Paper Plate Orca Craft for Kids – Free Template

Paper Plate Orca Craft for Kids – Free Template

If your little ones love ocean animals, this Paper Plate Orca craft is going to be an absolute favorite! With a bold black and white body, a tall dorsal fin standing proud on top, pectoral fins fanning out on both sides, bright blue cartoon eyes, and the most adorable little pink mouth, this orca is as striking as it is easy to make. Whether you're exploring ocean animals at home, planning a sea creature theme in the classroom, or just looking for a fun summer craft, this paper plate orca is guaranteed to make a splash from the very first snip of the scissors.

Why Kids Love This Craft

There's something incredibly satisfying about this orca — the bold black and white contrast looks stunning and kids love the moment the fins go on and it starts to look like a real killer whale. The bright blue eyes give the finished orca a wonderfully cartoonish and expressive personality, and because every kid paints and positions the pieces a little differently, no two orcas ever look exactly the same. It's a wonderful craft for building fine motor skills through painting, cutting, and gluing, and the finished result looks so impressive kids will want to hang it on the wall immediately.

What You'll Need

• 6 inch paper plate or template circle
• Black paint or black markers
• Black paper for fins or color them on the template
• Pink scrap paper or pink marker for the mouth
• Blue scrap paper or blue marker for the eyes
• Scissors
• Glue
• Free printable template from CraftyYak.com

How to Make a Paper Plate Orca Craft

Step 1 — Print and cut out the template. Download the free Paper Plate Orca template from CraftyYak.com and carefully cut out all the pieces — the body circle, dorsal fin, pectoral fins, eyes, and mouth.

Step 2 — Paint or color the body black. Paint the top portion of the paper plate or template circle black, leaving the bottom section white for the orca's belly. The white ridged edge of the paper plate makes a perfect built in belly and chin! Let it dry completely before moving on.

Step 3 — Color or cut the fins. Color the dorsal fin and pectoral fins black using the template, or trace them onto black paper and cut them out for a bolder more dimensional look.

Step 4 — Add the eyes. Cut two oval eye shapes from blue scrap paper and glue them onto the black upper portion of the face — or color the template eyes blue and glue them on. The bright blue eyes are what give this orca its irresistible cartoon personality!

Step 5 — Add the mouth. Cut a small half circle from pink scrap paper and glue it to the lower white portion of the face for the mouth — or color the template mouth pink. It adds the perfect finishing touch of cuteness!

Step 6 — Glue on the fins. Glue the dorsal fin to the top center of the body, then glue the two pectoral fins to the left and right sides. Press everything down firmly and let the glue dry completely.

Your adorable paper plate orca is ready to make a splash! 🐋🌊

Tips for Making It Even Better

• Use black cardstock instead of regular paper for the fins — it holds its shape better and gives a cleaner more polished finished look.
• Add a small white highlight dot inside each blue eye with a white paint pen or white crayon to make the eyes look bright and lively.
• Let the black paint dry completely before gluing on any pieces — rushing this step can cause the colors to bleed and muddy the crisp black and white contrast.
• This orca looks amazing displayed on a blue ocean wave background for a full under the sea scene — perfect for a classroom bulletin board or a summer bedroom decoration!