Pull out your art supplies and grab a paper plate to make this fun turtle craft for kids! Kids can use our free printable and basic art supplies to create their own sea turtle.

“That is NOT a turtle!”  This is what my 5 year-old shouted upon seeing a desert tortoise at the zoo when we last visited.  He was shocked to see that a “turtle” could get so big!  I explained to him that there is a difference between a tortoise and a turtle.  I shared with him that a tortoise lives on land and a turtle spends most of its time in water.

He seemed satisfied with the new knowledge that his mama had just given him and very quickly, in true 5-year old fashion…was ready to move on to explore the next zoo animal.

This experience at the zoo was the topic of a recent conversation that we had while watching sea turtles on the t.v. show, Animal Planet.  We reminisced how our 5 year-old brother was shocked at the size of the “turtles” he saw at the zoo and we watched in amazement at the carefree life of the sea turtle as it was gliding through the ocean on Animal Planet.

Dot Art Turtle Craft

This family t.v. viewing moment of course inspired my children to do a craft!  This is often how book reading and t.v. viewing ends in our house.  My children went straight to our craft closet and decided to each make a Dot Art Paper Plate Turtle Craft.

The best part is we had all supplies on hand!  We hope that you enjoy this simple, turtle craft which is perfect for this time of year.  I decided to make a FREE Printable to accompany this craft project just for you!

While you’re here, be sure to check out these other fun paper plate crafts.

Turtle Art Supplies

• Paper Plate
• Crayons
• Glue Stick
• Scissors
• Bingo Daubers
• Dot Art Paper Plate Turtle FREE Printable

How to Make a Turtle with a Paper Plate

Use the Dot Art Bingo Daubers to turn the paper plate into a colorful turtle shell!

While the turtle shell is drying, color and cut-out your turtle pieces.  Don’t forget to draw a face on your turtle!  Tip: You can also print the FREE printable on green copy paper to save time.

Put a thick line of glue on the tip of each piece and then glue to the under side of the turtle shell.  Tip: If you find that the glue isn’t holding well enough, you might try using a stapler instead.

Just like that you have created an adorable turtle in minutes!  We decided to hang our turtle craft in the window to let the light shine through for a beautiful summer backdrop.

Written by About a Mom contributor, Mandy Mae. Mandy is a wife, mother, teacher, and frugal-DIY-enthusiast. Hoping to inspire mothers to take action in making a positive influence in the lives of their children with simple DIY, crafting, thrifting, and teaching projects. You can see more from Mandy Mae on her blog MissMaesDays.com.

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