🖍️ Paper Plate Toucan Craft – Simple, Bold & Tropical!
Brighten up your day with this easy, colorful toucan craft made from just one paper plate! This project is perfect for kids of all ages and uses simple supplies you probably already have at home or in the classroom.
What makes this toucan extra fun? You cut a paper plate in half and turn one half into the beak by attaching it sideways to the “body.” Then, grab your markers or paint and bring your bird to life!
🧰 Supplies You’ll Need:
- 1 paper plate
- Scissors
- Glue or stapler
- Markers, crayons, or paint
- Optional: Googly eye
✂️ Instructions:
1. Cut the Paper Plate in Half
Start by folding your plate in half and cutting it cleanly down the middle. You’ll now have two half-circle pieces.
2. Rotate One Half 90 Degrees
Take one half and turn it 90 degrees, so the straight edge is vertical. This will be the toucan’s beak.
3. Attach the Beak to the Body
Glue or staple the rotated half to the curved edge of the other half (which will be the toucan’s body). The joined pieces should now resemble a bird with a long, sideways beak — just like a real toucan!
4. Draw or Paint Your Toucan
Now it’s time to get creative!
- Use black or dark blue for the body
- Color the beak with bold tropical colors — think yellow, orange, red, green, or blue
- Add an eye just above the beak (use a marker, sticker, or googly eye)
You can also draw on wings, a tail, and some feather details.
🧠 Tip for Younger Kids:
If paint feels too messy, crayons or markers work just as well—and dry instantly!
🌴 Jungle Vibes, Here We Come!
Once finished, your toucan is ready to fly! Use string to hang it from the ceiling, tape it to a classroom rainforest display, or turn it into a greeting card cover.
Want to take it further? Try making a whole flock in different colors. Give each toucan a name and write a fun fact about it on the back.
UOI – Sharing the Planet 🌎
As part of our unit of inquiry, Sharing the Planet, the children have been working on a meter-long mural of rainforest habitats and animals that demonstrates their understanding of the biodiversity of rainforests and their importance to the earth.
The learners are drawing tall trees and showing the four layers of the rainforest – emergent, canopy, understory, forest floor – and drawing & crafting animals from each layer.
Each learner has been tasked to craft one animal from a layer of the rainforest using a paper plate. I demonstrated how a paper plate can be used to create animals by making a toucan.
The children will use their imaginations, thinking, and skills to create their own rainforest animals!
📸 Show Off Your Creation!
We’d love to see your toucan masterpiece! Share it on Instagram #PaperPlateToucan so we can feature your fantastic work.
