If you are looking for a simple fox paper plate craft to add to your fall activities, woodland animal unit, or Letter F lessons, this little fox is an easy one to make. I created a printable fox template so children can spend more time painting, coloring, cutting, and assembling their fox instead of adults having to draw all the pieces by hand.
The finished craft uses a full paper plate for the fox’s orange face, along with printable ears, eyes, nose, and two fluffy white cheek pieces that form its muzzle. The printable includes both a ready-to-use color template and a black-and-white version children can color themselves.
Paper plate fox crafts are especially popular for fall and woodland themes, and they can also be incorporated into lessons about forest animals or the letter F.
Why Make a Fox Paper Plate Craft?
I love printable crafts that are simple enough to fit into a regular school day without turning into a complicated art project. This paper plate fox craft for kids uses basic supplies, but children still get plenty of hands-on practice while putting everything together.
Painting or coloring the plate, cutting around the fox pieces, positioning them correctly, and gluing everything in place can help children practice fine motor skills and following directions.
This craft would work especially well for:
- Fall and autumn themes
- Woodland animal units
- Forest animal lessons
- Letter F activities
- Fox-themed storytime
- Preschool and kindergarten art centers
- Homeschool activities
- Early-finisher activities
- Fall classroom displays
You can also use the finished foxes to create a woodland-themed bulletin board. Each child can make a fox and add a name underneath for an easy seasonal classroom display.
Supplies for Your Paper Plate Fox Craft
Only a handful of basic craft supplies are needed.
You will need:
- One paper plate
- Printable fox craft template
- Orange paint or crayons
- Paintbrush if using paint
- Scissors
- Glue
I designed the template with the facial pieces already prepared, so there is no need to figure out how to draw matching fox ears or create the curved cheek shapes yourself. The template includes two ears, two eyes, a nose, and two large cheek pieces.
For younger children, I would recommend having an adult help with any pieces that are difficult to cut.
How to Make a Paper Plate Fox Craft
One of the nice things about this craft is that the paper plate stays round. There is no complicated folding or cutting needed to turn it into the fox’s head.
Step 1: Paint the Paper Plate Orange
Begin by painting or coloring the entire paper plate orange.
If you are using paint, set the plate aside until it has dried completely. This is a good time for children to work on the printable pieces while they wait.
Using crayons instead can make this a quicker, lower-mess classroom activity when there isn’t enough time to wait for paint to dry.
Step 2: Prepare the Fox Ears
Color the outer portion of each fox ear orange.
The inner part of the ears can stay white or be colored a light cream. If you are using the color version of my template, the ears are already prepared for you.
Step 3: Cut Out the Fox Craft Pieces
Carefully cut out:
- Two fox ears
- Two eyes
- One black nose
- Left cheek piece
- Right cheek piece
The two large cheek pieces are what give this fox its fluffy little face.
Preschoolers who are still developing scissor skills may need help around the curves and smaller areas. Kindergarteners with more cutting experience may be able to complete most of this step independently.
Step 4: Glue the Ears Behind the Plate
Glue one ear behind each side of the paper plate.
The bottom of the ears should be hidden behind the plate so only the pointed ears extend above the fox’s head.
Step 5: Add the Fox’s White Cheeks
Position the two white cheek pieces across the lower half of the plate.
Place them so their narrow ends meet near the bottom center of the fox’s face. Together, these pieces create the fox’s white muzzle.
Glue both pieces in place.
Step 6: Add the Eyes
Glue the two eyes above the white cheek pieces.
Before adding glue, children can move the eyes around until they are happy with their fox’s expression.
Step 7: Add the Nose
Finally, glue the black nose where the two white cheek pieces meet near the bottom center of the plate.
Let the glue dry, and your paper plate fox craft is finished. The directions included with my printable follow this same eight-step assembly process.
Use This Fox Craft for a Fall or Woodland Animal Theme
Foxes fit naturally into fall learning because their warm orange coloring works so well alongside leaves, pumpkins, acorns, squirrels, and other woodland themes.
I think this craft would be especially easy to turn into a larger learning activity rather than treating it as a stand-alone art project.
Before making the craft, introduce children to foxes and talk about questions such as:
Where do foxes live?
What do foxes eat?
What does a fox use its tail for?
What other animals might live in the same habitat?
Afterward, children could draw a forest habitat for their fox or dictate a sentence about something they learned.
Another easy option is to create a woodland display using children’s finished foxes alongside paper leaves, trees, acorns, squirrels, owls, and other forest animals.
Turn Your Paper Plate Fox Into a Letter F Activity
This fox paper plate craft also makes an easy companion to a Letter F lesson.
After practicing uppercase F and lowercase f, children can make their own fox as the hands-on portion of the lesson.
You could introduce the word fox, emphasize the /f/ beginning sound, and then brainstorm other words beginning with F.
For example:
fox, fish, frog, flower, fan, feather, fire and foot.
Children could also write or trace F is for Fox underneath their finished craft.
Pairing a worksheet with a craft gives children two different ways to interact with the same letter. The worksheet provides focused practice, while the craft adds cutting, gluing, coloring, and creative work.
Picture Books to Read with Your Fox Paper Plate Craft
Adding a picture book can easily turn this craft into a fuller preschool, kindergarten, or homeschool lesson.
A few fox or woodland books worth looking for include Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss, Over in the Forest: Come and Take a Peek by Marianne Berkes, and other nonfiction children’s books about foxes and forest habitats.
Fox-themed craft resources frequently pair these projects with woodland books because the combination makes it easy to expand a simple art activity into a forest-animal study.
For younger children, I would choose a short read-aloud and simply talk about what they notice about the fox.
Older children can go a little further by comparing the fox in the story with a real fox. This is an easy opportunity to introduce the difference between fictional animal characters and facts about animals in nature.
More Learning Activities to Pair with a Fox Craft
Once your foxes are assembled, there are several ways to extend the activity without adding a lot of extra prep.
Children could practice writing the word fox, draw a woodland habitat, complete a Letter F coloring page, sort woodland animals, count fall objects, or create a simple fox fact page.
A tracing activity would also pair nicely with the craft. Children could trace a fox illustration or follow paths that lead a fox through the forest.
For a fall-themed lesson, combine the fox with leaves, acorns, squirrels, scarecrows, pumpkins, and other seasonal activities.
These little extensions can turn one craft into an entire morning of learning without requiring a giant lesson plan.
More Fall Printables for Preschool and Kindergarten
If you are planning a fall unit, you don’t have to stop with your fox.
I have created additional fall printables and activities that can be mixed and matched to practice early learning skills while keeping the seasonal theme going.
Try pairing your fox craft with activities such as:
For homeschool families, I think choosing just a few coordinating activities works especially well. A printable worksheet, picture book, and hands-on craft can create a simple themed lesson without requiring children to sit through a large stack of worksheets.
Teachers can also use these activities separately throughout the week for centers, morning work, early finishers, or seasonal classroom activities.
Pin This Paper Plate Fox Craft for Later
Planning your fall activities ahead of time?
Save this fox paper plate craft to your favorite preschool crafts, fall activities, woodland animals, Letter F, or kindergarten crafts Pinterest board so you can easily find the printable when you are ready to use it.
Get Your Free Paper Plate Fox Craft Printable Here
Ready to make your fox?
I created this printable paper plate fox craft template to make preparing the activity as easy as possible. The download includes the pieces needed to assemble the fox, with both a color version and a black-and-white version children can color themselves.
Enter your email in the form below for instant access to your printable. After you hit the download button, your file will open instantly so you can print it and start crafting.
Already subscribed? No worries! If you’ve downloaded something from us before, simply fill out the form again, and you’ll automatically sent get your download after you hit the download button—no extra steps needed.
A Simple Fall Fox Craft for Kids
This paper plate fox craft is an easy way to combine art, fine motor practice, and seasonal learning in one activity. With a paper plate and a few basic supplies, preschoolers and kindergarteners can create their own woodland fox while practicing coloring, cutting, gluing, and following directions.
Use it during a fall unit, add it to a forest animal lesson, pair it with your Letter F activities, or simply pull it out when you need an easy craft for home or the classroom.
And because the printable template already includes the fox’s ears and facial pieces, most of the tricky drawing and prep work has already been taken care of.
All printables are for for personal, library, or classroom use only. By using this site, you agree to our terms of use.
Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no extra cost to you if you decide to purchase a product. These are products that I personally stand behind. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.