Paper Plate Animal Mask Making

Paper plates

Washable paint

Construction paper in assorted colors

Glue stick

Crayons or markers

Popsicle sticks

Tape

Scissors (adult use for cutting eye holes)

Give your child a paper plate and ask them to choose an animal. Cat, dog, lion, bunny, bear — anything they love.

Paint the plate together using the animal's base color. Orange for a lion, gray for a bunny, brown for a bear. Let it dry.

Cut two eye holes so your child can see through the mask. This is an adult-only step — use scissors or a craft knife.

Glue on construction paper shapes for features. Cut triangles for cat ears, circles for bear ears, a pink oval for a pig snout.

Add details with crayons or markers — draw spots, stripes, whiskers, or teeth.

Tape a popsicle stick firmly to the back at the bottom. This becomes the handle for holding the mask up.

Hold the mask up to your face, make the animal's sound, and walk like the animal. Then hand it to your child and let them take over the pretend play.

Make the mask together and then play pretend with it. The art and the dramatic play are equally valuable.

Let your child invent an animal that does not exist. A purple cat with polka dots and antennae is a perfectly valid creative choice.

If your child wants to wear the mask hands-free, punch holes on the sides and thread elastic through instead of using a stick handle.

Make multiple masks over several days to build a collection. Then act out a whole animal story together.

This is an excellent rainy day activity that covers art, imagination, and active play in one session.