Paper Plate Storytelling Craft for Kids (With Free Templates)
Looking for a simple craft that also encourages imaginative play? This paper plate storytelling craft is a fun and creative activity that children will love. It combines colouring, cutting, and crafting with open-ended storytelling.
We have had loads of fun with this over the last few weeks, from creating the scenes, colouring the backgrounds and characters to inventing stories for the different themes. In our case, the princess definitely did not want to be rescued and she ended up becoming best friends with the dragon who protected her from the outside world. We made short video clips of the stories which my 10 year old enjoyed editing. It really was fun for the whole family, no matter what age.
Children create a colourful scene using a paper plate frame, then make characters on lollipop sticks that can move around inside the scene. Once the craft is finished, it becomes a mini storytelling stage where kids can invent their own adventures.
It’s a brilliant activity for rainy days, school holidays, or quiet afternoons at home.
Why This Craft Is Great for Kids
This activity is more than just colouring and cutting. It also helps children:
- Encourage creative storytelling and imaginative play
- Practise fine motor skills through colouring and cutting
- Develop confidence in creating their own stories
- Stay entertained long after the craft is finished
Because the characters move on sticks, children can create endless stories and scenarios.
Materials Needed
You only need a few simple craft supplies:
- Paper plates
- Printable scene templates (or draw your own)
- Printable character templates
- Colouring pens, pencils or crayons
- Scissors
- Glue
- Cardboard (for strengthening the characters)
- Lollipop sticks or craft sticks
- Sellotape or tape
How to Make the Paper Plate Storytelling Craft
1. Colour Your Background Scene
Start by colouring your round scene background.
You can use one of our printable templates or create your own design by tracing around the outside of your paper plate on paper and colouring in the inside of the circle. Encourage children to be creative with colours and details.
2. Make the Paper Plate Frame
Take a paper plate and carefully cut out the middle to create a circular frame.
Glue your coloured background onto the back of the paper plate frame, leaving about a third open at the bottom so the characters can slide in.
This creates the stage for your story scene.
3. Colour the Characters
Next, colour the characters that will appear in your story.
These might be animals, people, dinosaurs, or magical creatures depending on the theme. You can draw your own or use the templates provided.
4. Strengthen the Characters
Glue the characters onto cardboard before cutting them out. This makes them sturdier and easier for children to play with.
5. Attach the Lollipop Sticks
Tape a lollipop stick to the back of each character using Sellotape.
The sticks act as handles so children can move the characters around inside the paper plate scene. You could also use wooden skewers. They are longer but also more fragile and the sharp ends are not suitable for young children.
6. Start the Storytelling Fun!
Slide the characters into the opening at the bottom of the frame.
Now children can move them around to create their own imaginative stories and adventures.
Scene Ideas included in our templates
You can create lots of different themed scenes using our free templates. We have included:
Fairytale Castle
Create a magical castle scene with characters like:
- Knights
- Princesses
- Dragons
Perfect for telling classic fairytale adventures.
Underwater Ocean
Design a colourful underwater world with:
- Fish
- Octopus
- Sharks
- Coral and seaweed
Children can explore the ocean with their sea creature characters.
Prehistoric Dinosaur World
Travel back in time with a dinosaur landscape featuring:
- Volcanoes
- Trees and prehistoric plants
- Dinosaur characters
Kids can create exciting dinosaur adventures.
More Theme Ideas
Once children get the hang of the craft, they can create endless new worlds.
Try making scenes such as:
- 🛸 A new planet with aliens and UFOs
- 🌼 A flower meadow with bees and ladybirds
- 🏙️ A city landscape with cars, superheroes, or people
- 🏴☠️ A pirate island with treasure maps and pirate ships
- 🚀 Outer space with rockets and astronauts
Each new scene becomes a completely new storytelling adventure.
Tips for Making This Craft with Younger Kids
- Pre-cut the paper plate frame if children are very young.
- Use thicker card to make the characters easier to handle.
- Encourage children to invent names and personalities for their characters.
- Ask questions like “What happens next?” to spark storytelling.
Final Thoughts
This paper plate storytelling craft is a simple but powerful activity that combines creativity with imaginative play.
Children not only enjoy making the craft but will also spend lots of time creating stories and acting them out with their characters.
Best of all, every new theme becomes a brand new storytelling world.
✨ If you enjoyed this craft, you might also like my other printable activities and creative ideas for kids.
If you are looking for more ideas using paper plates, why not try making these fun dinosaur masks as part of a whole dinosaur discovery day?
Or if you are looking for a calm way to spend an hour, I highly recommend Mandala colouring (and creating!).
