Easy Paper Plate Submarine Craft (FREE Template)

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I was a huge fan of the Beatles growing up and the Little Yellow Submarine was a favorite song. So, let’s make a paper plate submarine craft today! This fun activity starts with a free template, some construction paper and a paper plate. We’re going to turn it into a fun craft where the sub dives into the water.

Just because we made ours into a yellow submarine craft, feel free to use whatever colors and design you want. This is your own submarine craft. So, use your imagination!

This craft is also perfect for a themed unit for kids of almost any age. Include it when you’re doing ocean studies. There are so many fun ways that you can incorporate talking about submarines.

Try Craft Flashcards

Fun Facts about Submarines

  • Submarines use sonar radar to navigate under the water
  • A submarine has ballasts to ensure it rises and sinks with ease.
  • They can dive to thousands of feet below the surface of the ocean.
  • They can remain underwater for several months
  • Subs were a part of the American Civil War.
  • 1954 saw the launch of the first nuclear submarine
  • In World War I and World War II, the Germans used subs called U-boats to attack Allied Forces.

For more interesting facts about subs, check out this article from Science Kids.

Check out this shark craft video tutorial too:

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

  • Paper plate (9-inch coated)
  • Scissors
  • Glue stick
  • Construction paper
  • Hole punch
  • Metal brad
  • Markers
  • Paint (optional)
  • Clothespin (optional)
  • Pompoms (optional)
  • Q-tips (optional)
  • Newspaper (optional)
  • Submarine craft template

Crafting with your kids should be as fun for you as it is for them. That means taking the hard work out of it, like prepping and clean up. I can’t take that away all together, but I sure can minimize it with the simple “In the Bag” approach.

Prep once by filling your bag using our master list of supplies, and you’ll have everything that you need to make every single creative project on this site. And, since you have paper bags and newspaper in your bag, clean up is a cinch.

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

paper plate submarine craft for kids

How to make your own Little Yellow Submarine Craft

Step 1: Cut the Paper Plate

  • The first thing that you need to do is cut a paper plate in half in a wave like pattern.

*You may want to draw the waves with a pencil first.

Submarine craft step 1

Step 2: Paint the Waves

  • Lay out some newspaper on your crafting surface.
  • Place the half of the cut paper plate that has the wave peaks on the newspaper.
  • Squeeze out a little light blue, darker blue and white paints.
  • Paint the base of the plate with light blue paint using a pompom (with a clothespin handle if you’d like).
  • Then use smaller pompoms and q-tips to tap on some waves with darker blue and white paint as pictured.
  • Set the plate aside to dry while you move on to the next step.

*If you don’t want to get the paints out for this craft, just use crayons or markers to create a water image on your paper plate instead.

Another fun way to make the water is to cover the paper plate in tissue paper pieces in shades of blue and white. Then just trim away the excess.

Submarine craft step 2

Using pompoms and q-tips to paint is a great way to practice fine motor skills too. I recommend that you cut the q-tips in half for best results.

Step 3: Grab the Submarine Template

  • Download and print the submarine craft template. You can print this straight onto construction paper if you prefer.
  • Cut out the parts for your yellow submarine. We chose to make some of the parts from different colored construction paper so that they would stand out more.
Submarine craft for kids step 3 Free craft template

Step 4: Decorate Your Sub Craft

  • Assemble the pieces of your submarine craft using a glue stick if you didn’t keep it all as one piece.
  • Use markers and crayons to add details to your sub as you desire. There are no rules for this. Just use your imagination.
yellow submarine craft for kids step 4

Step 5: Put It Together

  • Now that the paint has dried on your paper plate and you have created your paper submarine, it’s time to put it all together.
  • Use a hole punch to punch a hole in the center of the paper plate waves, about 1/2″ inch.
  • Also punch a hole in the bottom of the submarine, again about 1/2″ in the center.
  • Use a metal brad to connect the waves and the sub, with the sub placed behind the paper plate. This will allow your submarine to dive deep into the water, out of sight.
easy sub craft for kids step 5

This could be a cute summer craft or make it any time of the year.

Tips for making this submarine craft

If connecting pieces of the submarine, I recommend a glue stick rather than white school glue since it has a tendency to buckle the paper when it dries.

When crafting with young kids, make a few adaptations. You may want to precut the pieces, including the paper plate waves.

Make even more Ocean Themed Crafts:

Popsicle Stick Ocean Animal Crafts
SEA ANIMAL CRAFTS FOR KIDS
Paper Dolphin Craft
Easy Dolphin Craft for Kids
EASY DOLPHIN CRAFT
Paper Plate Walrus Craft
PAPER PLATE WALRUS CRAFT IMAGE
Walrus Pouch

Save this Ocean Themed Craft for later. Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board…

little yellow submarine craft
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