April 22nd is Earth Day. We have been getting ready by doing a fun Earth Day Activity. If you enjoy spring activities for kids, then you will love this paper plate craft.
Recently, we used a paper plate and some paint to create an eye-catching Paper Plate Rainbow Craft. When we were making that, I started thinking about how the technique we used, would be a great way to make earth.
This activity would also work well with any space theme or earth study. There are so many things you can do with these earth crafts when they are dry.
🦋Why This Earth Day Art Project is Awesome
- Makes a fun earth day project to celebrate planet Earth
- A great way to recycle a paper plate
- Great to pair with another Earth Day activity such as these Earth Day Coloring Pages from Rock Your Homeschool.
🖍️Supply Notes
- Blue and green tempera paint
- Thick paper plate - You will want to use something sturdy made out of cardboard.
- White paper
- 12 x 18 construction paper
- Optional if you want to use the earth for another project: crayons, scissors, glue
📋Step by Step Instructions
STEP 1: Before we started our project, I asked my kids if they thought the earth had more land or water. They knew that more of earth was covered in water so we talked about how we would use more blue paint than green paint.
Squirt some blue paint on the back of a plate.
STEP 2: Then squirt on some green paint.
Squeezing the paint directly from the bottle is a great way for little hands to work on fine motor skills.
STEP 3: When both colors of paint are on the plate, carefully turn it over onto a piece of white paper. Slowly twist the plate so that the color will transfer to the white paper. Be careful to not move the plate back and forth or the earth print will lose its circle shape.
STEP 4: Slowly peel the plate back to reveal the earth!
You will be left with a print of the earth on both the plate and the paper.
My kids were interested in extending this activity when the earth prints had dried. They cut out their earth and glued it on some 12 x 18 construction paper.
One of my daughters used black construction paper and created a space scene.
My other daughter used her earth print to create an informational poster. It is still a work in progress, but she is including fun facts about various locations.
We had so much fun with these! I love how each one is as unique as our beautiful planet and can be used in so many ways.
✂️Expert Tips
Tip 1: If you have a young child, you might want to help them out with the paint-squirting step.
Tip 2: Use a thick paper plate that feels more like cardboard to prevent the paint from bleeding through.
🤷🏻♀️Craft FAQs
We found that we could get 3-4 prints from one painted plate.
This works great for preschoolers or kindergarten students. I probably would not recommend it for a toddler. Please supervise kids when they are doing this painting activity.
💙Related Posts
Earth Day Activity
Materials
- Blue and green tempera paint
- Thick paper plate
- White paper or 12 x 18 construction paper
- Crayons, scissors, glue Optional if you want to use the earth for another project
Instructions
- Squirt some blue paint on the back of a plate.
- Then squirt on some green paint.
- When both colors of paint are on the plate, carefully turn it over onto a piece of white paper. Slowly twist the plate so that the color will transfer to the white paper. Be careful to not move the plate back and forth or the earth print will lose its circle shape.
Video
Notes
- If you have a young child, you might want to help them out with the paint-squirting step.
- Use a thick paper plate that feels more like cardboard to prevent the paint from bleeding through.
Forgetful Mom says
This is a great activity! I'm going to do this with my kids tomorrow! Thanks for sharing!