40 Easy Paper Plate Summer Crafts for Kids

Are you looking for a list of paper plate crafts that you can do during the summer months? Here are 40 different kids art ideas that you can make with your toddlers and preschoolers. They’ll love these paper plate summer crafts.

If you want to make your Summer themed lessons a breeze, then check out the Summer Activity Pack. It’s filled with math and literacy centers, fine motor activities and arts and crafts templates. All of which are aligned with preschool learning standards. Check it out today.

Disclosure: 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.

Summer Crafts for Kids

Here are some of my most popular summer craft ideas for kids of all ages. Get creative with these fun ideas.

For more ideas, visit 40 Summer Crafts for Kids

Paper Plate Summer Crafts

1. Paper Plate Watermelon Craft

Summer fruit makes wonderful paper plate craft ideas. This paper plate watermelon craft is a fun and easy craft that even very young toddlers can enjoy.

2. Paper Plate Sun Craft

Make a friendly sun with paper plates and develop fine motor skills while you do it. Easy crafts like this are a wonderful way to get creative with some summer play ideas.

Photo: Simple Everyday Mom

3. Paper Plate Jellyfish Craft

This is a great craft if you want to explore some amazing ocean creatures. Make a jellyfish out of paper plates, and the tentacles out of pipe cleaners and beads or straws. Kids will love this craft and threading activity.

For more ideas, check out these other 18 Sea Animal Crafts.

4. Paper Plate Monkeys

These paper plate monkeys are a fantastic craft for older kids. They’ll have so much fun creating these cute animals during their summer vacation.

Photo: Simple Everyday Mom

5. Paper Plate Turtle Craft

Out of all the paper plate summer crafts I’ve made with my kids, this sea turtle craft is my favorite. This cute little guy is so easy to make and looks beautiful hanging on the wall.

6. Rocking Paper Plate Crabs

Learn how to make paper plate animals that rock back and forth. This rocking crab craft is a great idea that the kids will also enjoy playing with after they’ve finished making it.

Photo: Kids Craft Room

7. Paper Plate Starfish Craft

Create some starfish paper plate crafts with the help of this free printable template. The template will make preparing these sea crafts for your early years classroom a complete breeze.

8. Paper Plate Ladybug

My kids are fascinated with ladybugs. Which is why this paper plate ladybug is the perfect craft for a rainy day this summer.

Photo: Non-Toy Gifts

9. Paper Plate Fish Craft

Turn your paper plate crafts for kids into a colorful rainbow fish, complete with fish scales. These are a wonderful accompanying activity to the classic children book ‘The Rainbow Fish’.

10. Paper Plate Bee Craft

Break out the yellow paint to make this adorable bumble bee craft. Toddlers and preschoolers will be able to turn their handprints into the wings and fly them all around the room.

Photo: Messy Little Monster

11. Paper Plate Sunflower

This paper plate sunflower is one of my favorite summer crafts for toddlers. I love how young children can sprinkle real sunflower seeds onto the middle and their craft and develop fine motor skills while they create.

12. Paper Plate Ice Cream Craft

The only craft supplies you need to make such a delicious looking ice cream cone craft is acrylic paint, paper plates and glue. How easy is that?

Photo: Easy Peasy and Fun

13. Paper Plate Dinosaur

These dinosaur paper plates are a simple way to get little paleontologists excited. Even though the school break during summer is long, you won’t need to worry about running out of paper plate crafts for summer.

14. Flower Wreaths

Use paper flowers, glue sticks and paper plates to make these beautiful flower paper plate wreaths. This is a lovely craft for Spring or Summer.

Photo: 3 Dinosaurs

15. Paper Plate Shells

Make a variety of paper plate sea shells in pretty colors. These can go along with all of the other paper plate summer crafts that explore the ocean.

16. Rocking Paper Plate Submarine

Make a paper plate submarine that rocks back and forth in these tissue paper ocean waves. The kids will have so much fun making this beautiful art idea.

Photo: Red Ted Art

17. Fishbowl

Turn a regular paper plate into a fishbowl. Toddlers and preschoolers will have a great time making their own fish and underwater home in this fun project.

18. Paper Plate Flowers

There are so many fun things to do during these summer holidays, so many fun summer art projects. I love how these colorful paper plate flowers turned out, this is one idea I’ll definitely be trying with my kids this year.

Photo: Toddler Approved

19. Butterfly Meadow

Turn bow tie pasta into color butterflies. This ordinary paper plate now looks like a meadow with dancing butterflies.

20. Rocking Shark Craft

This shark paper plate craft is a great addition to any summer or shark themed lesson plan. Perfect for exploring shark week with your little ones.

Photo: Happy Toddler Playtime

21. Beach Ball

This paper plate beach ball is so easy to make. The great thing about simple crafts like this is that you can let your class choose different colors and you’ll end up with every ball completely unique.

22. Paper Plate Pirate

Enjoy Talk Like A Pirate Day with these paper plate crafts for toddlers. Use black construction paper and paper plates to make a fun pirate craft. Your children will love it.

Photo: Simple Everyday Mom

23. Rocking Paper Plate Pirate Boat Craft

Turn a paper plate into a pirate ship. Summer is the perfect time to enjoy this cute craft.

Photo: Non-Toy Gifts

24. Summer Paper Plate Masks

I love this fun activity, which is a great way to talk to your kids about sunburn and the importance of sun safety. Make sunburnt masks out of paper plates and use them for pretend play.

Photo: Red Ted Art

25. Paper Plate Campfire Craft

Although you can go camping all year round, summer is always my favorite time to go. That’s why I wanted to include this campfire artwork along with the other paper plate summer crafts.

Photo: Non-Toy Gifts

26. Paper Plate Dandelion Craft

Make this dandelion craft with your kids. This is a great way for preschoolers and kindergartners to develop their fine motor skills this Summer.

Photo: A Little Pinch of Perfect

27. Ocean Paper Plate Craft

This is a fun craft for little hands to make. Make a starfish sitting on the ocean floor, complete with sand on the bottom to add some texture.

Photo: JDaniel4’s Mom

28. Paper Plate Fluttering Butterfly Craft

Glue pom poms onto a craft stick to make this fluffy fluttering butterfly. Watch as the butterfly puppet moves around the flowers on the paper plate.

Photo: i Heart Crafty Things

29. Paper Plate Seagull

Make paper plate seagulls, complete with flapping wings and googly eyes. These are such fun summer toddler crafts to do with your class.

Photo: Local Fun for Kids

30. Paper Plate Octopus

This paper plate octopus is a simple craft that toddlers and preschoolers will enjoy making this summertime.

Photo: No Time For Flashcards

31. Rocking Paper Plate Mermaid

This rocking mermaid craft is a fantastic idea for little girls who love mermaids. I love easy paper plate crafts like this one.

Photo: Red Ted Art

32. Paper Plate Shark Sewing Craft

Get out your hole punch for some fun summer kids crafts. Make a shark craft that needs to be woven together. This is a fun craft and fine motor activity rolled into one.

Photo: Kids Craft Room

33. Spinning Paper Plate Flower Craft

Make a paper plate flower that spins around in the wind. These summer paper plate crafts will look wonderful in your garden this school break.

Photo: Happy Toddler Playtime

34. Paper Plate Watermelon Book Bag

This is the perfect summer craft for bookworms. Make a watermelon book bag out of paper plates to take with you to the library. You can also use this concept for a whole lot of other different ideas, such a summer fruit or your favorite animal.

Photo: Arty Crafty Kids

35. Moving Paper Plate Porthole Craft

What can you see through the porthole? With these paper plate summer crafts you can make your own ocean scenes. You could try making a jumping whale, or pirate ship with your paper plate porthole.

Photo: Kids Craft Room

36. Paper Plate Humpback Whale

If you are looking for art projects to make with older children, then be sure to try these paper plate humpback whales.

Photo: Simple Everyday Mom

37. Paper Plate Boat Craft

The next time you’re looking for fun paper plate crafts, try this cute little boat craft. I love how the sea is woven around the boat in this cute craft idea.

Photo: Non-Toy Gifts

38. Under The Sea Paper Plate Craft

This under the sea picture is an easy activity to do with toddlers and preschoolers. They’ll love making ocean crafts with real sand and shells for their fish.

Photo: The Imagination Tree

39. Paper Plate Butterfly Craft

This is a simple paper plate craft that uses tissue paper to make colorful butterfly wings. This paper plate butterfly will look beautiful hanging up on your classroom wall.

40. Paper Plate Camping Craft

This easy craft is a great project to make with your kids before going on a camping trip. This campsite craft will help get the kids excited to go. It’s also perfect for explaining what will happen if this is your kids’ first time camping.

Photo: Homeschool Preschool