Halloween and the beautiful fall season are upon us and we couldn’t be more thrilled to decorate and make our own spooky preschool and kindergarten arts and crafts! If you’re in need of a cheap, fun, and easy toddler or smaller kid fine motor craft, then this fun Halloween vampire paper plate craft may be just what you’re looking for. It’s perfect for daycare, in preschool, kindergarten, homeschool, and even for elementary school children and it allows children to use their fine motor skills as they paint, cut, and draw these spooktacular vampire faces! If you like Halloween activities, then you’ll love my Dollar Store Popcorn Sensory Bin and Creepy Halloween Spaghetti Sensory Bin!
My five-year-old LOVES all holidays and especially Halloween (like all toddlers, right?!), so we decorated our front yard tonight and as the years go on, we buy more and more Halloween decorations so of course my daughter is absolutely thrilled! She’s having a blast playing with all my fake pumpkins, ghosts, bats, creepy dolls, and skeleton decorations. I figured why not start the Halloween crafts because my girl LOVES painting and Vampirina, the vampire from the Disney television show, Vampirina!
I love paper plate crafts. They’re inexpensive and the supplies can most likely all be purchased at your local dollar store. If you have toddlers or young kids, you likely have some type of paint in your house. I always have a lot of acrylic and non-toxic washable kid’s paint. Break out the paint brushes and let the kids use their fine motor skills to paint and express their creative mind! My daughter could not get over how excited she was to “paint Vampirina!”
Toddlers and adults enjoy painting as it’s calming, fun, and a fantastic way to get the creative juices flowing. It’s a relaxing and enjoyable activity for many people, including my five-year-old. She and I paint often because we both enjoy it and she requests it. We first made this Halloween craft when she was three and at five years old, she’s still loving it equally as much as she did two years ago.
To make my super easy Vampire Paper Plate Crafts, you’ll need paper plates, paint brushes, paint, a pencil, black construction paper, a glue stick, white paper, a black marker, and tape or a stapler.
Benefits of Fine Motor Activities
Fine motor skills are imperative in life and toddlers should be constantly practicing fine motor skills daily to prepare them to do things later in life such as buttoning a button, tying their shoes, and writing their name. Fine motor skills enable children to develop their independence as they learn how to eat, speak, create, and are able to do many more things as these skills improve.
According to Early Impact Learning’s article, hand-eye coordination is another fine motor skill that develops from when we are babies into adulthood. When kids interact with fine motor activities, they are continually improving the link between what their eyes see and what they are trying to hold or touch.
One of the biggest reasons fine motor skills are so important is that they allow us to be independent. As toddlers and young kids exercise their fine motor skills, their self esteem improves as they are proud after building a tall tower of blocks by using the small muscles in their hands and fingers to make beautiful masterpieces they can take pride in.
Painting, sewing, threading, and weaving are fantastic ways for kids to use their fine motor skills. Many art and craft activities involve fine motor skills which allows toddlers and kids to express their creativity as they practice doing things independently.
Items needed to make Vampire Paper Plate Crafts
Paper plates. Grab as many paper plates as you wish to make these vampire paper plate crafts. You’ll need two paper plates to make one vampire.
Palette. You’ll need a palette or an upcycled lid to pour your paints on.
Paint brush. You’ll need paint brushes to make this craft.
Paint. We use acrylic paint; non-toxic paint will also work.
Pencil. A pencil is needed to trace on black construction paper.
Black construction paper. Black construction paper is needed to make this craft.
Glue stick. I always use glue sticks when it’s paper on paper like this craft as they are plenty strong.
White paper. White paper is needed to make this craft.
Scissors. If the kids are cutting (and you know they LOVE to help!), opt for kid-friendly scissors.
Black marker. You can use a black marker such as a Sharpie marker or, alternatively, you can use black paint.
Tape. Scotch tape or a stapler is needed to stick the paper plate pieces together.
How to make the best Vampire Paper Plate Halloween craft
STEP 1: Use a paint brush to paint the paper plate and let it dry.
STEP 2: Use a pencil to draw the hair on black paper, then cut the hair out. Use a glue stick to stick it to the paper plate.
STEP 3: Draw one eyeball on the white paper. Trace it and cut it, along with the other eyeball so you will have two eyes of the same size. Let the kids cut them for a fun fine motor skills activity! Not only is it beneficial for toddlers to cut using scissors, but they LOVE helping!
STEP 4: Use a black marker to color in the insides of the eyes. Alternatively, you can paint them.
STEP 5: Use a glue stick to glue the eyes on the plate. When it comes to gluing paper on paper, glue sticks are what I always use.
STEP 6: Take the second paper plate and cut it into quarters. Paint one quarter the same color as the vampire face; these will be the ears. Once the paint dries, cut the quarter into 2 pointy vampire ears. Use tape or a stapler to stick the ears on the back of the vampire head. If you’re making more than one, use the other three quarters to paint different colors.
STEP 7: Use the black marker to draw a nose and mouth.
STEP 8: Use scissors to cut two small pieces of triangles on the white paper. Use a glue stick to stick them on the mouth as fangs.
STEP 9: If you make this craft, don’t forget to leave a rating and comment!
Recommended items to make this craft
- Paint. This is our favorite craft paint!
- Kid-friendly scissors. These are great toddler- and kid-friendly scissors.
- Glue sticks. These are my go-to glue sticks!
More Halloween crafts and spooky recipes the kids will love!
Creepy DIY Halloween Spaghetti Sensory Bin
Popcorn Sensory Bin (Halloween)
Coffee Filter Tootsie Pop Ghosts
Halloween Bloody Finger Hot Dogs
Final Thoughts
Finally, if you make this Vampire Paper Plate Craft, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this craft a rating! I love to hear from everyone who makes this craft and always do my best to respond to all comments.
If you do make this craft, don’t forget to tag #elisemccollister on Instagram! It makes me so happy to see your craft photos!
Vampire Paper Plate Craft—Easy Toddler Halloween Craft
Materials
- 2 paper plates
- palette
- paint brushes
- paint
- black construction paper
- glue stick
- white paper
- scissors use kid-friendly scissors if kids are cutting
- black marker
- tape
Instructions
- Use a paint brush to paint 2 paper plates and let dry.
- Use a pencil to draw the hair on black paper, then cut the hair out. Use a glue stick to stick it to the paper plate.
- Draw one eyeball on the white paper. Trace it and cut it, along with the other eyeball so you will have two eyes of the same size. Let the kids cut them for a fun fine motor skills activity! Not only is it beneficial for toddlers to cut using scissors, but they LOVE helping!
- Use a black marker to color in the insides of the eyes. Alternatively, you can paint them.
- Use a glue stick to glue the eyes on the plate. When it comes to gluing paper on paper, glue sticks are what I always use as they're sufficient for paper on paper.
- Take the second paper plate and cut it into quarters. Paint one quarter the same color as the vampire face; these will be the ears. Once the paint dries, cut the quarter into 2 pointy vampire ears. Use tape or a stapler to stick the ears on the back of the vampire head. If you’re making more than one, use the other three quarters to paint different colors.
- Use the black marker to draw a nose and mouth.
- Use scissors to cut two small pieces of triangles on the white paper. Use a glue stick to stick them on the mouth as fangs.
- If you make this craft, don’t forget to leave a rating and comment!
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