This sailboat paper plate craft uses one plate, a craft stick and a little paint. Half the plate becomes the boat, and the other half is cut into two triangle sails.
It’s a great summer or transportation week project, and a sneaky way to talk about shapes.
What You Need for This Paper Plate Sailboat Craft
Sailboat Paper Plate Craft (visual directions + template)
Get the printablePaper plates
View on AmazonRed and blue paint
View on AmazonPaintbrush
View on AmazonKid scissors
View on AmazonGlue or tape
View on AmazonCraft sticks
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How to Make a Paper Plate Sailboat
Make the boat
Cut the paper plate in half and paint one half for the boat. Let it dry.
Cut the sails
Cut the other half of the plate into two triangles, one big and one small.
Decorate the sails
Paint or color the sails. Stripes, dots or solid colors all look great.
Add the mast
Glue or tape the sails to a craft stick, larger sail first.
Attach the mast
Glue the craft stick to the back of the boat so the sails stand up tall.
Ways to Use It
- Float a fleet of sailboats across a blue bulletin board
- Talk about triangles and half circles
- Pair with the beach ball craft for a summer theme
- Add a name flag at the top of the mast
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Paper Plate Sailboat Craft for Preschool, Pre-K and Kindergarten
Preschool
Paint, glue and decorate. You handle the tricky cutting, and kids point to each picture step as they go.
Pre-K
Trace the template and cut the straight lines. Follow the visual steps in order.
Kindergarten and up
Cut out every piece, add their own details, and retell the steps in order.
Get the Printable Visual Directions
Doing this with a group? The printable has picture steps for every part of the sailboat, plus a template you can trace.
🎟️ Blog reader deal
Use code SAILBOATPLATE at checkout to get this craft free.
What’s included
- A picture supply list
- Visual step-by-step directions
- Photo step cards
- A printable template
- Instant PDF download, nothing is shipped
Perfect for
- Preschool and kindergarten classrooms
- Special education and speech therapy
- Following directions practice
- Thematic units
- Homeschool art time
Paper Plate Sailboat Craft FAQ
A half circle for the boat and two triangles for the sails. It’s an easy way to sneak in a shape lesson.
Ages 3 to 6. Preschoolers paint and glue with a little help, and kindergartners can trace and cut the pieces themselves.
Yes. Crayons, markers or torn construction paper work too and are less messy.
You can freehand the pieces, but the template and picture steps help kids work on their own and make it easy to do with a class.
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From families like yours
Did you try it? Tell us how it went!
We love seeing these activities out in the wild: the lumpy letters, the snack breaks, the proud “I made a B!” moments. Leave a star rating, tell other parents what worked (and what totally didn’t), and add a photo of your setup if you’d like.
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