Arts & Crafts
Paper Plate Masks
A paper plate, some crayons and a big imagination make a mask worth parading in.
Ages 3 to 8
30 minutes
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Get ready
3 minutes. Set out plates and crayons, and have scissors ready for the adult to use.
What you’ll need
Paper plates, crayons, string or a strip of paper for a strap, and adult scissors. Optional: scrap paper for ears and horns.
Let’s play
1. Hold a plate up to your kid’s face and mark where the eyes go. The adult cuts two eye holes.
2. Ask what the mask is. A tiger, a robot, a grandma, a brand new creature. Let them decide.
3. Color it in. Add ears, horns or whiskers from scrap paper, folded and tucked into small slits the adult cuts.
4. Attach a strap with string or a paper band, or just hold the mask on a stick of rolled paper.
5. Put the masks on and introduce your characters to each other. What does yours say? How does it walk?
Your part in the adventure
Do the cutting, make your own mask too, and stay in character once it’s on.
What they’re discovering
They’re planning a design, working with their hands, and then stepping into a role, which is where the real play begins.
Before you begin
The adult handles the scissors and cuts the eye holes big enough to see through. Use string loosely, never tight around the head, and take masks off before running.
Keep the idea going
Younger kids can color while you cut and assemble. Ages 6 to 8 can make a matching mask for a stuffed animal. If interest fades, hang the masks on the wall as a gallery.
Every child is different. Adjust activities for their age and abilities, and stay close by. These are play ideas, not medical or developmental advice.