Santa Paper Plate Craft for Kids

In this blog post I’m sharing with you our Santa paper plate craft. My students had so much fun creating this Christmas craft and I know yours will too! In this blog post I’m sharing all of the supplies that you need along with instructions on how you can make this craft with your students too.

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Materials Needed

Paper Plates
Glue
White Cotton Balls
White Glitter
Red Glitter
Small Red Pom Poms
Googly Eyes
Skin Color Paint
Paintbrush
Stapler
Scissors
Santa Hat on Card

Instructions

Mix together the paint to get the skin tone that you want to use, paint the paper plate this color and leave to dry.
While the paper plate is drying, cut out a Santa hat shape.
Decorate the Santa hat with glue and red glitter.
Stick a white cotton ball at the end of the hat.
Scrunch up cotton wools and stick for the fur lining on the bottom of the Santa hat.
Once the plate and hat is dry, staple the hat to the paper plate
Use glue around the edges of the paper plate and add cotton wool balls all the way around it
Place 2 googly eyes and a red pom pom in the middle of the plate for eyes and nose.

Looking to spread even more festive cheer in your classroom? I found this amazing roundup of 25 fun Christmas bulletin board ideas that’s packed with inspiration! Whether you’re going for cute, classic, or quirky, there’s something in there for every teacher to love. Perfect if you want to add an extra sprinkle of holiday magic to your classroom walls this season.

What Skills Does This Craft Support?

This festive craft isn’t just fun, it’s a fantastic way to support multiple learning areas in your special ed classroom. Here are just a few of the skills your students will be working on:

Fine motor skills – Cutting, gluing, and placing pieces help strengthen hand muscles and coordination.
Color recognition – Choosing and using different colors encourages visual discrimination and reinforces color vocabulary.
Following directions – Students practice listening and sequencing as they follow step-by-step instructions.
Language development – There are so many opportunities to build Christmas-themed vocabulary and encourage spontaneous communication.
Visual perception – Matching pieces and aligning shapes boosts visual tracking and spatial awareness.

Sensory-Friendly Adaptation

If you have students who may be overwhelmed by glue, scissors, or too many steps, here’s a sensory-friendly alternative:

Pre-cut the pieces ahead of time and use Velcro dots or magnets instead of glue. Let students build the craft on a felt board, cookie sheet, or magnetic surface. This reduces mess and adds a fun tactile element while keeping it interactive and accessible.

You can also offer textured materials (like felt, foam, or soft fabric) for students who benefit from sensory input.

Classroom Management Tip

Crafts can easily turn into chaos if you don’t prep a little ahead of time, especially in special ed! Here’s a tip that works wonders:

Prep individual kits for each student by placing all materials in a labelled ziplock bag or tray. Hand them out one at a time and walk through the steps slowly using visuals, modeling, or even a first-then board if needed.

This helps everyone stay focused, reduces waiting time (which often leads to off-task behaviour), and makes transitions smoother.

MY ART & CRAFT ESSENTIALS

If you want to see what is stocked inside my art and crafts cabinet, check out my must-have list below;

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Helpful Links

If you like this activity, you may be interested in the following Christmas activities;

If you found this blog post helpful, please consider sharing it with your friends and colleagues on social media, it helps more teachers find support, and it means the world to me and my little family too.

And if you haven’t already, be sure to check out my Free Resource Library for tons of classroom tools, visuals, and printables to make your teaching life easier (and a whole lot more fun!).

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Nikki