A Fun Easy Paper Plate Umbrella Craft for Toddlers and Preschool


completed assembled paper plate umbrella craft


Umbrella Craft


This is a fun, easy, flexible little craft that uses only a few inexpensive materials. Honestly, the child could decorate the “umbrella” part any way they want to. I had planned on giving Little M. paint for the umbrella, which she used to decorate one half. She asked for dot markers for the other half, which worked even better. She also requested glitter glue to add to the painted half. Your child could use crayons, colored pencils, stamps, stickers, etc. Great things come when you follow your child's lead: creativity, imagination, leadership, and responsibility!

In addition to flexing their creativity muscle, your child will also get a chance to work on their fine motor skills using the eye dropper to paint the raindrops.

You will need:

  • 2 paper plates
  • scissors
  • paint
  • paintbrushes
  • 1-2 coffee filters
  • eye dropper
  • cup
  • food coloring
  • pipe cleaner
  • liquid glue
  • string

 

Making the paper plate umbrella craft:


The night before, I cut a few raindrop shapes out of the coffee filters. I also cut one of the plates in half.

my toddler painting the paper plate


We started with the umbrella portion. Little M. choose a few colors of paint. I gave her a few paintbrushes and a paper plate, cut in half, one half at a time. She added in some glitter glue into the paint and stirred it all into one big brown blob (I think she might be in her brown period). She used the dot markers to decorate the other half.


my toddler stamping the paper plate with dot markers

When those were finished, we moved on to the raindrops. This was so much fun! We mixed food coloring with water in the cup. I arranged the raindrops onto the second plate and she used the eye dropper to pick up the water and drop it on the coffee filter raindrops.
using the eye dropper to color the raindrops

Allow the pieces to dry for a few hours. Shape the pipe cleaner into a handle for the umbrella. Help your child glue the two paper plates together so that the decorated sides both face outward. Allow them to dry as well.



umbrella craft: fun easy toddler activity

We hung the finished umbrella in a window (after Little M. danced around the kitchen with it for a few minutes- LOL).  If you prefer, you could use fishing line or thread instead of the yarn to tie the craft together.  Little M. had so much fun making this craft, and I enjoyed the fact that it was basically two activities in one.

I hope you enjoyed this activity.  If you found it useful please share or leave a comment.  I would love to hear from you!  Happy crafting.

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Comments

  1. I have been teaching some kids at a nearby orphanage for quite some time now. They are young & always need something creative to work on. The Umbrella Craft idea that you shared in your blog might just help me to keep the kids more engaged. I already have a few Disposable Plates in my kitchen that can be easily used to make these cute & creative umbrella craft paper plates.

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