Easy Paper Plate Feelings Pumpkins Craft
Today we are talking about our feelings with the simple magic of a paper plate pumpkin! What?! Bear with me. This Halloween activity makes for a great opportunity to relate to your children!
Halloween is the perfect season for talking about feelings with children. Happy, excited, and scared are the most common feelings that Halloween brings. It’s fun to use pumpkins to help children further understand and express their many emotions. Paper Plate Feelings Pumpkin Crafts are perfect for home, social skills groups, or large group social-emotional learning instruction. They are easy to make and can be paired with many great children’s books.
Paper Plate Feelings Pumpkins Craft
This craft requires basic, minimal supplies that can be found at most big-box stores. I also went ahead and found some of the more difficult ones on Amazon, for you, and provided the affiliated links!
To make this adorable pumpkin craft you will need:
- Orange paper plates
- Brown construction paper or craft foam
- Green pipe cleaners
- Black permanent marker
- Single hold punch
- Writing paper or strips
- Glue
After gathering all of the supplies, it’s time to get crafting! It may seem hard, but it’s actually very easy. How to make a pumpkin with a paper plate is really just all in getting an orange plate! Super easy. Then, kids can use the scissors to cut a thick pumpkin stem from the brown construction paper or craft foam. Glue the stem to the jack o lantern paper plate.
Invite children to curl the pipe cleaners with a pencil or their fingertips. Punch 2 holes near the top of the pumpkin, then twist the pipe cleaners through the holes.
Last year, we made some really cute Coffee Filter Jack O’Lanterns.
Next, invite children to draw a basic feeling such as happy, scared, mad, or sad on their pumpkin. Older children can draw more advanced feelings such as worried, confused, frustrated, and disgusted. Children should label their pumpkin’s feeling on lined paper or strips.
Alternatively, use the pumpkin as a prompt. Ask children a question such as, “How do you feel about bullying?” or, “How do you feel at a birthday party?” Kids can show their answer using the pumpkin! Sometimes, they need a nap, other times a snack. From time to time, they just need a few minutes with their calm down jar.
Another fun twist on paper plate crafts uses regular paper plates. The idea is to make them into animals, and then have each animal express an emotion! This is great for creative or older kids.
As your child faces many complex emotions, it is easy for them to get overwhelmed. These pumpkins are another great way for them to express their emotions without a meltdown. Why do kids act out? Overwhelming feelings are usually a big factor. Putting words to those feelings helps us as parents to be more empathetic.
Last, invite children to glue the paper strips to the bottom of the pumpkin before displaying.
It is so much easier to help kids express their emotions with this! It’s tactile and puts words where emotions may be overwhelming. It is all part of how to stop kids from whining.
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