Paper plate Father Christmas craft for toddlers

Age: 2+ · Time: 30 min · For: Ages 3–5

Paper plates are ideal for toddler crafts: big, sturdy and already round. With a little red paint for the hat and a pile of white paper balls for the beard, it turns into a jolly Father Christmas in half an hour.

Scrunching the paper balls is almost a game in itself. Toddlers practise their finger skills, and the beard ends up wonderfully bumpy.

What your child does, where you help

Your child: paints, tears paper, scrunches balls, glues and draws the face.
You: draw the hat line, put on the glue for the youngest, and cut if you use paper instead of paint.

Safety

Paper balls are small. Stay close with children under 3 and do not let them put them in their mouth.
Use washable, non-toxic paint and water-based glue.

Variations

Snowman: leave the plate white, glue on a paper hat and a scarf made from a strip of fabric.
Bauble: paint the whole plate and decorate it with dots and stripes, with a cardboard cap on top.
Cotton wool beard: use cotton wool instead of paper balls if you have some.

You need

a white paper plate (cardboard, not plastic)
red paint and a brush or sponge, or a piece of red paper
white paper, kitchen roll or napkins to scrunch into balls
PVA glue
felt tips
scissors, for the grown-up
string, for hanging (optional)

Steps

Draw a line across the plate with a felt tip, about a third of the way down from the top. Everything above the line is the hat.
Let your child paint the hat red, or glue on a piece of red paper that a grown-up has cut to fit.
Leave the paint to dry for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, tear white paper or kitchen roll into pieces together and let your child scrunch them into little balls. It is great for small fingers.
Spread glue over the bottom half of the plate in a big U-shape. That will be the beard.
Let your child press the paper balls onto the glue until the beard is thick and white.
Add a row of balls under the hat as a white trim and one big ball on the tip.
Your child draws the face in the space between the hat and the beard.

Questions

Can I use a plastic plate?

Better not. Paint and glue do not stick well to plastic. A cardboard plate or a round piece of cardboard from a box works much better.

Can it become a mask?

Yes. A grown-up cuts two eye holes and attaches a piece of elastic to the sides. Do not make it too tight, and do not use masks with children under 3.