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Paper Plate Octopus Craft For Kids [Free Template]

One of the most magical creatures in the ocean has to be the octopus!

They’re amazing ability to camouflage, squeeze through tiny holes, and unique appearance make it one of kids’ favorite ocean animals.

This paper plate octopus craft is great for little octopus fans!

Not only will this craft engage those little minds, it’s also perfect for expressing creativity and following direction.

Check out our quick video below to see how to create this craft, then download the free printable template.

If you need more ideas, look at all of our ocean crafts for kids.

Octopus Paper Plate Craft

paper plate octopus craft image collage with the words paper plate octopus in the middle

Supplies

  • Paper Plate
  • Colored cardstock or construction paper
  • Paint (we used orange and blue)
  • Paintbrush
  • Pencil
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • Black marker
  • Octopus template (enter your email in the form at the end of this post to have the link sent to you)

Directions

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

hand holding paper plate octopus template

Paint a paper plate in 1-2 thin coats of paint. Let it dry before moving on.

hand painting paper plate blue

Place the octopus head template on the paper plate, trace with a pencil, and cut it out.

Position the eyes in the middle of the head, one on each side of the head, and glue them in place.

hand gluing eyes onto paper plate octopus craft

Use the black marker to draw on the mouth and eyebrows. Next, use a marker (in a couple shades darker than the paint you used) to draw spots on the top of the octopus’s head.

hand drawing spots on top of paper plate octopus head

Take the tentacles and wrap each one around your fingers or a marker to get the to curl. We wrapped the outside tentacles tightly and the middle tentacles loosely.

hand wrapping tentacle paper around marker

Place the 8 tentacles around the bottom of the octopus head and glue them in place.

hand gluing tentacles onto paper plate octopus craft

That’s it! This is one fun ocean animal craft the kids are sure to enjoy!

hand holding octopus paper plate craft

The Snail and the Whale– Julia Donaldson, author of the famous book The Gruffalo, brings kids another fun book about an unlikely set of friends. Snail and Whale have lots of fun together in this colorful book!

Shark Lady– This children’s book is based upon the true story of Eugenie Clark, aka, The Shark Lady. Learn about her love of sharks, her discoveries, and the inspiring message of going after what you want in life.

The Rainbow Fish -This is a classic children’s book with a wonderful message for children. In it, a fish learns to share his favorite possession, his glittery scales, with his friends!

2 paper plate octopus crafts
hand holding octopus paper plate craft

This ocean sensory bin is great for when you want something done for you. If you prefer the DIY route, try out this frozen ocean sensory bin.

The ocean playdough kit is a great way for kids to get hands-on with their play. Plus, the pre-made dough is ready to go, so all you need to do is open the box and start playing.

It’s a fun way to explore the ocean world without getting wet, and it’s also a great way to develop fine motor skills. So whether your child is a beach bum or a landlubber, the ocean play dough kit is sure to be a hit!

Share With Us

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

For a chance to have your child’s craft 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!

More Ocean Fun For Kids

2 paper plate octopus crafts

Paper Plate Octopus Craft For Kids

Prep Time: 8 minutes
Active Time: 15 minutes
Drying Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 33 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

This paper plate octopus is a fun summer craft for kids to make!

Materials

  • Paper Plate
  • Colored cardstock or construction paper
  • Paint (we used orange and blue)
  • Paintbrush
  • Pencil
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • Black marker
  • Octopus template

Instructions

  1. Download the octopus template, print, and cut out the pieces you need.
  2. Paint a paper plate in 1-2 thin coats of paint. Let it dry before moving on.
  3. Place the octopus head template on the paper plate, trace with a pencil, and cut it out.
  4. Position the eyes in the middle of the head, one on each side of the head, and glue them in place.
  5. Use the black marker to draw on the mouth and eyebrows. Next, use a marker (in a couple shades darker than the paint you used) to draw spots on the top of the octopus's head.
  6. Take the tentacles and wrap each one around your fingers or a marker to get them to curl. We wrapped the outside tentacles tightly and the middle tentacles loosely.
  7. Place the 8 tentacles around the bottom of the octopus head and glue them in place.

Did you make this craft?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Free Octopus Template

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Astrid

Monday 13th of February 2023

Can I have the template please

Sam

Tuesday 14th of February 2023

Of course! All you need to do is enter your email in the form at the end of this post to have the link sent to you 🙂

Briana

Wednesday 8th of February 2023

Need for sons party

Sam

Thursday 9th of February 2023

Of course! All you need to do is enter your email in the form at the end of this post to have the link sent to you 🙂

Shelly Duffy

Tuesday 31st of January 2023

Please send me the template, It looks fun!

Sam

Tuesday 31st of January 2023

Since you’re already an email subscriber, all you need to do is enter your email in the form at the end of any post and it’ll automatically redirect you to the download page ?

Edwin Tee

Sunday 21st of August 2022

I need the template urgently.

Sam

Monday 22nd of August 2022

All you need to do is enter your email in the form at the end of the post and the link will be sent to you ?

Anula

Monday 27th of June 2022

I need the paper plate octopus template please

Sam

Wednesday 29th of June 2022

Of course! All you need to do is enter your email in the form at the end of the post and the link will be sent to you ?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

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