This paper plate seahorse craft is a sparkly addition to any ocean unit. Kids trace a seahorse onto the plate, cut it out, paint it bright colors and finish it with glitter and a googly eye.
We paired ours with Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef by Marianne Berkes, and it goes great with Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle too.
What You Need for This Paper Plate Seahorse Craft
Seahorse Paper Plate Craft with Templates
Get the printablePaper plate
View on AmazonPencil
View on AmazonKid scissors
View on AmazonPaint in bright colors
View on AmazonPaintbrush
View on AmazonGlue
View on AmazonGlitter, sequins or tissue paper
View on AmazonGoogly eyes
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How to Make a Paper Plate Seahorse
Trace the seahorse
Use the template to trace a seahorse onto the paper plate.
Cut it out
Cut out the seahorse. The curly tail takes a lot of scissor control, so toddlers and young preschoolers will probably need a hand here.
Paint it
Paint the seahorse in bright colors and let it dry completely.
Add the sparkle
Brush on glue and sprinkle on glitter, then shake off the extra once it dries. Glitter banned at your house? Glitter glue, sequins, craft gems or tissue paper work great.
Add the eye
Glue on a googly eye and hang your seahorse up to swim.
Ways to Use It
- Hang a few from the ceiling for an under-the-sea classroom
- Try bubble wrap painting for a scaly texture
- Pair with Mister Seahorse and talk about how seahorse dads carry the eggs
- Make a whole reef with other ocean crafts
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Paper Plate Seahorse 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 seahorse, plus a template you can trace.
🎟️ Blog reader deal
Use code SEAHORSEPLATE 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 Seahorse Craft FAQ
Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle and Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef by Marianne Berkes are two of our favorites.
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
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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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