50 DIY Animal Paper Plate Crafts for Kids

Animal Paper Plate Crafts

Last week we shared a big list of 50 DIY paper plate crafts for kids, and in that list, we included 10 of our favorite animal paper plate crafts. However, we found SO many other paper plate animals that we wanted to share, so we’ve decided to “serve up” a separate list of JUST animal crafts for you to enjoy!

What’s awesome about the crafts below is that not only do they have the craft aspect to them, they also have a learning aspect. Take some time during your crafting session to look up fun facts about the animals your making and share them with your kids!

1. Parrot

Starting off we have a really fun parrot plate idea perfect for preschoolers. You can use a ton of bright colors in this craft to make your own vibrant tropical parrot!

Get the full tutorial from Artsy Craftsy Mom.

2. Sloth

Sloths are extremely slow creatures, but you can have this craft done pretty quickly! You can find the brown paper plates needed for this craft on Amazon, or you can paint basic paper plates for a different effect.

Get the full tutorial from I Heart Crafty Things.

3. Jellyfish

Jellyfish are super fascinating so I highly recommend showing your children a video of them during/after crafting these awesome paper plate versions. This is a good one.

Get the full tutorial from Non-Toy Gifts.

4. Seahorse

The seahorse is quite a magical and majestic creature. There are about 40 known species of them too!

Get the full tutorial from Glued to My Crafts Blog.

5. Fox

If your kids have recently watched Zootopia, they’ll be super excited to craft their own sneaky fox. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, you should definitely check it out!

Get the full tutorial from Crafty Morning.

6. Tropical Fish

As you can see from the four tropical fish examples in the image above, there’s no right or wrong way to go about this craft. Try different colors, different fins, stripes, dots, etc!

Get the full tutorial from Crafts By Amanda.

7. Frog Puppet

If you want to keep your toddler entertained for hours, help them craft one of these frog puppets and then let them go wild with it!

Get the full tutorial from Make Film Play.

8. Polar Bear

Polar bears are super popular with kids and this craft is great because no paint is involved! And just as a fun fact: did you know polar bear fur is actually transparent?

Get the full tutorial from A Dab of Glue Will Do.

9. Cotton Ball Penguin

Who knew a paper plate penguin could be so cute! Look at those little ear muffs! I love all of the different craft elements in this.

Get the full tutorial from Our Kid Things.

10. Pig

This pig is another adorable paper plate animal that kids are sure to love. It’s easy too as the tutorial contains a template to get things rolling!

Get the full tutorial from Simple Everyday Mom.

11. Bunnies

These paper plate bunnies would go along great with our other Easter crafts for kids! I love the different colors and designs you can have with these.

Get the full tutorial from The Craft Train.

12. Unicorn

We knew our list of animal paper plate crafts would never be complete without a unicorn plate, so here we go! I love the addition of the flowers beneath the horn.

Get the full tutorial from Woo! Jr.

13. Caterpillars

These paper plate caterpillars are perfect for younger kids as just a bit of cutting is involved, then it’s all coloring and gluing! There are so many different color variations you could go with too.

Get the full tutorial from In the Playroom.

14. Colorful Butterly

There’s a lot to love about this craft. The glittery cardstock with the gold pipe cleaner is super flashy and fun, and the colorful wings can be done in so many different ways.

Get the full tutorial from Glued to My Crafts Blog.

15. Bee

Bees may seem simple on the surface but they’re some of the most fascinating and important insects on the planet! Check out these honey-bee facts for kids so that you have something to do during crafting.

Get the full tutorial from Non-Toy Gifts.

16. Narwhal

Narwhals are another super interesting creature that your kids can craft. Did you know that big horn coming out of the narwhals head is actually an overgrown tooth? Pretty neat!

Get the full tutorial from Crafts On Sea.

17. Colorful Birds

I love all the different colors you can have going on with this craft – no two paper plate birds are alike! If you make enough you could even hang them up for a really cool effect.

Get the full tutorial from Pink Stripey Socks.

18. Duck

If your kids are really into making paper plate farm animals you can’t forget the duck! You could even take your kids to a pond beforehand so they can see some real ducks before crafting this paper plate version.

Get the full tutorial from Crafty Morning.

19. Llama

These Llama paper plates double as adorable DIY Valentines Day cards. Your kids can combine them with notes like “Llama be your Valentine” and then hand them out at school!

Get the full tutorial from Kids Craft Room.

20. Groundhog

With Groundhog Day coming up it’s the perfect time for this craft! It’s also a great opportunity to explain how Groundhog Day works to your kids.

Get the full tutorial from Simply Today Life.

21. Arctic Fox

Combine this arctic fox craft with the polar bear from above and you’ve got a small artic exhibit in the making!

Get the full tutorial from I Heart Crafty Things.

22. Shark

Although many kids are afraid of sharks (I’m a bit afraid of them myself), this paper plate version is pretty harmless and cute.

Get the full tutorial from Kids Activities Blog.

23. Bird Hats

Paper hat crafts are always a blast for the kids and this tutorial will show you how to make 3 different bird hats! I’m sure you could come up with a few of your own ideas as well.

Get the full tutorial from I Heart Crafty Things.

24. Raccoon

Raccoons aren’t the most lovable creatures in the world, but this paper plate version isn’t so bad! At least it won’t dig through your trash!

Get the full tutorial from Glued to My Crafts Blog.

25. Pooh Bear

This Winnie the Pooh craft is definitely one the kids will enjoy! Super easy to make too.

Get the full tutorial from Craft Create Cook.

26. Peacock

If your kids have never seen a peacock in real life before, you should show them this video! It might even give them some inspiration for their paper plate peacock.

Get the full tutorial from I Heart Crafty Things.

27. Whale

These whales stand easily on their own so you can display them on a shelf once you’re finished! The paper water spout effect on them is a really nice touch.

Get the full tutorial from Krokotak.

28. Octopus

The octopus is one of the coolest sea creatures around. They’re thought to be very intelligent, and weirdly enough, they have three hearts!

Get the full tutorial from Artsy Craftsy Mom.

29. Lion

If you’re planning on crafting a few different paper plate jungle animals from this list, you can’t forget the king! You could watch the new Lion King movie as you’re crafting too.

Get the full tutorial from Kids Activities Blog.

30. Handprint Lion Mask

The lion craft above is fun and all, but with this mask version, your kids can become the king of the jungle themselves. Be prepared to hear them roar!

Get the full tutorial from Kids Craft Room.

31. Turtles

Since a paper plate is already the perfect shape for a turtle shell, this craft is pretty easy and quick to make. Still, try to get creative with the shell and throw in some fun colors!

Get the full tutorial from Easy Peasy and Fun.

32. Hedgehog

Hedgehogs definitely aren’t an animal to mess with but they’re pretty cute from afar! I love the colorful spikes on these!

Get the full tutorial from Arty Crafty Kids.

33. Twirly Polar Bear

I know we already included a paper plate polar bear above, but I thought the twirly effect on this one was really neat so I had to include it. You could probably use this same effect on some of the other paper plate animals on this list too.

Get the full tutorial from Kids Craft Room.

34. Rocking Crab

These crabs will keep your kids entertained for hours! They rock back and forth and also have pincers that open and close which is just awesome. If you’re coming back from a beach day and planning to make these, be sure to collect some shells to try out our seashell crafts too!

Get the full tutorial from Kids Craft Room.

35. Rocking Bunny

If your kids really enjoy the rocking crabs above, they’ll love these rocking bunnies too. And here’s a cool idea: Make a bunch of these paper plate bunnies and line them up as DIY Easter decorations!

Get the full tutorial from Easy Peasy and Fun.

36. Stingray

This craft actually utilizes a paper bowl as well as a plate so make sure you have both of those on hand! Use whatever colors you want

Get the full tutorial from The Pinterested Parent.

37. Brown Bear

This craft involves a bit of cutting and painting so you’ll probably have to help your kids out a bit, but it’s worth it! The paint even looks a bit like a brown bear’s fur.

Get the full tutorial from Crafty Morning.

38. More Paper Plate Animal Masks

We really liked the lion mask above so we figured we’d include a few other fun paper plate animal masks! With the tutorial below you’ll learn how to make a cat, pig, and a duck.

Get the full tutorial from Crafts for Toddlers.

39. Goldfish

This is one of the easiest paper plate animals to craft so it’s a good one to start out with, especially if you’re crafting with toddlers. Just be careful with the paint!

Get the full tutorial from Kids Activities Blog.

40. Mouse

I think mice get a bad rap – a lot of people hate them but they’re really quite adorable (and smart). This craft is a super easy one to start out with.

Get the full tutorial from Free Kids Crafts.

41. Possum

Possums are an interesting animal – sort of like a kangaroo, they spend the first months of their lives in their mother’s pouch. Be sure to share this fun fact while you’re crafting!

Get the full tutorial from The Craft Train.

42. Koala

Just like the possum, Koalas also spend the first months of their lives in their mother’s pouch! They’re darn adorable too!

Get the full tutorial from I Heart Crafty Things.

43. Frog

This frog craft looks so good! With the handprint legs, the big eyes, and the curly tongue, it all comes together like a piece of art.

Get the full tutorial from Fire Flies and Mud Pies.

44. Penguin

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a happier looking penguin! So cute. This is such a clever way to utilize the round shape of a paper plate!

Get the full tutorial from Simple Every Day Mom.

45. Walrus

With a bit of painting and gluing involved, this craft shouldn’t be too difficult and provides a good learning experience! Fun fact: did you know that walrus tusks continue to grow as long as the walrus is alive?

Get the full tutorial from Crafts on Sea.

46. Snail

These snails sort of remind me of the snails in the movie Turbo. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend watching it with your kids!

Get the full tutorial from The Best Ideas for Kids.

47. Flying Owl

This craft is really cool and utilizes the paper plate in a very fun way. Your kids can move the owl around in the night sky for a fun flying effect!

Get the full tutorial from I Heart Crafty Things.

48. Pufferfish

While pufferfish look cute most of the time, you don’t want to threaten them! They can puff up several times their size and some contain a deadly poison!

Get the full tutorial from Our Kid Things.

49. Flying Bat

This is another craft that has an interactive aspect. With the yellow background, it sort of reminds me of the Batman symbol!

Get the full tutorial from Non-Toy Gifts.

50. Hatching Penguin Chick

Last but not least, another moveable paper plate craft but this time it’s a hatchable penguin! How cute is that?

Get the full tutorial from Kids Craft Room.

Final Thoughts

At this point, I’m almost convinced you could make any animal you wanted with a paper plate and some additional craft supplies. All you need is an idea and a bit (or maybe a lot) of creativity!

If you’re feeling really crafty, I highly recommend trying to come up with some animal paper plate crafts of your own. You can challenge your kids too! This is an awesome way to let their creativity shine and you’ll probably be impressed with what they come up with.

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