If you’re looking for a simple, low-prep activity that actually keeps little ones entertained for more than five minutes, this paper plate fish craft is a great one to try.
It’s colourful, a bit messy (in a good way), and easy enough for toddlers and preschoolers to get involved without everything falling apart halfway through.
We’ve done this on a rainy afternoon, and it turned into one of those activities where you end up making more than one… because once they start, they don’t really want to stop.
🧺 What You’ll Need
Nothing fancy here — just the usual craft drawer bits:
- Paper plates
- Paint or coloured pens
- Child-safe scissors
- Glue or tape
- Googly eyes (optional, but always a hit)
- Coloured paper or card (for fins and tail)
Tip: If you’ve got leftover scraps from other crafts, this is a good way to use them up.
🎨 How To Make a Paper Plate Fish
1. Start With Your Plate
We used a coloured paper plate for this, which makes things quicker.
If you’ve only got white plates, you can start by painting them any colour you like — just allow a bit of drying time before moving on.
2. Cut Out the Mouth
Cut a triangle shape out of the side of the plate to create the fish’s mouth.
Try not to overthink the shape — once it’s cut, it already starts to look like a fish.
3. Make the Tail
Take the triangle you just cut out and stick it onto the opposite side of the plate to form the tail.
A bit of glue or tape will do the job — whatever’s quickest.
4. Add the Eye
Cut a circle from black card, then a slightly smaller circle from white card, and stick them together to create the eye.
You can use googly eyes here, but we found ours were a bit too small for the size of the fish so making one worked better.
5. Add the Pom Poms
This is the fun (and slightly chaotic) part.
Apply glue evenly over one side of the plate, we did the right-hand side, then stick on colourful pom poms to create the fish’s scales.
It doesn’t need to be neat, in fact, it looks better when it’s not.
🐠 Make It Your Own
We went with pom poms, but you can easily switch this up depending on what you’ve got:
- Paint patterns or stripes
- Add glitter (if you’re feeling brave…)
- Use coloured paper for scales
- Mix materials for a more textured look
👶 Is This Paper Plate Fish Suitable for Toddlers?
Yes — with a bit of help on the cutting.
Younger toddlers can focus on painting and sticking, while you handle the scissors. Older kids can do the whole thing themselves.
It’s one of those crafts that scales quite nicely depending on age (and attention span).
⚡ Dad’s Ultimate Activity Finder
Stuck indoors or running low on parental energy? Choose an option below to instantly surface one of our step-by-step dad guides.
🧠 What Kids Learn From This Activity
Without it feeling like “learning,” this paper plate fish craft helps with:
- Fine motor skills (cutting, sticking)
- Creativity and colour recognition
- Following simple steps
- A bit of patience (especially waiting for paint to dry…)
🔗 You Might Also Like
If you’re building up a stash of easy activities, these are worth a look too:
❓ FAQs
Do I have to use paint?
Not at all — crayons, felt tips, or even stickers work just as well.
How long does it take?
Around 20–30 minutes (plus drying time if you’re painting).
Can I do this with more than one child?
Yes! This paper plate fish is actually a good one for siblings, as everyone can do their own version. There are so many different ways to decorate the fish and they can all learn from seeing how others create their craft.
🧾 Final Thoughts
This is one of those kids crafts that’s simple enough to set up without overthinking it, but still feels like a proper activity once you’re done.
No complicated prep, no expensive supplies — just something fun to break up the day.
And if nothing else, you’ll probably end up with a few fish to stick on the fridge.
