Kids are naturally drawn to dinosaurs, finding endless wonder in their ancient and mysterious worlds. Whether it’s the towering Brontosaurus or the fearsome T-Rex, these prehistoric giants ignite the imaginations of toddlers and preschoolers everywhere. With our Paper Plate Dinosaur Craft, we brought a bit of that prehistoric fun into our crafting table in a fun, simple way that use everyday crafting materials!
How to Make a Paper Plate Dinosaur Craft
Material List
- White paper plate
- Cardboard tube (for the legs)
- Green paint (light and dark shades)
- Google eyes
- Black marker
- Paint brushes
- Circle foam brush
- Scissors
- Glue
Instructions
- Paint the Paper Plate: Start by painting the paper plate with dark green paint. This will form the body of your dinosaur. Allow the paint to dry completely before proceeding to the next step.
- Prepare the body: Once the light green base is dry, cut the plate in half. Use one half for the body and on the other half trace the outline of a dinosaur neck and head and tail on the back of the plate. Use scissors to cut them out. Also cut out small triangles for the spines of the back of the dinosaur from what’s left of the half of paper plate.
- Prepare the Legs: Cut the cardboard tube into 2 equal parts. Make two slits one inch in the top of each half of the tube. You will slide the finised dinosaur craft down the slits to stand it up once you are done. Paint each tube with the same green paint used for the body. Allow them to dry.
- Put the body together: Once all painted parts are dry, glue on the head, tail and spikes.
- Assemble the Dinosaur: Slide the legs to the underside of the paper plate. Make sure they are evenly spaced and strong enough to hold the plate upright if desired.
- Add detail on the Dinosaur body: Use a circle foam brush to dab light green spots over the body to give your dinosaur texture and depth. This mimics the dinosaur’s skin and adds visual interest to your craft.
- Add Facial Features: Attach the google eyes to the face area of the plate. Use a black marker to draw a smiling mouth, nostrils, or any other facial features you like. This brings your dinosaur to life with personality and charm.
Other Dinosaur Activities and Sensory Bins
Dinosaur Sensory Bin
Fill a bin with green-dyed rice and various beans to create a lush, prehistoric jungle landscape. Hide small dinosaur toys within the bin and let kids dig through to discover them, mimicking a real archaeological dig.
Crayon Resist Dinosaur Craft
Draw dinosaurs with a white crayon on white paper and then paint over them with watercolors. The crayon will resist the watercolor, revealing the dinosaur drawing in a magical, colorful display.
Dinosaur Name Printing
Use dinosaur-shaped stamps or create your own from sponges to dip in paint and stamp out names or short messages on paper. This activity combines fun with learning, encouraging letter recognition and spelling.
Share Your Crafting Moments
We can’t wait to see how your Paper Plate Dinosaurs turned out! Share your photos and experiences with us by posting them to our community blog section or on social media. Your creative adventures inspire us and help build a community of young crafters and dino enthusiasts!
This Paper Plate Dinosaur Craft is perfect for a rainy day or a sunny afternoon of creativity. It’s not just about making something; it’s about learning, exploring, and stepping into the giant footprints of the most awe-inspiring creatures that ever walked the Earth.
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
Paper Plate Dinosaur Craft: Easy Craft for Kids
Materials
- White paper plate
- Cardboard tube (for the legs)
- Green paint (light and dark shades)
- Google eyes
- Black marker
- Paint brushes
- Circle foam brush
- Scissors
- Glue
Instructions
- Paint the Paper Plate: Start by painting the paper plate with dark green paint. This will form the body of your dinosaur. Allow the paint to dry completely before proceeding to the next step.Prepare the body: Once the light green base is dry, cut the plate in half. Use one half for the body and on the other half trace the outline of a dinosaur neck and head and tail on the back of the plate. Use scissors to cut them out. Also cut out small triangles for the spines of the back of the dinosaur from what's left of the half of paper plate.
- Prepare the Legs: Cut the cardboard tube into 2 equal parts. Make two slits one inch in the top of each half of the tube. You will slide the finised dinosaur craft down the slits to stand it up once you are done. Paint each tube with the same green paint used for the body. Allow them to dry.
- Add detail on the Dinosaur body: Use a circle foam brush to dab light green spots over the body to give your dinosaur texture and depth. This mimics the dinosaur’s skin and adds visual interest to your craft.
- Put the body together: Once all painted parts are dry, glue on the head, tail and spikes.
- Assemble the Dinosaur: Slide the legs to the underside of the paper plate. Make sure they are evenly spaced and strong enough to hold the plate upright if desired.
- Add Facial Features: Attach the google eyes to the face area of the plate. Use a black marker to draw a smiling mouth, nostrils, or any other facial features you like. This brings your dinosaur to life with personality and charm.
- Finishing Touches: tail or spikes, painting them to match the body and gluing them in place.
