Looking for a fun coconut tree craft that brings a little tropical sunshine to your preschool or kindergarten activities? I created this paper plate coconut tree craft as an easy hands-on project that combines painting, cutting, gluing, and creativity with a free printable template to make prep much simpler.
Children create a beach scene right on a paper plate, complete with blue sky, ocean, sandy shore, a tall coconut tree, leafy green branches, and three coconuts. The finished craft works especially well for summer themes, tropical units, ocean activities, letter C lessons, and story extensions.
I also designed the printable so you can print the leaves directly onto green construction paper and the coconut tree trunk and coconuts directly onto brown construction paper. That means less tracing and prep for parents and teachers.
Easy Coconut Tree Craft for Preschool and Kindergarten
One reason I love creating paper plate crafts is that such a simple supply can become the background for an entire little scene.
For this coconut tree craft, the paper plate becomes a miniature tropical beach. Children paint three sections of the plate to create the sky, ocean, and sand before adding their coconut tree.
Beyond being a cute summer craft, this activity gives children opportunities to practice several early learning skills, including:
- Fine motor skills through cutting and gluing
- Hand-eye coordination
- Scissor control
- Following multi-step directions
- Color recognition
- Creative expression
- Spatial awareness as they arrange their tree pieces
Coconut tree crafts are also easy to connect to literacy activities. Coconut trees are often used with alphabet activities, including having children add letters to the tree, which makes this type of craft especially useful for preschool and kindergarten learning themes.
What’s Included in the Free Coconut Tree Craft Template?
I created the printable pieces specifically to make this paper plate coconut tree craft easier to prepare.
The free printable includes:
- Coconut tree trunk template
- Three coconut templates
- Palm leaf templates
- Paper plate coconut tree craft instructions
The trunk includes curved sections to give it more of a palm-tree appearance, while the leaves have a curved, tropical shape. The finished tree is designed to fit onto a standard 9-inch paper plate.
I recommend printing the template pages onto construction paper rather than printing them onto white paper and tracing everything afterward. This little shortcut can save quite a bit of prep when you’re making the craft with several children.
Supplies for Your Paper Plate Coconut Tree Craft
You don’t need many supplies to make this coconut tree craft, and you may already have most of them in your classroom or craft cabinet.
You will need:
- One 9-inch white paper plate
- Free printable coconut tree craft template
- Green construction paper
- Brown construction paper
- Light blue paint
- Darker blue paint
- Tan or yellow paint
- Paintbrush
- Child-safe scissors
- Glue
Cardstock can also be used if construction paper isn’t available. For younger children who aren’t quite ready to cut independently, an adult can cut out the pieces beforehand and turn the project into a simple paint-and-paste activity.
How to Make a Paper Plate Coconut Tree Craft
Step 1: Paint the Tropical Paper Plate Background
Begin with a plain 9-inch paper plate.
Paint the upper portion of the plate light blue to represent the sky. Below that, add a slightly darker blue section for the ocean.
Finish the bottom section with tan or yellow paint to create the sandy beach.
The three sections don’t have to be perfectly straight. In fact, slightly uneven painted edges can make the ocean and shoreline look more natural.
Step 2: Let the Paper Plate Dry
Allow the paint to dry completely before attaching the coconut tree.
This is an especially helpful stopping point if you’re doing the activity in a classroom. Children can paint their plates during one part of the day and assemble their coconut trees later.
Step 3: Prepare the Coconut Tree Leaves
Print the leaf template page directly onto green construction paper.
Cut around the outside lines of each leaf.
The printable includes curved palm-style leaves that can be arranged in different directions to create the top of the coconut tree.
If you’re working with younger preschoolers, you can pre-cut the leaves or provide a little extra assistance with the more detailed edges.
Step 4: Prepare the Trunk and Coconuts
Print the trunk and coconut template page directly onto brown construction paper.
Cut out:
- One coconut tree trunk
- Three coconuts
Printing directly onto brown paper eliminates the extra step of tracing each piece, which makes this coconut tree craft much more practical for classroom use.
Step 5: Add the Coconut Tree Trunk
Position the trunk near the center of the painted paper plate.
The bottom of the trunk should rest near the sandy section, with the top extending toward the sky.
Once you’re happy with the placement, glue the trunk onto the plate. I wish I followed this step before gluing mine because my tree is lop-sided, haha!
Step 6: Add the Palm Leaves
Arrange the green leaves around the top of the trunk.
Fan them outward in different directions to create the recognizable shape of a coconut palm.
Before gluing, children can move their leaves around and experiment with the arrangement they like best.
Step 7: Add the Coconuts
Glue the three brown coconuts near the top of the trunk, overlapping the base of the palm leaves.
This final detail brings the coconut tree together.
Step 8: Let Your Coconut Tree Craft Dry
Allow the glue to dry, and your tropical paper plate scene is complete!
Children can display their finished coconut tree crafts on a bulletin board, classroom wall, homeschool learning area, or summer art display.
Fun Ways to Use This Coconut Tree Craft With Kids
Although this can certainly be a stand-alone art project, there are plenty of ways to turn it into an educational activity.
Use It for a Letter C Activity
If you’re teaching the letter C, use coconut as one of your beginning-sound words.
Have children say the word slowly, identify its beginning sound, and think of other words beginning with C.
You could even add paper letters around the finished tree for an extra alphabet activity.
Practice Counting With Coconuts
Instead of stopping at the three coconuts included with the printable, cut additional brown circles from construction paper.
Give children a number and ask them to place that many coconuts on or around their tree.
For example:
“Can you put 5 coconuts on your tree?”
Now you’ve tucked a quick counting activity into craft time.
Turn It Into an Alphabet Coconut Tree
Add paper alphabet letters climbing up the trunk and around the leaves.
This idea pairs especially well with alphabet-themed coconut tree stories and activities. Other early-learning coconut tree crafts also use letters on the tree as a way to combine fine-motor work with alphabet practice.
Create a Tropical Bulletin Board
Have every child make a coconut tree, then display the finished crafts together.
Add a sandy paper background, ocean waves, sunshine, tropical animals, or children’s names to create an easy summer classroom display.
Coconut Tree Craft for a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Activity
This coconut tree craft also makes a natural companion activity when you’re reading Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.
After completing the basic craft, give children small paper alphabet letters to add to their trees.
Children could:
- Add the letters in their names
- Match uppercase and lowercase letters
- Put letters in alphabetical order
- Identify a letter before gluing it onto the tree
- Count how many letters are on their tree
Coconut tree crafts are commonly used as extensions for the story because the tree provides a natural backdrop for alphabet play.
If you’re using my free Chicka Chicka Boom Boom activities, this craft would also fit nicely alongside those printables.
Books to Pair With a Coconut Tree Craft
Adding a picture book can turn a simple craft into a longer themed lesson.
Here are a few books worth pairing with your coconut tree activities:
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
This is probably the most natural pairing for a coconut tree activity. Children can recreate the alphabet climbing the tree after completing their craft.
Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 by Bill Martin Jr., Michael Sampson, and Lois Ehlert
If you’re focusing on early math rather than letters, this book gives you an easy way to extend the coconut tree theme into number recognition and counting.
Coconut Kind of Day: Island Poems by Lynn Joseph
For older children, this collection of poems can introduce island imagery and provide another literacy connection for a tropical theme.
More Activities to Pair With Your Coconut Tree Craft
You don’t have to pack an entire lesson into one craft. I think these projects work especially well as one piece of a larger themed learning day.
Try pairing your coconut tree with:
- Coconut counting activities
- Letter C worksheets
- Tropical animal coloring pages
- Beach-themed sensory bins
- Ocean worksheets
- Alphabet matching games
- Summer coloring pages
- Number recognition activities
- Cutting practice
- Tropical dramatic play
- Beach scavenger hunts
You could also provide crayons and paper after the craft and ask children to draw what else they would see at the beach. Some might add fish, crabs, shells, boats, birds, or a giant sandcastle.
More Free Printables for Preschool and Kindergarten
If you’re looking for more activities to use with your coconut tree craft, I have plenty of free printables that can help you build an easy themed learning day without creating everything from scratch.
Depending on your theme, you can pair this activity with my:
These can work for homeschool lessons, preschool centers, kindergarten morning work, early finishers, or simply as a quiet activity at home.
Pin This Coconut Tree Craft for Later
Not ready to make your coconut tree today?
Save this paper plate coconut tree craft to Pinterest so you’ll have the free printable template ready when you’re planning summer activities, tropical themes, alphabet lessons, or Chicka Chicka Boom Boom activities.
Get Your Free Coconut Tree Craft Printable Here
Ready to make your own paper plate coconut tree?
I created this free coconut tree craft template to make preparing the activity quick and easy for parents and teachers.
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For easiest prep, print the leaf template onto green construction paper and the trunk and coconut template onto brown construction paper. Then grab a paper plate, paint, scissors, and glue and you’re ready to craft.
Make Learning a Little More Tropical
This coconut tree craft is a simple way to combine art, fine motor practice, and early learning in one activity. I especially like that the printable template takes care of the trickier shapes while still leaving plenty of room for children to paint, cut, arrange, and create their own version.
Use it for a summer theme, ocean unit, letter C lesson, tropical classroom theme, or alongside a favorite coconut-tree story. However you use it, you’ll end up with a cheerful little beach scene that children can proudly display.
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