With so many amazing and strange animals on this planet, it’s hard to pick the coolest one but giraffes definitely make it to the top of the list!

Kids love them and at some of the zoos here in the US, kids can feed them directly so they’re always a favorite.

We don’t have any giraffe crafts on our site, so this paper plate giraffe craft is the first one!

If you’re doing a zoo theme, be sure to check out all of our zoo animal crafts for kids here.

This paper plate craft is great for preschool, kindergarten, and elementary children. Read on below to see exactly how to make it!

Easy Giraffe Craft

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Supplies

• Paper plates
• Acrylic paint
• Paintbrush
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Black marker
• Colored cardstock (brown or orange)
• Glue
• Tape (optional)
• Giraffe template (enter your email in the form at the end of this post to have the link emailed to you)

Directions

Download the giraffe template, print, and cut out the pieces you need.

Begin by painting the paper plates. If you’re using the painted paper plates for all of your pieces, then paint one paper plate yellow and one paper plate brown or orange.

If you’re using colored cardstock for your other pieces (ears + horns), paint the upper half of one paper plate yellow and the bottom half of the paper plate brown/orange. Let dry completely before moving on.

Place the upper head and lower head templates on the paper plates, trace and cut out. Do the same with the ears and horns if you’re making them from the paper plates.

Use your scissors and the brown/orange cardstock to cut out different shapes for the giraffe’s head. Glue these spots all over the top part of the giraffe head and on the ears.

Glue the giraffe’s eyes near the bottom of the giraffe head.

Take the black marker and draw on the giraffe’s nostrils and mouth, like in the pictures below. Next, glue the giraffe’s mouth/nose area on the top of the head, slightly covering the eyes.

Use tape or glue (we prefer tape) to secure the giraffe’s ears to the back of the paper plate.

Assemble the horns by gluing the circle part to the rectangle part. Tape or glue the completed horns to the back of the paper plate and in between the ears.

This paper plate craft is definitely worthy to hang on the fridge!

Why This Craft Is Great For Kids

We all know how fun crafting with kids is, but did you know children actually learn a lot of skills while crafting?

It’s true and another reason we love sharing these crafts with you!

If your child is old enough to cut out the template by themselves, they’ll be working on strengthening the small muscles in the hands. This helps make it easier to use scissors but also helps with further down the road with handwriting.

Have a young child who can’t cut it all out themselves? No problem!

Give them 1 or 2 of the easiest pieces and let them start there. Over time, you’ll see their cutting skills increase and you can allow them to cut out more and more.

Another skill kids learn from crafting is the ability to follow instructions. This is crucial for them as future students and crafting is a fun way to start this foundational skill.

Bolstering kids’ confidence in themselves is another great reason to craft! If you’ve ever completed any craft with kids, you know exactly what we mean.

There’s almost always a giant smile on their face and a twinkle in their eye! They know they’ve worked hard to create something unique and special.

These are just a few reasons why we think crafting with kids is essential! Have more reasons? Let us know in the comments below.

Zoo Animal Activities For Kids

Books are a great way to get even further into a theme! On top of that, reading to kids helps them develop a stronger vocabulary and helps them learn to focus. It’s a win-win situation! Try out some of these cool books about space:

The Fascinating Animal Book For Kids is a great book for curious kiddos! Find facts on almost any animal your child is learning about. This is a great resource to have in your home library collection.

The View At The Zoo is a silly book about all the animals at the zoo. When the people come to take a look at the animals, they see all sorts of sights! But, there’s a twist to this book that you have to read for yourself and laugh about!

Giraffes Can’t Dance is a sweet and fun book about Gerald the Giraffe. He can’t dance, but doesn’t stop trying! He finally finds his own rhythm when he meets an unlikely friend.

Want more zoo animal crafts to make? We’ve got plenty of fun ideas! Check out some of our favorites below:

• Panda Paper Bag Puppet Craft
• Koala Handprint Craft
• Elephant Paper Plate Craft
• Peacock Handprint Craft

Sensory activities are also another activity you’ll want to incorporate into your zoo animal theme. This zoo playdough kit is perfect for letting the kids have some independent playtime.

Share With Us

Did you make this project with your kids or students? We’d love to feature them on our social media!

For a chance to have your child’s project featured, simply snap a picture of the completed project and post it to our Facebook page, email it to us directly by clicking here, or use #simpleeverydaymom on your social media!

Get Our Favorite Wild Animal Crafts!

Free Giraffe Template