Bring some sunshine to your day with this adorable paper plate sun craft. They are easy to make and use simple materials.
Benefits of Making Paper Plate Sun Craft
Kids like to learn. They are naturally curious and tend to remember things better when they have a hands-on connection.
This is especially true for preschoolers.
So, if you are talking about the sun and its place in our solar system or the change in the amount of sun because of the season, this paper plate sun craft is a beautiful way to tie in a craft.
Even learning about the weather would be a great time to try this craft.
Two different colored triangles can be used to make the sun’s rays.
This provides an excellent opportunity for your little one to practice two color patterns by alternating the colors of the triangles.
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Fine motor skills are being developed while doing this sun craft.
Picking up and gluing small triangles will strengthen and refine the small muscles in your little one’s hands.
These muscles are important because they help to zip up zippers, hold a pencil, and pick up small items.
Colors and shapes can be reinforced while doing this craft.
With only orange and yellow being used, your preschooler can focus on knowing these two colors well.
The same is true for the two shapes used– triangles and a circle.
Crafts provide a creative outlet for little ones.
They need the space to be able to make decisions and to create things how they see fit.
By doing so, little ones are building up their self-confidence and decision-making skills.
These decision-making skills may transfer over to what they want for lunch or what they want to wear 😉
Littles learn to listen to directions and to follow directions by practice.
What better practice is there than to make a paper plate sun craft that can then be hung up and displayed?
Items Needed for Paper Plate Craft
- paper plate
- yellow or orange paint
- yellow and orange construction paper
- glue
- scissors
Paper Plate Sun Craft Instructions
1. Have your preschooler pick if he wants a yellow or orange sun. Using their favorite color hue, paint the whole paper plate.
If you would rather not deal with paint, your little one can also use markers or crayons to color the plate, but I should warn you that this will take much longer.
2. Cut many thin triangles from yellow and orange construction paper.
If you think your preschooler is up to it, let them help cut out some traced triangles on the paper.
If you would rather have everything cut and ready– that’s perfectly fine, too.
3. After the paint on the paper plate sun craft has dried, attach the thin orange and yellow construction paper to the front edge of the paper plate using glue.
Try applying some glue to about 1/8 of the outside rim of the sun at a time. This is the space size from the 12 to the 2 on a clock. This helps little ones stick the triangles more quickly, but the space isn’t too large that the glue dries out before the triangles are put on.
Patterns look nice but aren’t necessary. Let your little one make the craft their own.
4. Allow the paper plate sun craft to dry, and then you can use it as a prop for storytelling or songs about the sun, as part of a large picture, or as a great addition to a weather spot.
Weather Craft
You can tie this fun and easy paper plate sun craft into so many different things. Keep this craft idea tucked away for when you need it.