Want to make a kite craft without making a whole kite from scratch? This cute craft is a great activity for young children learning about wind and weather. It’s also a nice spring craft for a rainy day indoors! With just a few basic craft supplies, or step-by-step photos and some imagination, kids of all ages can make their own paper plate kite crafts. Let’s get started!
Materials
- Paper plates
- Printable template pieces
- Colored pencils or markers
- Green and blue paint
- Paint brushes
- Popsicle sticks
- Scissors
- Double-sided tape or glue
Instructions
Step 1)
Print the template and gather your supplies
Step 2)
Paint the top half of the paper plate blue and the bottom green.
Step 3)
While you’re waiting for the paper plate to dry, color in the template pieces.
Step 4)
Cut out the template pieces and cut a slit in the middle of the paper plate where the green and blue meet.
Step 5)
Glue the cloud template pieces to the blue sky and glue the child template piece to the green grass. Attach the kite template piece to a popsicle stick or craft stick with double-sided tape or glue.
Step 6)
Insert the popsicle stick kite into the slit of the paper plate so you can make it move and fly just like your own kites do on breezy spring days!
Video Instructions
Prefer video instructions for your crafts? Subscribe to Crafty Kids Play YouTube channel and watch the full video tutorial for this kite craft here!
Kite Paper Plate Craft Template Download
You can print this free printable kite template for your craft on regular white printer paper. If your children are very young and have a hard time cutting out the little details, you may want to cut out the template pieces with or for them. Young kids should be supervised by an adult during craft time, especially while handling safety scissors.
This template is only for you to use, not for resale or commercial use; if you want to share this template with a friend, please send them the link to this article instead of sharing the template directly.
Tips & Troubleshooting
Let The Paint Dry Completely
It might be tempting to rush ahead, but waiting for the paint to dry before gluing on the template pieces helps everything stick better—and keeps little hands from smudging the sky!
Pre-Cut Pieces For Younger Kids
If you’re crafting with toddlers or preschoolers, you might want to cut out the template pieces ahead of time. The kite string and small hands can be tricky to manage together!
Reinforce The Slit If Needed
If your paper plate tears a little when inserting the popsicle stick, no worries! Add a small piece of clear tape over the slit and re-cut it for extra strength.
Try Markers Or Crayons Instead Of Paint
No paint? No problem! Kids can color the plate’s sky and grass with crayons or markers instead—it’s less messy and still looks super cute.
Add Your Own Flair
Encourage kids to decorate the kite with stickers, glitter glue, or even their name! Personal touches make it feel extra special.
Benefits of This Kite Craft For Kids
Fine Motor Skills in Action
Cutting out the template pieces, gluing on clouds, and threading the popsicle stick into the plate all help develop those tiny hand muscles. These small motions build up coordination and control—perfect practice for future writing, zipping, and tying.
Color Recognition & Early Art Skills
Painting the sky and grass, then coloring in the kite and child, gives kids a chance to explore color choices and learn about shades like “sky blue” and “grass green.” It’s an easy and fun way to reinforce early color knowledge while encouraging creativity and having so much fun.
Pretend Play Possibilities
Once the kite is glued to the popsicle stick, the real fun begins—kids can actually move the kite through the slit in the plate! It’s a simple mechanism, but it invites so much imagination. Don’t be surprised if you hear a whole windy-day adventure story while they play.
Sequencing and Following Directions
This craft has a clear step-by-step process, which helps kids learn how to follow directions in order. They paint, wait for it to dry, cut, glue, and assemble. Following multi-step instructions boosts memory and focus in a natural, hands-on way.
A Sense of Accomplishment
There’s something extra rewarding about finishing a craft that moves! Watching their fun kite fly across the painted sky gives kids a big confidence boost. It’s not just cute—it feels like something they made all by themselves.
Creative Expression
There’s no “right way” to do this project—just lots of room to explore! Kids can choose their favorite colors, add personal flair, and make each piece totally their own. It’s a great way for little artists to build confidence and express their unique personalities through art.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’ve got spring fever after a long winter or you’re teaching kids about the weather and looking for a fun craft to go with it, there are a lot of great reasons to try your own paper plate kite craft. It’s simple to set up, packed with learning opportunities, and gives kids a cute, interactive project to be proud of. Plus, it makes a sweet classroom display or fridge decoration. Don’t forget to download the free printable template to make it even easier!
Follow along with Crafty Kids Play for more crafts and activities for kids of all ages!
