This moving shark paper plate craft for kids is a fun summer activity. It’s also perfect to make at home during Shark Week or as part of an ocean or shark unit study.
It’s one of our easy craft ideas for kids and can be finished in less than 30 minutes. It’s an ideal project for preschool, kindergarten, and elementary age children. Once completed, they can use the shark puppets for imaginative play.
Like this shark craft? You may also enjoy our shark life cycle slider and ocean zone density jar activities.
Swimming Sharks Craft
Transform a disposable plate into a scene under the sea with two cute shark puppets you can make swim around.
I think the paper sharks are so adorable and the whole activity is fun for kids to do. We’re providing a printable template for ease of use, or you can freehand your own sharks and underwater plants.
Younger children may need some assistance, but older kids should be able to complete this project independently. An adult should prep the paper plate by cutting a slit near the bottom edge for the puppets.
Have the kids work on fine motor skills by tracing the templates onto colored paper and cutting the pieces out. Practicing scissor skills and tracing is beneficial for improving fine motor and writing skills.
The swimming sharks is a great opportunity to inspire kids’ creativity and imagination. They can make up a little play for the sharks to act out or even make additional sea creature puppets.
You can also create a stationary ocean scene by gluing the sharks directly to the plate, rather than making puppets and cutting an opening in the plate for them.
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Shark Paper Plate Craft Supplies:
- Printable Shark Paper Plate Template PDF File #154 (our free printables are available in the free printable resource library – get the password by filling out the form at the bottom of this post)
- Paper Plate (9 or 10 inch)
- Cardstock or construction paper in a variety of colors
- Googly Eyes
- Wooden Craft Sticks
- Glue (liquid school glue or glue sticks)
- Fine Tipped Black Marker
- Pencil
- Scissors
How to Make a Moving Paper Plate Shark Craft:
First you will need to download and print out our Shark Paper Plate Craft Template (It is file #154 in our free printable resource library.) or plan to draw and cut out your own pieces freehand.
Next, cut out all of the pieces from the PDF template. Use them to trace onto colored paper.
Example colors to use: light blue circle for center of paper plate sky, different shade of blue for water waves, white for the shark bellies, gray and navy blue for top of the sharks, and green for sea plants.
Then cut out the shark pieces and glue the bottom and top part of each shark together.
Line the top part up with the bottom and overlap them a little. Set aside to dry.
Use a marker or pen to draw the gills, mouth and teeth on the sharks.
Attach two googly eyes onto each shark.
Use a pair of scissors to cut a long slit on the bottom edge of the paper plate’s center.
Cut out a light blue circle the size of the center of your paper plate and glue it to the plate.
Then use the template to cut out the waves from a different shade of blue, and glue it onto the plate.
Glue the sea plants under the water. Add additional items to set the scene if you’d like such as seaweed, starfish, small fish, rocks, etc.
Now tape or glue the wooden craft popsicle sticks to the back of the sharks. You can attach another stick to the end of the first to make it longer, if needed.
Finish it off by sliding the popsicle sticks through the slit in the plate. Move the sticks around to make the sharks swim around in the ocean!
Get the Shark Template Printable
Fill out the form below for free instant access to our printable library if you do not currently have access to it. Shark Paper Plate Printable Template is File 154.
More Paper Plate Crafts:
Moving Shark Paper Plate Craft
Make this cute and easy shark paper plate craft and have fun making the shark puppets swim under the sea.
Instructions
- First you will need to download and print out our Shark Paper Plate Craft Template (It is file #154 in our free printable resource library.) or plan to draw and cut out your own pieces freehand.
- Next, cut out all of the pieces from the PDF template. Use them to trace onto colored paper. Example colors to use: light blue circle for center of paper plate sky, different shade of blue for water waves, white for the shark bellies, gray and navy blue for top of the sharks, and green for sea plants.
- Then cut out the shark pieces and glue the bottom and top part of each shark together. Line the top part up with the bottom and overlap them a little. Set aside to dry.
- Use a marker or pen to draw the gills, mouth and teeth on the sharks.
- Attach two googly eyes onto each shark.
- Use a pair of scissors to cut a long slit on the bottom edge of the paper plate's center.
- Cut out a light blue circle the size of the center of your paper plate and glue it to the plate.
- Then use the template to cut out the waves from a different shade of blue, and glue it onto the plate.
- Glue the sea plants under the water. Add additional items to set the scene if you'd like such as seaweed, starfish, small fish, rocks, etc.
- Now tape or glue the wooden craft popsicle sticks to the back of the sharks. You can attach another stick to the end of the first to make it longer, if needed.
- Finish it off by sliding the popsicle sticks through the slit in the plate. Move the sticks around to make the sharks swim around in the ocean!