Paper Plate Whale Shark Craft for Kids – Free Template
Share
Paper Plate Whale Shark Craft for Kids – Free Template
If your little ones love ocean animals, this Paper Plate Whale Shark craft is going to be an absolute showstopper! With a bold dark navy blue body, a softly painted white belly, wide pectoral fins sweeping dramatically out on both sides, a striking tail fin, rosy pink cheeks, big expressive cartoon eyes, a cheerful smile, and a beautiful constellation of white speckles dotted across the entire body just like a real whale shark, this craft is as breathtaking as it is easy to make. Whether you're exploring ocean animals at home, planning a Shark Week theme in the classroom, diving into a marine biology unit, or just looking for a stunning summer craft, this Paper Plate Whale Shark is guaranteed to make a splash from the very first brushstroke.
Why Kids Love This Craft
There's something wonderfully artistic about this whale shark — the dark navy body with the white speckle pattern feels like real painting, and kids absolutely love the sprinkling step where the white dots go on and the whale shark suddenly looks strikingly realistic. The wide sweeping pectoral fins give the finished craft an incredible sense of movement and scale, and the combination of the rosy pink cheeks and big cartoon eyes makes the whole thing irresistibly cute despite how impressive it looks. It's a wonderful craft for building fine motor skills through painting, cutting, and gluing, and because every kid speckles their whale shark differently, no two ever look exactly the same.
What You'll Need
- 6 inch paper plate or free printable template from CraftyYak.com
- Dark navy blue paint or marker
- White or light blue paint for the belly
- White paint or white marker for the speckles
- Pink scrap paper for the cheeks
- White and black scrap paper for the eyes
- Black marker for the mouth
- Scissors
- Glue
How to Make a Paper Plate Whale Shark Craft
Step 1 — Print and paint the template. Download the free Paper Plate Whale Shark template from CraftyYak.com and print it out, or use a 6 inch paper plate as the base. Paint the entire body dark navy blue — except for the bottom belly section which should be painted light blue or white. Let the paint dry completely before moving on.
Step 2 — Cut on the dotted lines. Once the paint is fully dry carefully cut along all the dotted lines on the template. This separates the pectoral fins, tail fin pieces, and body from each other. Take your time with the fin edges for the cleanest and most impressive finished look.
Step 3 — Assemble the tail fin. Glue the tail fin top piece onto the tail fin base piece to create the dramatic double layered tail. This two piece tail construction gives the whale shark a wonderful sense of movement and depth.
Step 4 — Glue on the fins and tail. Glue the two pectoral fins to the upper left and upper right sides of the body so they sweep outward dramatically, then glue the assembled tail fin to the back left of the body. Refer to the photo or the video tutorial on CraftyYak.com for placement guidance. Press everything down firmly and let the glue set.
Step 5 — Add the eyes and cheeks. Cut out the eye and cheek pieces from the template and color or paint them — white ovals with black pupils for the eyes and pink ovals for the rosy cheeks. Glue them onto the front of the body for that irresistibly cute cartoon whale shark expression!
Step 6 — Draw the mouth. Using a black marker draw a gentle curved smile across the lower front of the body just above the belly line. Keep it simple and curved for the most charming and friendly expression!
Step 7 — Add the white speckles. Using white paint or a white marker add scattered dots across the dark navy body of the whale shark. This is every kid's favorite step — the speckle pattern is what makes this craft look so strikingly realistic and it is incredibly satisfying to do!
Your stunning paper plate whale shark is ready to swim! 🦈🌊
Tips for Making It Even Better
- Use a toothbrush or stiff brush dipped in white paint and flicked across the body for the most realistic and evenly distributed speckle pattern — it gives the whale shark a stunning professional finished look that kids absolutely love.
- Paint the body in two coats of dark navy blue for the deepest richest color — one thin coat often looks patchy and doesn't give the same dramatic contrast against the white speckles.
- Let every paint layer dry completely before moving on to the next step — rushing causes colors to bleed and muddy the crisp dark and light contrast that makes this craft so striking.
- This whale shark looks amazing displayed on a light blue ocean background alongside the paper plate orca for a stunning ocean animal wall display that kids will be proud to show off all summer long!