Looking for an easy Halloween pumpkin paper plate craft to make with preschool and kindergarten children? This cute jack-o’-lantern craft turns an ordinary paper plate into a fun Halloween decoration, and I created a free printable template to make putting it together even easier.
One of my favorite things about paper plate crafts is how simple the supplies are. You don’t need an overflowing craft closet or complicated materials. With a paper plate, paint, construction paper, and the printable pumpkin template, children can create their own smiling jack-o’-lantern to display for Halloween.
I also created multiple jack-o’-lantern face options so children can choose the pumpkin face they like best. This makes the activity especially fun in a classroom because the finished pumpkins don’t all have to look exactly alike.
Easy Halloween Pumpkin Paper Plate Craft for Kids
This pumpkin paper plate craft is a simple Halloween activity for preschool, pre-K, kindergarten, and early elementary children.
Instead of cutting an actual pumpkin, children get to paint a paper plate orange and decorate it with their favorite jack-o’-lantern face. It gives them plenty of opportunities to practice cutting, gluing, painting, and following directions while creating something they can proudly display afterward.
I think it would work especially well for:
- Preschool and kindergarten Halloween crafts
- Classroom Halloween parties
- Homeschool Halloween activities
- October art centers
- Fine motor practice
- Library or daycare activities
- Halloween bulletin board displays
- Quiet afternoon craft time
You can also pair the craft with a pumpkin picture book, pumpkin worksheets, or a simple lesson about pumpkins for a complete Halloween-themed learning activity.
Supplies for Your Halloween Pumpkin Paper Plate Craft
You only need a few basic craft supplies to make this pumpkin.
Pumpkin Craft Supplies
- 9-inch white paper plate
- Orange washable paint
- Paintbrush
- Black construction paper
- Green construction paper
- Printable pumpkin craft template
- Scissors
- Glue
- Pencil for curling the pumpkin vine
If you don’t want to use paint, orange crayons or markers can work too. Paint gives the paper plate that classic bright pumpkin look, but using crayons can make the activity easier when you need a lower-mess classroom option.
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How to Make a Halloween Pumpkin Paper Plate Craft
Before beginning, print the pumpkin craft template and gather all of your supplies. Younger children may need help cutting some of the smaller pieces.
Step 1: Paint the Paper Plate Orange
Paint the front of a white paper plate with orange washable paint.
Encourage children to cover the entire plate, including the ridged outside edge. Set the plate aside until the paint is completely dry.
If you’re making these in a classroom, painting the plates earlier in the day and assembling the pumpkins later can help keep the activity moving.
Step 2: Choose a Jack-o’-Lantern Face
Choose one of the printable jack-o’-lantern faces included with the craft.
Print the face pieces on black construction paper or use the template to trace the pieces onto black paper.
This is the part that makes the craft extra fun. Children can choose their favorite face instead of every pumpkin looking identical.
Step 3: Cut Out the Pumpkin Pieces
Carefully cut out the eyes, nose, and mouth.
Then cut out the pumpkin stem, leaf, and vine pieces from the template.
Preschool children who are still developing their scissor skills may need some help with the smaller pieces. Kindergarten children can try cutting as much of the template independently as possible.
Step 4: Add the Pumpkin Face
Once the orange paper plate is dry, arrange the eyes, nose, and mouth on the front of the plate.
I recommend arranging everything before adding glue. Children can move the pieces around until they like their pumpkin’s expression.
Glue each piece into place.
Step 5: Add the Stem and Leaf
Attach the stem to the top of the paper plate.
Add the green leaf near the stem to give your paper plate pumpkin a little more detail.
Step 6: Curl the Pumpkin Vine
Cut out the long green vine from the template.
Wrap the strip gently around a pencil to create a curl. Slide it off the pencil and attach one end near the pumpkin stem.
That little curled vine is an easy finishing touch that makes the finished pumpkin especially cute.
Allow all of the glue to dry before displaying your Halloween pumpkin craft.
Make a Whole Patch of Jack-o’-Lanterns
One reason I included different pumpkin faces is to give children a little choice in how their finished craft looks.
For a classroom activity, let each child choose a favorite face. Once everyone has finished, hang the pumpkins together to create a classroom pumpkin patch.
You could add each child’s name underneath the pumpkin or create a simple bulletin board title such as “Our Pumpkin Patch.”
For an additional learning activity, talk about the expressions on the different pumpkins. Children can describe whether their pumpkin looks happy, silly, surprised, excited, or another emotion they choose.
Skills Children Can Practice with This Pumpkin Craft
Crafts can sneak quite a bit of early learning into an activity that feels like pure Halloween fun.
Cutting the printable pieces helps strengthen fine motor control and hand-eye coordination. Painting encourages children to work across a larger area, while gluing and positioning the facial features requires them to think about where individual pieces belong.
Children are also practicing following a sequence as they paint, cut, arrange, glue, and assemble their pumpkin.
For younger learners, you can incorporate vocabulary such as pumpkin, stem, leaf, vine, orange, jack-o’-lantern, eyes, nose, and mouth while you work.
Pumpkin Books to Read Before Your Craft
A Halloween pumpkin paper plate craft is even more fun when it follows a pumpkin-themed read-aloud. You can read the story first and then bring out the craft supplies afterward.
A few books to consider include:
The Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Steven Kroll
A sweet fall story about two mice who discover they have plans for the very same pumpkin.
How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara
This is a great choice when you want to add counting and early math to your pumpkin theme.
Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell
This book introduces children to what happens to a jack-o’-lantern after Halloween and connects nicely with pumpkin science.
The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin by Joe Troiano
A fun Halloween story with a message about differences and acceptance.
It’s Pumpkin Day, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff
A simple choice for younger preschool learners featuring different pumpkin faces and emotions.
You could even ask children to create a pumpkin face inspired by one of the expressions they see in the story.
Add a Little Pumpkin Learning
You don’t have to stop after the glue dries.
Use your finished pumpkin as the starting point for other simple preschool and kindergarten activities.
Children can count pumpkin seeds, practice the letter P, learn the parts of a pumpkin, work on pumpkin vocabulary, or compare different pumpkin shapes and sizes.
For writing practice, older kindergarten children can finish a simple sentence such as:
“My pumpkin is _____.”
They can choose an emotion or descriptive word that matches the face they selected.
More Halloween Printables and Activities
If you’re putting together a Halloween theme for October, pair this Halloween pumpkin paper plate craft with some of my other free Halloween activities and crafts.
Try adding Halloween coloring pages, alphabet activities, tracing worksheets, counting activities, or another paper plate craft.
You can also create a complete Halloween craft week by making a pumpkin one day and adding other Halloween characters such as a ghost, black cat, bat, or Frankenstein throughout the week.
For teachers, these activities are easy to rotate through an October art center or use during a classroom Halloween celebration.
For homeschool families, you can pair one Halloween craft with a book and printable activity to create a simple themed lesson without needing an elaborate plan.
Pin This Halloween Pumpkin Paper Plate Craft for Later
Planning your October activities ahead of time?
Save this Halloween pumpkin paper plate craft to your favorite Halloween crafts, preschool activities, kindergarten crafts, or fall learning Pinterest board.
That way, you’ll have the printable template ready when Halloween craft season rolls around.
Get Your Free Halloween Pumpkin Paper Plate Craft Template Here
Ready to make your own little pumpkin patch?
I created this printable template to make assembling your paper plate pumpkin easier. The printable includes the pieces you need to finish your pumpkin, along with different jack-o’-lantern face options so children can choose their favorite.
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A Simple Halloween Craft Kids Can Make Their Own
This Halloween pumpkin paper plate craft is an easy way to combine Halloween fun with painting, cutting, gluing, and fine motor practice.
I especially love that the different jack-o’-lantern faces give children some choice. They can make a silly pumpkin, a cheerful pumpkin, or simply choose whichever face catches their eye.
Add a favorite pumpkin picture book and a few pumpkin worksheets, and you have an easy Halloween activity that works beautifully for a preschool classroom, kindergarten classroom, homeschool lesson, or October afternoon at home.
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