
Be extra careful with scissors and hot glue around little hands. If it makes you more comfortable, feel free to use regular white glue. I also love using double sided tape, it makes the whole process much quicker and easier because you don't have to wait for glue to dry, or get your fingers sticky.
Let your creativity flow here! You are free to change colors. The choice is yours! I love seeing what my little's create after I show them the instructions, it's always fun and unique!
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