Back-to-School Preschool Paper Plate Craft

Back to School Preschool Craft

Celebrate back to school with Back-to-School Preschool Paper Plate Craft! It’s the perfect preschool and kindergarten craft to get the school year started. Share with the kids how different school is compared to 60 years ago! Ask them what they like best about school and how they think it could be better.

At The Crafting Chicks, we get excited as soon as the Month of August rolls around—it’s the time of the year when classrooms buzz with first-day jitters, new friendships, and happy chaos. We love kicking off the first day of school with an easy activity that celebrates every student. Our old school house paper plate craft is a school activity we return to year after year—it’s simple prep, fun, and makes an adorable addition to your classroom bulletin board.

Whether your little ones are stepping into pre – 1st grade or preschool, this paper plate craft welcomes them to a magical school year. Let’s dive into this adorable and easy prep paper plate craft that’s perfect for the first week of school!

Doesn’t it surprise you what you can create with a simple white paper plate? Check out what you need to make our easy paper plate old school house craft for back to school.

Supplies You’ll Gather

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White paper plates (one per student)
Scissors & glue
Construction paper (brown, red, yellow)
Markers or crayons
Green and red finger paint & paint brush
Pencils

That’s it! We keep supply lists short so teachers and kids can jump into the fun without overthinking it. This makes prep a breeze for any preschool teacher gearing up for a busy school year. Did we mention that this is a very low prep activity? Yet, you’ll be able to assess your student’s fine motor skills easily.

Step-by-Step Classroom Craft: Old School House

1. Draw & Cut the Schoolhouse

Lay a white paper plate flat and sketch a simple schoolhouse outline—rectangle with a triangle roof, leaving the bottom half as the grassy yard. Trace lightly in pencil to guide the cutting.

Each child can personalize their schoolhouse, practicing student’s fine motor skills with scissors as they cut.

2. Paint the School

Hand out red paint to fill the house and brown for the roof. We love how the bright red feels warm and nostalgic—a little old school charm! Once dry, students can touch up with markers if needed.

Using brown marker or sharpie, color in the roof. Use red paint to fill in the rest of the school house. Let the paint dry. Cut two yellow squares for windows and a yellow gum drop shape for the school bell. For the door, cut a brown rectangle. Glue the door, windows and bell onto the paper plate old school house.

3. Add Windows, Door & Bell

Cut yellow shapes for windows and a gumdrop-shaped bell. Add a brown rectangle door. Show kids how to glue them on—a fun way to reinforce shapes and patterns.

Encourage them to draw windowpanes and a doorknob. This step helps refine those fine motor skills and gives them a sense of ownership.

4. Grass & Personalization

Let each preschool teacher dip kids’ fingers in green paint to create grass at the bottom. Then comes the best part—they write their name across the top of the schoolhouse. This makes the project personal and perfect for a Month of August or September classroom bulletin board display.

5. Extend the Conversation

As kids work, chat about what they’re excited for this first day of school. You can even record answers next to each name of each student: favorite subject, lunch preference—it transforms the craft into a live snapshot of that special week.

Back to School Preschool Craft | Learn about going to school with our back to school paper plate old school house craft! Perfect for prechool and kindergarten aged kids. #kids #craft #school #backtoschool #preschool #paper #plate #activity

Why We Love This School Activity

Easy prep: Just cut, paint, and glue—ideal for a busy first week of school.
Fine motor practice: Scissors, painting, gluing… all practice in one cute craft.
Personal touch: Names, doodles, and chatting during the craft makes them feel seen.
Bulletin board ready: Hang them up with pride and introduce each student creatively.

Classroom Use & Teacher Resources

We love hearing from preschool teachers who adapt this craft to fit their classrooms. You can:

Add a first-day photograph to each schoolhouse
Display names of each students under their houses (Great for name recognition for each student.) It doubles as easy name activities.
Invite older siblings to talk about their own first day of school
Pair the craft with a school activity like “Find your name” scavenger hunt

Adapting for Pre–First Grade

Our paper plate craft works beautifully for PreK – 1st grade too. Mix it up by adding in one of these differentiation:

Adding math questions in the grass (e.g., “2+3=?”) for early learners
Letting older kids personalize with flavors—draw a welcome snack table or favorite classroom toy
Encouraging self-design: each student decorates a unique schoolhouse based on their dream classroom

This turns the craft into multi-age school activity that’s meaningful, not just messy.

Classroom Bulletin Board Display

We love turn this into a display that wows. These really do make adorable bulletin board decor:

Title it: “Welcome to Our Classroom!”
Mount each schoolhouse on colored cardstock
Arrange by table groups or alphabetically by name
Add a first day of school photo or selfie
If you don’t have a bulletin board available, add this to your hallway!

This creates an instant sense of community—and lets kids feel proud as they walk in each morning. And these can become a great parent gift after they are taken down.

Quick Prep Tips

Pre-cut simple templates for younger students
Set up a painting station with plates on newspaper
Provide paint smocks or aprons
Prepare a name stencil for tracing
Bring in counting cubes to drip in green paint grass for added fine motor skills practice

These steps keep centers organized and kids engaged—an easy activity that feels fun, not chaotic.

Family Connection: Share the Craft

Send schoolhouse cutouts home on the first day of school, and invite families to:

Decorate them further
Add a family message on the back for dad, mom, or grandpa
Share photos on social media with hashtag #CraftingChicksFirstWeek

It extends the joy beyond the classroom and keeps families in the loop.

Final Thoughts from The Crafting Chicks

When August rolls around, we feel that buzz—new pencils, fresh faces, open notebooks. This paper plate craft captures that excitement in a classic, hands-on way. It combines easy prep, student’s fine motor skills, individuality, and classroom unity—all while being utterly adorable.

As a preschool teacher, you can make this a memorable tradition. As a parent helper, you’ll love guiding little hands through paint strokes and name tracing. And as a kids’ craft fan, you’ll appreciate the bright smiles this simple schoolhouse sparks. Pair it with more coloring printables, pencils or crayon treats, and your classroom will be bursting with pride.

Let us know if you think we should add in a printable template for the old school house.