This cute rocking squirrel craft is such a fun fall activity for kids. Made from a simple paper plate, construction paper, and googly eyes, the finished squirrel actually rocks backwards and forwards when you give it a little tap.
It’s a great craft for autumn, woodland animal themes, forest units, or squirrel activities, and the simple shapes make it manageable for younger kids too. We have a printable template to make cutting out all the squirrel pieces nice and easy.
Rocking Squirrel Craft
The folded paper plate creates the rocking base, while the squirrel’s face, ears, nose, and big googly eyes turn it into an adorable little woodland friend.
Kids can enjoy painting, cutting, gluing, and assembling the different pieces, so there are plenty of opportunities to work on fine motor skills along the way.
Once it is finished, place the squirrel on a flat surface and gently push one side to watch it rock from side to side.
Materials
You only need a handful of basic craft supplies to make this rocking squirrel. Brown paint gives the paper plate its warm autumn color, while construction paper and googly eyes are used to create the squirrel’s features.
- Paper plate
- Construction paper
- Googly eyes
- Scissors
- Glue
- Brown paint
- Rocking squirrel printable template
How to Make a Rocking Squirrel
Before you start, print out the squirrel template and gather all of your supplies. Younger children may need a little help with cutting out the smaller shapes, but they can get involved with the painting, gluing, and assembling.
Rocking Squirrel
Make an adorable rocking squirrel from a paper plate! This easy fall craft for kids uses our printable squirrel template and actually rocks from side to side when it's finished.
Materials
- Paper plate
- Construction paper
- Googly eyes
- Scissors
- Glue
- Brown paint
- Rocking squirrel printable template
Tools
- Printer for template
Instructions
- Paint the Paper Plate
Paint half of the paper plate brown. Make sure the paint covers the plate well, then leave it to dry completely before moving on to the next step.
You could use one shade of brown or mix a couple of brown tones together for a slightly more textured woodland look.
- Fold the Paper Plate
Once the paint is dry, fold the paper plate in half.
Position it so that the painted section is on the outside and forms the main body of your squirrel.
The curved edge of the folded plate is what allows the finished craft to rock.
- Prepare the Squirrel Pieces
Print and cut out the squirrel template pieces.
Trace each shape onto the corresponding construction paper colors, then carefully cut them out.
You will need pieces for the squirrel’s face, ears, nose, and other facial details.
- Assemble the Template Pieces
Begin putting the squirrel pieces together one at a time.
Arrange everything before gluing if you want to make sure all the pieces are positioned correctly.
- Add the Squirrel's Face
Glue the large squirrel face piece onto the lower front section of the folded paper plate.
The face should sit over the curved edge of the plate, as shown in the finished craft.
Add the Ears
Attach the two squirrel ears to the top of the paper plate.
Position one ear toward each side so that they peek up above the plate. - Add the Googly Eyes
Glue two large googly eyes onto the squirrel’s face.
This is one of those crafts where oversized googly eyes make everything even cuter.
- Add the Nose and Mouth
Finish your rocking squirrel by attaching the brown nose in the center of the face.
Add the mouth underneath to complete the squirrel’s expression.
Leave the glue to dry, then your squirrel is ready to rock.
Make Your Squirrel Rock
Once everything is completely dry, stand the squirrel on its curved paper plate edge.
Give one side a gentle tap and watch it rock backwards and forwards.
Kids can even make several squirrels and see whose squirrel keeps rocking the longest.
You could also experiment with adding slightly different amounts of paper or decoration to each side and see how this affects the movement.
Learning Through This Craft
There is a little bit of simple science hidden inside this squirrel craft too.
The curved shape of the folded paper plate creates the rocking motion, making this an easy way to introduce ideas about balance, movement, and gravity through play.
Kids can predict what will happen when they push the squirrel harder or more gently, or experiment with where they place different decorations.
It also gives children practice with cutting, tracing, painting, gluing, and positioning shapes.
Rocking Squirrel Craft Variations
Once you’ve made the basic squirrel, kids can add their own details. Try drawing little paws, adding an acorn for the squirrel to hold, or gluing on a fluffy paper or pom-pom tail.
You could also make squirrels in different shades of brown, orange, red, or gray and create a whole little woodland squirrel family.
Download the Rocking Squirrel Template
We have a printable squirrel template to help you create the face, ears, nose, and other pieces for this craft.
Download and print the template, cut out each piece, then use them as tracing shapes on your construction paper.
Printing the template onto cardstock can make the pieces sturdier if you plan to use them several times.
Watch the Rocking Squirrel Craft on TikTok
Want to see how the rocking squirrel comes together?
Watch the step-by-step craft video over on our TikTok, and don’t forget to follow In The Playroom for more easy kids’ crafts, printable activities, and seasonal ideas.
@intheplayroom This little squirrel actually ROCKS 🐿️🍂 Made with a paper plate, paint and our printable template, it’s such a cute autumn craft for kids and so satisfying to watch wobble from side to side! Template at In The Playroom #squirrelcraft #fallcraftsforkids #papercraftsforkids #paperplatecraft #kidsactivities
♬ Cowgirl Karma – Laurel Nash
More Squirrel Crafts and Activities
If your kids are learning about squirrels, woodland animals, or autumn nature, this rocking squirrel fits perfectly into the theme.
Pair it with squirrel coloring pages, acorn activities, forest animal crafts, or a simple lesson about how squirrels collect and store food ready for colder weather.
- Moving Paper Plate Squirrel Craft
- Cute And Easy Floral Animals Coloring Pages
- Easy Handprint Acorn Craft with Printable Template
- Free Printable Acorn Coloring Pages For Kids
More Fall Crafts for Kids
Autumn is one of our favorite times for crafting because there are so many easy themes to explore, from colorful leaves and pumpkins to mushrooms, woodland animals, and acorns.
Have a look through our other fall crafts for more simple ideas you can make at home, in the classroom, or as part of your homeschool activities.
- Free Printable Autumn Collaborative Coloring Poster
- Upcycled Glitter Autumn Leaf Craft (Fall Decor)
- Fall Leaf Suncatcher Craft with Free Printable Template
- Autumn Count and Build Printables
- Torn Paper Mushroom Craft for Kids
This little rocking squirrel is simple enough for an afternoon craft but has the extra fun of becoming something kids can actually play with afterwards. Once you’ve made yours, give it a gentle push and see how long your squirrel can keep rocking.
If you enjoyed this craft, please share it with another parent, teacher, or crafty friend who might like to make one too!