Kids can make this easy paper plate umbrella craft for a letter “U” unit in preschool or as an adorable spring weather craft
This paper plate umbrella craft is so simple to make that it almost seems silly to write a post about it. However, we ARE working our way through the alphabet with our A-Z paper plate craft series, and every letter plays an important role in the collection.
Therefore, our little letter “U” craft deserves just as much attention as all of great paper plate crafts we’ve made to date.
Don’t worry; even though the process is quite basic, your toddlers and preschoolers will still enjoy making these simple umbrellas. After all, what child doesn’t love an excuse to cut and paint and glue?
In addition to using our umbrellas for a letter “U” craft, they’d be great to tie in with a preschool “weather” unit.
If you’re working on a rainy weather unit, you can make our toddler rain sticks and rainbow collages as well!
To make our paper plate umbrella, you’ll need:
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- paper plate
- 2 pipe cleaners in different colours
- acryic paint in various colours
- paintbrushes
- glue
- craft gems and jewels, stickers etc.
- white glue
- Sticky Tape
in different colours
in various colours
, stickers etc.
Begin by cutting your plate in half. If your child is just learning to use scissors, you can draw a straight line across the back of the plate for him to cut along.
Paper plates are actually great for kids to practice their scissor skills on. They won’t flop around like a sheet of paper, but they’re still thin enough for safety scissors to slice through.
Next, have your child choose some colours to paint her umbrella with.
Pardon the mess. We had a huge paper plate-making frenzy on this day, so craft supplies were everywhere. It was a VERY fun day. 🙂
I poured a few colours of paint into a pallet, and the hooligans painted their umbrellas. Then then they dabbed on some polka-dots with their fingertips.
If you have a child who doesn’t like getting their fingers painty, they can use bottle tops or wine corks for stamping their dots on with.
For some added pizazz, the hooligans glued some sparkly craft gems and jewels all over their umbrellas.
To finish, simply twist two pipe cleaners together to form the umbrella handle, and tape it to the back of your paper plate.
More crafts for your toddlers and preschoolers to enjoy:
17 Paper Plate Crafts for Preschoolers
22 Things to Make with Cardboard Rolls
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Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
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