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.
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More Paper Plate Crafts to try
When looking for fun activities to do with the kids, 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 with paper plates.
- Paper Plate Lion
- Paper Plate Dinosaur Craft
- Paper Plate Hot Air Balloon
- Paper Plate Rainbow Craft
- Paper Plate Starfish Craft
- …
For more ideas, visit this list of Paper Plate Crafts.
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
Step 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. 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
How do you make a paper plate snail?
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
What else can you use to make a paper plate snail craft?
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.
Are you going to make this Paper Plate Snail Craft with your kids?
Don’t forget to pin the idea for later.
