Paper Plate Panda Craft for Kids

This paper plate panda craft is totally adorable and super easy to make. Its lacing tummy makes it extra special, giving kids a fun way to practice fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination while they create. Using a simple paper plate and a few basic craft supplies, this panda craft is perfect for zoo animal units, preschool classrooms, or an afternoon of creative fun at home. With just a little help cutting out the pieces, younger children can enjoy this project too.

Looking for a simple version? Try our easy panda craft for kids and this fluffy panda craft. And if you are enjoy making this bear craft, try these yarn wrapped panda bears, this lacing polar bear or this newspaper panda bear craft too.

---

Skills This Craft Builds

Fine Motor Skills

Kids strengthen hand muscles through cutting, gluing, and assembling the panda craft pieces. These skills help support writing and other everyday tasks.

Hand-Eye Coordination

Matching, placing, and attaching the craft pieces encourages children to coordinate what they see with how their hands move.

Creativity

Children can personalize their panda with different facial expressions, backgrounds, and decorative details.

Following Directions

Completing the craft step-by-step helps kids practice listening skills, sequencing, and attention to detail.

---

Best Ages for This Panda Craft

Preschool

Preschoolers will enjoy painting, gluing, and decorating their panda with adult assistance. This craft provides a fun way to build early fine motor skills while exploring animal themes.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten students can complete much of this paper plate panda craft independently. It is a great activity for practicing cutting skills, following directions, and creative thinking.

Elementary

Older children can add extra details and create panda habitats or zoo scenes around their craft. This makes the project a fun extension for animal studies and classroom activities.

Save this Panda Bear Craft for later. Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board…

Classroom Uses

Zoo Animal Unit

This panda craft fits perfectly into zoo animal lessons and helps bring animal learning to life through hands-on creativity.

Animal Habitat Lessons

Use the craft as part of a discussion about where pandas live, what they eat, and how they survive in their natural habitat.

Fine Motor Centers

The cutting, gluing, and assembly involved in this project provide valuable fine motor practice for young learners.

Art and Creativity Time

This easy paper plate craft gives students the opportunity to express creativity while creating an adorable animal project.

---

Check out these fun facts about pandas

• Bamboo is their main source of food, and they spend lots of their day eating.
• Panda mamas are very protective of their babies and supervise them nearly 100% of the time.
• They are both good swimmers and good climbers.
• Giant pandas don’t hibernate like other bears.
• Fortunately, pandas are no longer considered a critically endangered species and have been downgraded to being only a “vulnerable” species thanks to conservation efforts.

To learn more about pandas, check out this article by National Geographic Kids.

All activities require adult supervision. By using this site, you are agreeing to our terms of use. This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

SUPPLIES FROM THE BAG

• 2 Paper plates (9-inch coated)
• Glue stick
• Black construction paper
• Scissors
• Single hole punch
• White yarn
• Scotch tape
• Googly eyes (or printable paper eyes)
• Panda craft template

We’re so glad to have you here at In the Bag Kids’ Crafts! Our mission is to help you make crafting with your kiddo a habit using fun, easy ideas with supplies you already have on hand.

Be sure to visit the“Fill Your Bag” page for our go-to supply list—we use it for every project to keep crafting simple, affordable, and mess-free. No extra store runs, no missing pieces—just grab your bag and start creating!

Want to make it even easier? Check out our quick shopping list on Amazon and Walmart to stock up on everything we love.

And if you use our printables, don’t miss our Favorite Printing Essentials list. We’ve found a reliable, no-hassle printer that won’t leave you dealing with constant issues or dried-out ink—plus all the extras you need so you can print and craft without the frustration.

Our favorite Panda Books for Kids

A great way to elevate the crafting experience is to combine it with reading a fun book about the subject of your craft. Here are some of our favorite kids books about panda bears…

How to Make a Paper Plate Panda Craft

Step 1: Cut and Punch the Holes

• Fold one of the paper plates gently in half and snip with your scissors in the center.
• Use this starter hole to then cut out center circle of your paper plate.
• Then take your hole punch and punch holes all around the inside of the cut out circle, about 1″ apart.

Step 2: Put the Plates Together

• Cut 2 slits in the outs of the plate with the cut out circle, leaving you with a tab about 2 inches wide and an inch deep.
• Fold this tab down slightly and glue it to your other plate so that the 2 plates are now stacked on top of each other like a snowman.
• Press firmly and hold until the glue sets up.

Step 3: Use the Free Panda Craft Template

• Print the panda bear craft template.
• Use it to cut out all of the pieces for your panda craft from black construction paper. You will have 2 arms, 2 legs, 2 ears, 2 jelly bean shaped eye patches and a nose when you’re done.

Step 4: Attach the Parts of Your Panda Bear Craft

• Turn your paper plates over so that the bottoms are facing up.
• Next, glue the cut out pieces of your paper plate panda craft in place.
• Again press firmly so that the glue can set up, especially when gluing parts onto the smooth or crinkled parts of the paper plates.

Step 5: Make Your Paper Plate Panda Bear Craft Smile

• Now that all of the parts of your bear craft are assembled, fill in the details of his face.
• Add googly eyes. We used 25mm self-adhesive ones. You can also choose to print out the free printable eyes for crafts and use those instead.
• Use a marker to give him a smile and any other details that you would like.
• We decided to also give him some rosy cheeks by cutting little pink circles from scraps of paper and gluing them in place.

Step 6: Finish Off Your Easy Bear Craft

• To finish off your panda craft, cut a length of white yarn at least a yard long.
• Lace it through one of the holes and secure it in place on the back side with a piece of tape.
• Lace it back and forth through the holes, going across the large center circle, until you are at the end of that piece of yarn.
• Secure the end in place with a piece of tape.
• Repeat this process with other pieces of yarn until the belly is filled in as much as you want.

Now that you know how to make a panda craft, it’s time to make it your own. We stuck to traditional colors for ours, but this is your panda bear craft. You can choose whatever colors and patterns you like. Maybe you want your panda to be green with purple arms and legs and yellow eyes. Or maybe he will be polka dotted or plaid. Just go for it! The only limit is your imagination.

Panda Craft Variations

Classic Black and White Panda

Create a traditional panda using black and white colors for a realistic look inspired by giant pandas.

Sleepy Panda Face

Give your panda closed eyes and a peaceful smile to create a cute sleepy panda character.

Bamboo Background Panda

Add bamboo stalks and leaves behind the panda to create a simple habitat scene and extend learning about where pandas live.

Panda Zoo Scene

Turn the finished craft into part of a larger zoo animal display by adding other animals, trees, and decorations.

Save this Paper Plate Craft for Kids for later. Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board…

FAQ about this Paper Plate Panda Craft?