Are your kids shark fans? Then they’ll adore this interactive Paper Plate Shark Puppet craft! These gorgeous homemade sharks have movable jaws so kids can have great fun biting, chomping and munching with them. There won’t be a safe finger in the house!
There’s a free printable template too so these fun shark puppets are super easy to make. Watch out there’s a Jaws about!
I love the simplicity of paper plate crafts don’t you? This shark puppet is so easy to make using our printable template and such a fun Summer craft to play with!
Why not make a shark puppet for Shark Week or after an aquarium or beach visit?
While you’re here why not take a peep at some of our other favourite beach themed activities too?
- Our Beach Detective Game is great fun for kids big and small and will stretch their observational skills.
- Rocking Crabs are oh so cute and have nipping pincers so watch your fingers!
- Our Beach Version Of Tic Tac Toe is fun for the whole family and has a clever twist which really gets the kids interacting with the nature around them.
Ready To Make A Paper Plate Shark Puppet? Let’s Do It!
Shark Puppet Supplies List
- Printable Template (available at bottom of post)
- Non Coated Paper Plates US / UK
- Blue Paint US / UK
- Hole Punch US / UK
- Split Pins US / UK
- Drinking Straws US / UK
- Black Marker Pen
- Scissors
- Glue
- Sticky Tape
Watch The Paper Plate Shark Puppet Video Tutorial
We thought you might like to see these paper plate shark puppets in action so we’ve made a short video below so you can see how they move and how we made them. They are super cute and so much fun! (There are written instructions and step by step photos below too.)
Follow The Written Shark Puppet Tutorial
1 – Print the free template and cut it out. (Available at bottom of post.)
2 – Paint the middle of a paper plate blue and extend it on either side a bit like an eye shape. See the picture above to guide you.
3 – Place the shark body template piece on the paper plate so its nose is on the blue but its teeth and belly are on the white and draw around it. (To fit the shark template on a printable sheet its tail section had to be missed off so just extend the horizontal line behind the dorsal fin by hand to the edge of the plate.)
4 – Place the teeth template piece on the other white rim and draw around it and cut it out. Use the remaining plate to cut out the tail and pectoral fin.
5 – Use a black marker pen to draw the shark’s eye and gills.
6 – Use the hole puncher to make a hole through the two jaws and join them together with a split pin.
7- Glue the shark’s pectoral fin in place.
8 – Turn the shark puppet over and attach the shark puppet’s tail and two straw handles with sticky tape. You’ll need one straw on the lower jaw and one on the shark’s back.
Now your paper plate shark puppet is ready to hunt for its dinner! Homemade puppets are such fun and great for imaginative play. Chomp, chomp! Watch those fingers!
GET YOUR FREE PRINTABLE TEMPLATE HERE
We hope you have lots of fun with this shark craft idea. We love hearing how you get on, leave a comment below, come and chat on Facebook or sign up to our email updates.
More Fun Animal Crafts To Try:
Cindy deRosier says
I’m the Editor of Fun Family Crafts and wanted to let you know that we have featured your fabulous shark project! You can see it here:
https://funfamilycrafts.com/biting-paper-plate-shark-puppet/
If you have other kid-friendly craft tutorials, we’d love for you to submit them. Thanks for a great project idea!