If you’re looking for a fun and easy fall activity, this paper plate squirrel craft is a wonderful way to bring a little woodland fun into your home or classroom! With a few basic craft supplies, a paper plate, and my free printable squirrel craft template, kids can create an adorable squirrel while practicing important fine motor skills.
I love crafts that are simple enough for preschoolers but still engaging for kindergarten students. Paper plate crafts are especially great because they are inexpensive, easy to prepare, and can be used alongside so many different learning activities.
This squirrel craft is perfect for fall, woodland animal themes, forest animal units, or even a lesson about squirrels and how they prepare for winter.
In this post, I’ll share ideas for making your squirrel craft, ways to turn it into an educational activity, and some fun squirrel-themed picture books and worksheets to pair with it.
Why Kids Will Love This Paper Plate Squirrel Craft
There’s something about woodland animals that makes them especially fun to include in preschool and kindergarten activities. Squirrels are familiar animals that children may have spotted climbing trees, gathering acorns, or running through the backyard.
This easy squirrel craft gives children an opportunity to learn more about these busy little animals while creating something they can proudly display.
Here are a few reasons I think this craft makes a great addition to your fall activities:
- Fine motor practice: Painting, coloring, cutting, and gluing help strengthen the small muscles in children’s hands.
- Creativity: Children can personalize their squirrels with different colors and details.
- Following directions: Assembling the craft encourages children to follow simple steps in order.
- Animal learning: The craft provides a natural opportunity to discuss squirrel habitats, food, and behavior.
- Budget-friendly: Paper plates and basic craft supplies make this an affordable activity for classrooms and homeschool families.
I also love that this craft can be adapted for different ages. Younger children may need help cutting out their template pieces, while older children can complete more of the project independently.
Supplies Needed for Your Paper Plate Squirrel Craft
You won’t need anything fancy to make this adorable woodland animal craft. Most of the supplies are common items that you may already have in your craft cabinet.
Materials
- Paper plate (a standard 9-inch plate works well for many paper plate crafts)
- Free printable squirrel craft template
- Brown paint or crayons
- Paintbrush, if painting
- Construction paper or cardstock
- Child-safe scissors
- Glue stick or school glue
- Black marker for optional details
I recommend using cardstock for printable craft pieces that need a little extra support. Regular printer paper can also work, especially when children are gluing the pieces onto a sturdier surface.
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How to Make a Paper Plate Squirrel Craft
This squirrel craft is designed to be a simple, hands-on activity that children can enjoy at home or in the classroom.
Before getting started, gather your supplies and prepare a workspace. I recommend covering the table if you’ll be using paint, especially when crafting with a group of preschoolers.
Step 1: Print the Squirrel Craft Template
Start by downloading and printing the free squirrel craft template provided near the bottom of this post.
Print on regular white paper or cardstock, depending on your preference. If children will be coloring their own pieces, white cardstock is a nice option because it holds up well to crayons, markers, and glue.
Step 2: Prepare the Paper Plate
Use brown paint or crayons to color the paper plate for your squirrel craft.
If you’re using paint, set the plate aside until it is completely dry before attaching the remaining pieces.
Painting gives the project an extra sensory element, while crayons are a great choice when you want to avoid drying time.
Step 3: Color and Cut Out the Squirrel Template
Have children color any black-and-white template pieces as needed.
Carefully cut out the squirrel pieces along their outlines. Preschoolers may need assistance with smaller or curved pieces, while kindergarten students can use this opportunity to practice their scissor skills.
For younger children, you can prepare the pieces ahead of time so they can focus on coloring and assembling their squirrels.
Step 4: Assemble Your Paper Plate Squirrel
Arrange the template pieces on the prepared paper plate according to the finished squirrel design.
I suggest laying everything out before gluing. This allows children to see where the pieces belong and make adjustments if necessary.
Once the pieces are positioned, attach them with glue and allow the craft to dry.
Step 5: Add the Finishing Touches
Once the squirrel is assembled, children can add their own creative details.
They might give their squirrel a name, create a colorful fall background, or draw acorns and leaves around it.
You could even turn the finished squirrels into a classroom woodland display!
Fun Ways to Use This Squirrel Craft for Preschool and Kindergarten
One of my favorite things about printable crafts is how easily they can become part of a larger learning activity.
Instead of using this paper plate squirrel craft as a standalone project, you can incorporate it into science, literacy, math, and fine motor activities.
Add It to a Fall Woodland Animal Unit
Fall is a wonderful time to introduce children to woodland animals and their habitats.
Start by talking about animals that live in forests, such as squirrels, foxes, deer, owls, and rabbits.
Ask children questions such as:
- Where do squirrels live?
- What do squirrels like to eat?
- Why do squirrels collect and bury nuts?
- How do squirrels use their tails?
- What changes happen in the forest during fall?
After your discussion, children can make their paper plate squirrels as a hands-on extension of the lesson.
Practice Counting With Acorns
Turn your squirrel craft into a simple counting activity by adding paper acorns.
Cut several acorn shapes from brown construction paper, or use printable acorn pictures.
Give children a number and have them count out the matching number of acorns.
For example, if a child is given the number five, they would count five acorns and place them next to their squirrel.
This is a fun way to practice number recognition, one-to-one correspondence, and counting skills.
Create a Squirrel Storytelling Activity
Encourage children to use their finished squirrels as characters in a story.
You can begin with a simple prompt:
“One morning, a little squirrel went searching for acorns…”
Then invite children to tell you what happens next.
Where does the squirrel go? Does it meet another woodland animal? Does it find enough food?
Younger children can tell their stories aloud, while older kindergarten students may enjoy drawing or writing about their squirrel’s adventure.
Make a Fall Squirrel Bulletin Board
If you’re a teacher, this craft would make an adorable fall bulletin board display.
Have each child create their own squirrel and add paper leaves, acorns, or trees around the finished crafts.
You could title your display “We’re Nuts About Learning!” or “Our Little Woodland Friends.”
For homeschool families, finished squirrels can be displayed on a wall, bulletin board, or learning shelf alongside other fall projects.
Fun Squirrel Facts to Share With Kids
Craft time is a great opportunity to introduce a few simple animal facts. Children are naturally curious about animals, and squirrels have plenty of interesting characteristics to explore.
Here are eight fun squirrel facts you can share while children work on their paper plate squirrel crafts.
- Squirrels are mammals. They have fur, and mother squirrels feed their babies milk.
- Squirrels have bushy tails. Their tails help with balance and can provide warmth.
- Squirrels eat more than acorns. Depending on the species, they may eat nuts, seeds, fruit, buds, and insects.
- Many squirrels bury food. Some squirrels hide nuts and seeds in different places to eat later.
- Squirrels have sharp front teeth. Their front teeth continue growing throughout their lives.
- Some squirrels live in trees. Others, such as ground squirrels, spend much of their time on or below the ground.
- Baby squirrels are called kits. They are born very small and depend on their mothers.
- Squirrels can help trees grow. Nuts and seeds that squirrels bury and forget may eventually sprout into new plants.
For an extra learning activity, ask children which squirrel fact surprised them the most.
You can also have them draw a picture illustrating their favorite fact.
Picture Books to Pair With Your Paper Plate Squirrel Craft
Pairing a craft with a picture book is a wonderful way to make an activity more meaningful.
Reading a squirrel-themed story before crafting helps children connect what they’re learning to the characters and events in a book.
Here are some squirrel picture books that would make fun additions to your lesson.
Those Darn Squirrels!, by Adam Rubin
This humorous story follows an old man whose bird feeders attract some very clever squirrels. It’s a fun read-aloud that can lead to conversations about problem-solving, sharing, and animal behavior.
The Busy Little Squirrel, by Nancy Tafuri
This beautifully illustrated book follows a squirrel preparing for winter. It’s especially fitting for a fall squirrel craft and introduces young children to seasonal changes and animal behavior.
The Leaf Thief, by Alice Hemming
In this delightful fall story, Squirrel is convinced someone is stealing the leaves from his tree. Children learn about seasonal changes while enjoying a funny mystery.
This book is a great choice if you’re already working on fall worksheets or leaf-themed activities.
Scaredy Squirrel, by Mélanie Watt
Scaredy Squirrel loves routines and staying safe in his tree. His unexpected adventure offers opportunities to discuss feelings, bravery, and trying something new.
Squirrels Leap, Squirrels Sleep, by April Pulley Sayre
This nonfiction picture book introduces children to squirrel behavior through playful rhyming text and illustrations.
It’s a particularly good choice for adding science learning to your squirrel craft activity.
I recommend choosing one or two books to read before the craft, then asking children what they learned about squirrels.
More Fall and Woodland Animal Activities to Try
If you’re planning a fall learning unit, there are so many ways to extend this paper plate squirrel craft into other activities.
I especially like combining hands-on crafts with printable worksheets because it gives children opportunities to practice different skills while exploring the same theme.
Free Squirrel Worksheets for Preschool and Kindergarten
For more squirrel-themed learning, check out my squirrel worksheets.
These types of activities are perfect for practicing early learning skills such as letter recognition, tracing, counting, and fine motor development.
You can use squirrel worksheets before or after the craft to create a complete themed learning session.
Add Acorn Learning Activities
Acorns are a natural companion to squirrel activities.
Pair this craft with acorn worksheets for preschool and kindergarten, or make a paper plate acorn craft to display alongside your squirrels.
Children can practice counting, tracing, and early literacy skills while learning about how acorns grow into oak trees.
Tips for Making This Paper Plate Squirrel Craft With Younger Children
If you’re planning this craft for a preschool classroom or a group of young children, a little preparation can make the activity much easier.
- Prepare the supplies ahead of time. Place scissors, glue, crayons, and the printable pieces at each workspace so children can begin without waiting for materials.
- Choose painting or coloring based on your schedule. Painting adds another creative element, but coloring with crayons is quicker and requires less cleanup.
- Offer cutting assistance when needed. Some children may be ready to cut out most of the pieces independently, while others will need help with more detailed shapes.
- Let children personalize their squirrels. Not every squirrel needs to look exactly the same! Encourage children to make creative choices.
- Keep the learning fun. Talk about squirrels, read a story, or count acorns while children work. These little conversations help turn a simple craft into a meaningful learning experience.
- Most importantly, give children time to enjoy the process. The goal isn’t to make every squirrel look perfect but to give children a fun opportunity to create, explore, and learn.
Pin This Paper Plate Squirrel Craft for Later
Planning fall activities for your preschoolers or kindergarten students?
Be sure to save this paper plate squirrel craft to your favorite Pinterest board so you can easily find it when you’re ready for a fun woodland animal activity.
It’s a great addition to boards featuring fall crafts for kids, preschool animal crafts, paper plate crafts, and homeschool activities.
Get Your Free Paper Plate Squirrel Craft Template Here
Ready to make your own adorable squirrel?
I’ve included a free printable paper plate squirrel craft template to help make this activity easy to prepare for your little learners.
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Final Thoughts on This Easy Squirrel Craft for Kids
I hope this paper plate squirrel craft brings a little extra fun to your fall learning activities!
I love how a simple paper plate can become an adorable woodland animal while giving children opportunities to practice cutting, gluing, coloring, and following directions.
Whether you’re planning a fall classroom activity, a woodland animal unit, or a creative afternoon at home, this squirrel craft is an easy project that can be paired with so many educational activities.
Don’t forget to check out my other free squirrel worksheets and fall printables for even more hands-on learning fun!
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