This paper plate pumpkin craft is not only fun to make, but helps your kids learn about feelings. Kids of all ages will not only love, but benefit, from this feelings paper plate pumpkin craft. This budget-friendly craft makes this paper plate pumpkin craft perfect whether you’re at home or in the classroom.

Paper Plate Pumpkin 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.

Related: Check out our other Halloween activities!

Paper Plate Feelings Pumpkins Craft

Paper plate pumpkin craft supplies- Tacky glue bottle sits on top of an orange paper plate. To the side are scissors, green pipe cleaners, a hole punch, and brown craft foam. — Such simple tools! I know you have most of these at home.

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.

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Related: Looking for some calming activities for kids?

Supplies Needed To Make This Feelings Paper Plate Pumpkin Craft

To make this adorable pumpkin craft you will need:

How To Make This Fun And Festive Feelings Paper Plate Pumpkin Craft

Step 1

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.

Step 2

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.

Paper plate pumpkin craft- Nearly done, the orange plate looks like a pumpkin with a brown stem. All that is left is to add the curled green pipe cleaners. — Already almost done! I made a bunch of these in advance and then just distributed them to my children. Then, they got to draw on their own faces! That made it so easy!

Step 3

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.

How To Use Your Feelings Pumpkin Paper Plate Craft To Help Your Child Learn About Feelings

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.

Related: Check out these emoji coloring pages!

Finished Paper Plate Pumpkin Craft

Paper plate pumpkin craft- Young boy holds up his homemade paper plate pumpkin with the word worried underneath it. — “How do you feel about your test, on Monday?”

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.

Related: Make your own worry dolls!

Paper Plate Feelings Pumpkin Craft collage shows all of the other images in the post, with three being consecutive steps. — This paper plate pumpkin craft is Easy as 1. 2. 3!

Easy Paper Plate Pumpkin Craft To Teach About Feelings

This easy paper plate pumpkin is not only fun, but a great way to learn about feelings. This budget-friendly craft also doubles as a fall craft or a Halloween craft as well!

Materials

Orange paper plates
Brown construction paper or craft foam
Green pipe cleaners
Black permanent marker
Single hold punch
Writing paper or strips
Glue

Instructions

After gathering all of the supplies, it’s time to get crafting!
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.
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.

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