Paper Plate Animal Masks
One plate, one elastic, and forty minutes of being a lion instead of a child.
By WonderCraft Kids Editorial Team, Editorial team · Updated 1 August 2026
Mask-making is a two-part activity: the making, then the hours of pretending afterwards. Paper plates are the ideal base — sturdy, cheap, and the right size for a small face.
What you need
- Paper plates
- Paint or markers
- Coloured paper, wool, feathers
- Glue stick and safety scissors
- Hat elastic or a lolly stick for a handle
- A hole punch
Step by step
- 1
Hold the plate to your child's face and mark the eye positions with a pencil.
- 2
Cut the eye holes yourself.
- 3
Let them paint the base colour and leave it ten minutes to dry.
- 4
Add features: paper ears, a wool mane, a folded-paper beak.
- 5
Punch a hole each side and knot the elastic, or glue a stick handle on.
- 6
Put music on and let the animal take over the house.
What kids learn
Symbolic thinking
Pretending to be something else is a major cognitive milestone and the root of storytelling.
Scissor skills
Cutting fringes for a mane is the perfect first cutting task — short, straight, forgiving.
Animal knowledge
Deciding what features an animal needs requires recalling what it actually looks like.
Make it easier
Pre-cut the ears and eyes; they stick and colour only.
Make it more challenging
Make a full set and stage a play, with tickets and an audience of relatives on the sofa.
Safety and supervision
- Adults cut the eye holes and check the sight lines are clear before wearing.
- Use hat elastic, never string, and never anything long enough to wrap around the neck.
- Supervise feather use with children who have allergies.
Adult supervision is required for every activity on this site. Read our full child safety guidelines.
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Frequently asked questions
No paper plates?+
Cut a circle from a cereal box. It is sturdier and takes paint just as well.
My child won't wear it.+
Add a stick handle instead of elastic — held masks feel much less claustrophobic.
