Learn how to make a Paper Plate Triceratops that can be turned into either a mask or a simple craft. Either way, young children will love making their very own dinosaur. It’s a great way to be creative, strengthen fine motor skills, and let your kids pretend to be one of their favourite dinosaurs.
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More Dinosaur Crafts for Kids
If you love this dinosaur activity, try another easy dinosaur craft. Here are some more of my most popular kids craft ideas for little paleontologists.
- Free Dinosaur Coloring Pages
- Paper Plate Brachiosaurus Craft
- Toilet Rolls Dinosaurs
- Cupcake Liner Dinosaur Craft
For more ideas, visit 15 Dinosaur Crafts.
Materials Needed
- A paper plate
- Scissors
- A pen
- String or elastic
- Acrylic paint in different colors
How to Make a Paper Plate Triceratops
Step 1. Take your paper plate and draw the triceratops’ frill, horns and beak.
I started by drawing a line right across the paper plate, just below halfway. Then on the larger side of the plate, I drew wavy lines around the edges, to make the frill.
On the bottom part of the plate, I drew two large and one small isosceles triangles, where it was roughly twice as high as it was wide. These are the three horns for the head of the dinosaur.
Finally, I drew another triangle, that was roughly equilateral, for the beak.
2. Paint the paper plate in whatever color you like.
I like to let my children pick their colors because I think that it’s a great way to encourage them to express their individuality. All I asked was that they pick different colors for the face and the horns, purely so that the horns stood out. However, do this part of the art project in whichever way is right for you.
3. When the paint is dry, cut out each of the pieces, then glue them into place.
If you don’t have enough glue on hand, you can also attach the horns using sticky tape instead.
If you have decided to do this fun activity as a craft, then now is the time to attach some eyes. You can either use pieces of white construction paper or card stock to cut small circles. Or use googly eyes, and glue them on each side of the small horn in the middle of the face.
However, if you want to turn this fun craft into a mask, use a craft knife to cut out two circles instead.
4. Finally, all you need to do is attach your string.
Use a hole punch to make a small hole on each side of the mask, roughly in line with the eyes. I find this is the best place because the eye line is about the same height as the top of the ears, which means the mask won’t be too far up or down the face when worn.
Cut a long strip of string, or elastic, measure it for the size of your child’s head, and then tie the ends through the small holes.
5. Enjoy playing.
You can use this method to make any number of paper plate dinosaur crafts. Add sharp teeth for a T-rex or even scrounge through your dinosaur toys to find a tail they can wear. No matter what you decide, your toddler and preschool classrooms are going to be filled with roars and laughter.
Are you going to make this Paper Plate Triceratops with your kids?
Don’t forget to pin the idea for later.
