The masked bandits of the forest are clever creatures, and this creative project lets kids bring them to life with an everyday paper plate.

Channel kids’ curiosity about these woodland animals into creativity with a raccoon paper plate craft! This hands-on project will have kids painting, cutting, and pasting to make a cute raccoon.

Be sure to explore our growing collection of animal crafts for kids to keep the creativity flowing and the learning going!

Raccoon Art Project

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It’s a fun and engaging activity that helps develop fine motor skills, encourages imagination, and provides the satisfaction of turning simple materials into something special. Using paper plates is a fantastic way to make crafting accessible and budget friendly while using everyday items.

Ready to get started? Download the free template, grab a few basic supplies, and don’t forget to snag a paper plate from the kitchen.

Read below for our step-by-step instructions to see how easy it’ll be for your little ones to make their woodland friend.

Supplies

• Paper plate
• Tape
• Paintbrush
• Paint
• Colored cardstock or construction paper
• Glue stick
• Scissors
• Raccoon template (unlock the free template at the end of the post)

Directions

Start by downloading the template and printing it out. Once the template is printed, gather the materials for this fun activity. Get those scissors ready, and let’s help the kids bring this raccoon to life!

First, guide your child to paint the paper plate with 1-2 thin coats of gray paint. Let it dry completely before moving on to the next step.

Next, help your child glue the eye spots to the lower face.

Glue the eyes to the eye spots.

Position the face in the center of the paper plate and glue it in place. Optionally: trim the paper plate off below the lower face.

Now, glue the inner ears to the center of the outer ears.

Finally, encourage your child to tape the ears to the back and top portion of the paper plate.

Be sure to check out our paper plate crafts while you’re here! There are so many fun ideas!

Easy Raccoon Craft

Forest Animal Ideas

If your little animal lovers enjoyed making their raccoons, they’ll love these hands-on projects and activities featuring different forest creatures. They’re perfect for keeping kids engaged, learning, and exploring the wonders of nature.

Read on below for a variety of book recommendations, DIYs, and activities that will bring the forest’s magic into your home or classroom. Be sure to save the ones your kids will enjoy the most when learning about forest animals.

Woodland Books For Kids

One of our favorite things to do whenever we start a new unit is to begin with books. Grab these popular books from your library or grab them from Amazon to add to your home collection!

Bear Can’t Wait– If your child loves the Bear series of books, they’ll want to read the newest one where Bear plans a special surprise for Hare!

A Walk Through the Woods– This beautiful and intricate children’s book will keep children engaged and wanting to turn the page!

Owl Babies– Kids will relate to the message of this cute little book. In it, owl babies are waiting and worrying, will Mommy return? There’s a great resolution and fun illustrations as well.

Woodland Animal Crafts

Owl Popsicle Stick Craft – Whoo’s ready to create a wise little owl using popsicle sticks and our free template?! Kids will love bringing this feathered friend to life, all while boosting their creativity and fine motor skills!

Related: Forest Animal Coloring Pages

Raccoon Puppet Craft – For a little playful mischief, have your kids create a raccoon puppet using a paper bag and our free template. They’ll follow a few easy steps to have their furry friend for imaginative play while also building on their fine motor skills!

Hedgehog Toilet Paper Roll Craft – Turn a simple toilet paper roll into an adorable hedgehog! Our free template makes it easy for kids to recycle and make their prickly friends. It’s a fun way to get creative, learn about recycling, and make an adorable woodland creature in just a few easy steps!

Mouse Handprint Craft – Say cheese! Kids will create an adorable mouse using their handprints. This hands-on project is a cute way to introduce the letter M or add fun to storytime!

Animal Activities For Preschool

Find some forest fun with our forest animal I Spy printables! These adorable activity sheets are perfect for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten aged children. They’re a great no prep activity since all you have to do is print them off, and let the kids search!

For beginners, start with the easy page since the animals are larger, and the counting only goes up to 5. Older children or I Spy fans can tackle the harder pages with smaller animals and counting from 6 to 10.

Let your little ones have fun learning with these hedgehog worksheets! Kids will learn to form the letter by tracing the uppercase and lowercase ‘Hh’ while reinforcing early handwriting basics. From their cute noses to their spiky spines, kids will label each part of a hedgehog.

Try this Fork Painted Eagle Craft

It’s a playful way to build vocabulary! Kids will find every ‘Hh’ and reach the finish line with the letter maze. This maze is great for developing problem solving skills and learning directions like right, left, up, and down.

These woodland animal coloring pages are the perfect go-to when you need a last minute activity! Just grab some crayons or markers and let the kids get creative. Included are 8 unique pages featuring simple, large images, that are ideal for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarten children.

Your little artists will love coloring in adorable woodland friends, from bears to bunnies.

Turn your next outdoor adventure into a learning experience with these animal scavenger hunt printables! These pages will engage your little explorers and encourage them to discover and identify animals in their own backyard.

Paper Plate Skunk Craft

Preschoolers can enjoy a visual hunt, while older children can search for animals A to Z with clue based challenges. It’s more than just a game—it’s a fun journey into the animal kingdom!

Share With Us

Did you make this activity 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!

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