Paper Plate Hippo Craft

This paper plate hippo craft is a simple animal craft that preschoolers can help make using an inexpensive paper plate and basic craft supplies. It’s an easy choice for a zoo, safari, African animal, or hippo theme at home or in the classroom.

With dimensional ears, big wiggle eyes, pink cheeks, and two large white teeth, this friendly hippo has plenty of personality. Preschoolers can help paint and assemble the pieces to create their own hippo to display when they’re finished.

Easy Hippo Craft for Preschoolers

This hippo craft works well for preschoolers because the large paper plate and simple pieces are easy for little hands to manage. Kids can help paint the plate, glue the pieces in place, and assemble the hippo’s face. Adults can step in to help with cutting or hot glue when needed.

Use the finished hippo alongside a favorite hippo book or as part of a preschool theme about zoo animals, safari animals, or African animals. It’s a simple way to add a hands-on craft to what children are already learning.

Supplies for Your Paper Plate Hippo

Gather your supplies before you get started. You’ll need:

• Paper plate
• Large wiggle eyes
• Pink, gray, and white cardstock
• Gray and pink craft paint
• Paintbrush
• Round sponge dabber
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Black permanent marker
• Glue
• Printable hippo template (Click the purple button at the bottom of this post to get the template.)

I used a hot glue gun and glue sticks to assemble the hippo. If your preschoolers will be doing the gluing themselves, you can use liquid craft glue instead. Just allow extra time for the glue to dry before handling the finished craft.

How to Make a Paper Plate Hippo

Once you have your supplies gathered and the hippo pattern’s printed, you’re ready to put your hippo together.

Step 1: Paint the Paper Plate

Paint the outside of the paper plate with gray craft paint. Let the paint dry completely, then add a second coat if needed for even coverage.

Step 2: Trace and Cut the Hippo Pieces

Print the hippo patterns and cut out each piece. Use a pencil to trace the pieces onto the coordinating cardstock:

• Trace the muzzle onto pink cardstock.
• Trace two outer ears onto gray cardstock.
• Trace two inner ears onto pink cardstock.
• Cut the teeth from white cardstock.

Cut out all of the pieces, trimming just inside the traced lines for a clean edge. You can also use construction paper, craft foam, or felt in place of cardstock if that’s what you have on hand.

Step 3: Make the Hippo’s Face

Glue the pink inner ear pieces onto the gray outer ears.

Next, dip a round sponge dabber into pink craft paint and stamp a cheek on each side of the pink muzzle. Set the pieces aside until the paint is dry.

Step 4: Assemble the Hippo

Glue the pink muzzle onto the bottom half of the painted paper plate. Attach an ear to each side of the top of the plate, then add two large wiggle eyes above the muzzle.

A hot glue gun works well for securing the pieces quickly. You can also use liquid craft glue, but you’ll need to allow extra drying time before moving the hippo.

Step 5: Add the Hippo’s Mouth and Teeth

Use a black permanent marker to draw a mouth and two nostrils on the hippo. Finish your paper plate hippo by attaching the white teeth along the edge of its mouth.

Tips for Making This Hippo Craft With Preschoolers

A little prep can make this hippo craft easier when you’re working with preschoolers, especially in a classroom or with a larger group.

• Paint the plates ahead of time. Pre-painted plates eliminate waiting for the base coat to dry and make it easier to complete the craft in one sitting.
• Pre-cut smaller pieces when needed. Younger preschoolers may need help cutting the ears, teeth, and other smaller pieces.
• Choose kid-friendly glue. If children are assembling their own hippos, use washable liquid craft glue instead of a hot glue gun. Keep in mind that liquid glue will need more time to dry.
• Organize the pieces before you begin. Give each child a small tray or container with the pieces needed to assemble one hippo. This is especially helpful for group crafting.
• Let kids add the details. Preschoolers can draw their own mouths and nostrils, giving each hippo a slightly different expression.
• Let their hippos look like their own. Ears may be crooked, cheeks may be uneven, and eyes may not line up perfectly. That’s part of letting preschoolers do as much of the craft as they can themselves.

Extend the Learning

Once your paper plate hippo is finished, you can use it as a starting point for learning more about hippos and other animals. These simple extensions work well with a preschool animal or zoo theme.

Read a Hippo Book

Pair the craft with a picture book about hippos. Read the story before making the craft, or use the finished hippos during a follow-up storytime. Ask preschoolers to look for details about the hippos in the pictures and talk about what they notice.

Learn About Hippos

Introduce a few simple hippo facts that preschoolers can understand. Talk about where hippos live, what they eat, and how they spend much of their time in or near water. You can also look at pictures of real hippos and compare their features with the paper plate version.

Create a Zoo Animal Theme

Make the hippo part of a larger preschool zoo or animal theme. Pair it with other zoo animal crafts, animal books, and simple activities throughout the week. If you already have several animal crafts planned, display the finished projects together to create a preschool zoo.

More Animal Crafts for Preschoolers

Keep the animal theme going with more simple crafts made for preschoolers. These animal craft ideas are easy to pair with zoo themes, storytime, or a week of learning about different animals.

• Bear Paper Plate Craft
• Letter S Sheep Craft
• Paper Plate Zebra Craft
• Preschool Turtle Craft
• Handprint Bald Eagle Craft

Make Your Own Paper Plate Hippo

This paper plate hippo craft is a simple addition to a preschool animal theme, zoo unit, or hippo storytime. With a paper plate, a few basic craft supplies, and the printable pattern, preschoolers can create a one-of-a-kind hippo of their own.

Ready to make your hippo? Grab the printable hippo craft template and gather your supplies to get started.