How to Make a Paper Plate Turtle
Make a colourful paper plate turtle with Coach Ellie! In this Atlas Playbook video, we show you how to turn a paper plate, tissue paper and a few craft supplies into your own turtle.
Paper Plate Turtles is a fun, hands-on craft that lets children transform everyday materials into their very own colourful turtle. It's simple to adapt for different ages, encourages creativity and fine motor skills, and gives children plenty of freedom to experiment with colours, patterns and their own designs.
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Pre-cut the tissue paper into small squares so children can focus on decorating their turtle's shell.
Prepare the turtle's head, four legs and tail in advance for younger children.
Draw around children's fingers for them so they only need to cut out the shapes.
Use larger pieces of tissue paper to make covering the shell quicker and easier.
Demonstrate how to spread the PVA glue and overlap the tissue paper before children begin.
Offer help positioning the head, legs and tail underneath the paper plate.
Challenge children to draw, cut out and assemble all the turtle's body parts independently.
Create a repeating colour pattern using different tissue paper squares across the shell.
Experiment with smaller pieces of tissue paper to create more detailed patterns and designs.
Challenge children to cover the entire shell neatly, overlapping each piece without leaving any gaps.
Try creating a symmetrical shell design using matching colours and patterns on either side.
Encourage children to assemble their turtle without assistance, carefully positioning each body part before sticking it down.
Stick the tissue paper on the dome side of the turtle.
Cover the whole turtle, don't be afraid to overlap the tissue.
Turn the finished turtles into a mini gallery or storytelling circle.
Adult supervision is recommended, particularly when younger children are using scissors.
Use child-friendly scissors and provide assistance when cutting paper and card.
Use child-appropriate PVA craft glue and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Avoid getting glue in the eyes or mouth, and wash hands after completing the activity.
Googly eyes and other small craft decorations may present a choking hazard for younger children.
Keep scissors, glue and small craft materials out of reach of very young children when not in use.
Protect work surfaces and clean up any spilled glue promptly.
