Easy Brown Bear Paper Plate Crafts for Preschool -

“Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see?” I see ENGAGED, EXCITED kids looking at me! Your students will love this brown bear craft for preschool that pairs beautifully with Bill Martin, Jr.’s classic book. Eric Carle’s illustrations are sure to inspire the inner artist in all of your kiddos. You’re going to love it, too, because it’s an easy paper plate craft that doesn’t require a lot of prep or supplies.

Paper Plate Crafts for Kids:

Painting and creating with preschoolers

PRESCHOOL CRAFTS ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF ANY SCHOOL DAY BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE NUMEROUS BENEFITS FOR YOUNG EXPLORERS.

Easy crafts for toddlers and preschoolers give kids an opportunity to work on fine motor skills, creativity, problem-solving, following directions, and more valuable life skills.

This adorable paper plate animal craft is a great opportunity to teach about adding texture to paintings by using different methods of applying the paint (ie., plastic forks).

After sharing the, “Brown Bear,” book with students, extend the bear theme by creating the brown bear book craft.

The project includes opportunities to paint, cut, glue, trace, and color! (I heart crafty fine motor development)

In addition to creating the”Brown Bear, Brown Bear,” craft, you can get them talking and/or writing with some fun language activities:

What color is the bear/bird/duck/horse/etc.?
On each page, ask, “What do YOU see?” Children can respond with, “I see a white dog/etc.“
Include the children during the read-aloud by asking them to mimic the sound of each animal on the page.
Practice sequencing by reviewing the order of animals spotted.

What Can Preschoolers Learn from the Brown Bear, Brown Bear Paper Plate Craft?

ART with preschoolers

TALKING ABOUT ART PROJECTS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR CHILDREN TO PRACTICE SPEAKING AND LISTENING. STUDENTS CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS LIKE:

What did you make?

How did you make the ears/face/etc.?

What was your favorite/least favorite part of this project?

Was it challenging to paint? Cut? Draw?

Why Is It Important For Kids To Get Crafty?

Besides the fact that kids love arts and crafts projects, there are so many other reasons you should do art and craft activities with your child.

Paper Plate Brown Bear Sensory Craft for Kids

Develop a Child’s Creativity

Arts and crafts projects are a wonderful way to allow your child to show off their creative side.

Fine Motor Skills

Using supplies like scissors, hole punches, and glue bottles is awesome for strengthening fine motor skills.

Hand-eye Coordination

Activities like sprinkling glitter, placing small pieces of confetti, and cutting out shapes from pieces of construction paper helps with hand/eye coordination

Calming Space

Art activities can provide a safe space for children who are feeling upset or frustrated and need to calm down.

Following Directions

Projects that require kids to follow step by step directions are great for working on listening and reading comprehension skills.

More Bear Themed Inspiration:

Keep your craft supplies stocked and these super fun activities and craft kits on hand for that moment when inspiration hits!

Make Your Own Stuffed Animal Kit – Activities for Kids Ages 4-8 – DIY Trustworthy Teddy Bear Making Kit with Activity Book and Colored Pencils – Builds Character and Creativity Melissa & Doug Mix ‘n Match Wooden Bear Family Dress-Up Puzzle With Storage Case (45 pcs) Peaceable Kingdom Where’s Bear? The Hide and Find Stacking Block Game for 2 Year Olds Fornel String Art Kit Bear – Bigger Size Canvas – DIY Bear Art String Crafts for Girls Kids Teens Ages 8-15 Grizzly Bear Toys Figurines, Plastic Forest Animal Bear Family Figures for Nature Science Learning, Realistic Woodland Creature Party Supplies Cake Toppers, Pack of 3

Materials needed for Brown Bear Brown Bear Craft for Preschool:

Get the Supplies Here:

Don’t worry about making a special trip to the store. You can get all the supplies for this activity right here.

1 large, white paper plate
Brown paint
Plastic fork
2 large googly eyes
Brown construction paper
Small cup (or round object to trace)
Pencil
Black marker
Scissors
Glue
Book- “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” by Bill Martin, Jr.

Stock Your Home 9-Inch Paper Plates Uncoated, Everyday Disposable Plates 9 Crayola Tempera Washable Paint 32-Ounce Plastic Squeeze Bottle, Brown Heavyweight Plastic Forks, White, 100 Counts Googly Eyes for Crafts, 700Pcs Self Adhesive Jiggle Craft Eyes with Muticolors and Sizes for DIY PACON Art Street Lightweight Construction Paper, 10 Assorted Colors, 9 Westcott 5’’ Blunt Scissors For Kids With Anti-Microbial Protection, Assorted, Pack of 12 (14871) Elmer’s Washable No-Run School Glue, 4 oz (6 Pack)

The supplies for the easy brown bear paper plate craft.

Low-Prep

High-Engagement

Low-Prep

Expand your activity library with these amazing resources!

A fork being used to paint on a paper plate for the easy brown bear paper plate craft.

How To Make the Brown Bear Brown Bear Craft Idea

Crafting with preschoolers

THE BROWN BEAR, BROWN BEAR CRAFT FOR TODDLERS AND PRESCHOOLERS COMES TOGETHER QUICKLY, BEFORE ANYONE LOSES INTEREST! CHILDREN CAN WORK ON THE EARS, NOSE, AND MOUTH WHILE THE FACE PAINT DRIES.

Pour a small amount of paint onto the center of the plate.
Press the fork into the paint (curved side down). Spread the paint out toward the edges of the paint by pulling the fork across the plate. Add more paint to the center as needed.
Continue the step above around the paper plate until the paper plate has brown paint all around it.
Set the paper plate aside to dry.
On the brown construction paper, trace the bottom of a cup two different times to make two different
circles. These will be the bear’s ears.
Cut out the two circles. Draw two circles in the ears and color them black.
Trace one more larger circle by using the top of the cup. Cut the circle out. Using the black marker, draw a nose and mouth for the bear in this larger brown circle.
Glue the ears to the top of the paper plate.
Attach the googly eyes, then glue the nose and mouth.

Googly eyes being glued onto a paper plate for a brown bear craft.

Liquid glue works best for googly eyes to stay put in the long run!

Consider attaching a large craft stick/paint stirrer to the bottom of the plate for role playing fun!

The finished easy brown bear paper plate craft.

Other Ways To Extend the Brown Bear Craft:

Role Play

Once the project is dry, encourage kids to role play by using the bear face as a mask to cover their own face to answer the question, “Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see?”

Change the Medium

Use brown and tan tissue paper squares and watered-down glue to cover the paper plate instead of brown paint.

Color Matching Activity

Provide a mat with the colors of each animal that appears in the book. Then, ask students to place cutout pictures of the animals onto the correct color.

Sensory Bin

Include small animal figurines of the animals in the book for students to find. They can sequence them according to the order they appeared in the book.

Counting Skills

Work on counting skills by referring to the last page of the book and counting all the animals.

Share Another Book

Continue learning about animals with Bill Martin, Jr. by sharing his book, “Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?”

Our Favorite Brown Bear Children’s Books:

We can’t live without these!

Once your child’s creativity is sparked with this fun brown bear themed craft, take it a step further and create a full craft and literacy activity with these engaging children’s books:

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Corduroy Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? Board Book (Brown Bear and Friends) Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? Bear Snores On (Board book) You Are My Happy We’re Going on a Bear Hunt (Classic Board Books) Bear’s Loose Tooth (The Bear Books)