Adorable Paper Plate Snail Craft
Kids of all ages will love making this Paper Plate Snail Craft. It’s so much fun making these little creatures as a family and spending some quality time together.
While technically not insects, I always like to include snails in my insect or Spring themed units. They’re amazing garden creatures and the kids love learning some fun snail facts.

Adult supervision is required for all activities at all times. Some of the links provided in this blog are affiliate links. I will be paid a commission if you use this link to make a purchase.
As the weather warms up, now is the perfect time to try some of these Spring activities for kids. I don’t know about you, but there’s something about the change in seasons that gets my kids excited about learning. Or you can invest in the Spring Activity Pack, which is filled with educational ideas for young kids.
Table of Contents
Materials Needed
- Small paper plate
- Pipe cleaner
- Paint colors of your choice
- Black marker
- White glue
- Construction paper in the color of your choice.
How to Make a Paper Plate Snail Craft
1. Draw the spiral shell.

To draw the snail’s shell, use a pencil to make a spiral shape on the back of the paper plate.
I like to start the spiral by making an S shape in the center, and then following the lines outwards towards the side of the plate. (Another reason why this cute snail is a great activity if you’re learning about the letter “S” in your class.)
2. Paint the shell

Decorate the shell however you like. Younger children might like to stick with traditional water color paints, while older kids can go all out with whatever they imagine for their snail picture.
No matter what you decide, this fun activity will look beautiful once completed.
3. Draw the body, and cut it out

I drew the snail’s head and the snail’s body onto some colorful construction paper. I let my kids choose what color they wanted, but of course you can always use white paper and paint that too.
Preschoolers should be able to cut out this colorful snail craft all by themselves. Cutting practice is great for little fingers, and using scissors is one of my favorite things to use to develop fine motor skills.
4. Make the face

Draw a smiley face onto the top of the snail’s body.
You can either draw on the snail’s eyes, or glue wiggle eyes to make these cute little snails.
5. Make the Antennae
Cut a short piece (about 2 inches) of pipe cleaner and bend it in half. Around a 90 degree angle. Next, turn the body over and stick the v of the pipe cleaner to the back of the head.

6. Glue them together
Use glue sticks, sticky tape or craft glue to stick the snail shell to the back of the snail body.
Well done. Your simple snail craft is complete.
FAQ’s
This snail craft is the perfect craft for young children because it only requires simple supplies and none of the steps are tricky. It’s simply a matter of decorating the shell, making the body and sticking them together.
Now you can add a snail to your list of fun animal crafts
There are so many different ways to decorate your paper plate snail. Simple craft supplies can all be used in various ways. And of course older children will come up with their own ways to create.
- Make the snail shell spiral using stickers, beads or pom poms.
- Glue tissue paper to the plate instead of using paint
- Make a spotty snail shell by using cotton balls as paint stamps.
- Glue googly eyes onto the face instead of drawing the eyes on with a pen.
More Spring Themed Crafts to try
When looking for fun activities to do with my little ones, I always gravitate towards kids craft ideas. They’re such a great way to explore and learn. Here are some of my most popular kids crafts that you can make this Spring.
- Black Glue Rainbow Art
- Bee Cut and Paste Art
- Paper Plate Rainbow Craft
- Clay Snail Craft
- Rolled Paper Snail Craft
For more ideas, visit this list of 30 Arts and Crafts for Spring or 20 Paper Plate Spring Crafts.
Spring Activity Pack
Over 90+ pages of Spring themed play based learning activities and craft templates. Perfect for preschool and kindergarten.
Are you going to make this Paper Plate Snail Craft with your kids?
Don’t forget to pin the idea for later.






