Easy DIY Fishing Game! Craft Ideas Useful for Childcare
Fishing games you often see at daycare and kindergarten summer festivals or pretend fairs.
There’s an addictive kind of fun in staring intently at the fish you’re aiming for, moving the rod with focus, and feeling that rush of accomplishment when the fish catches!
How about making a handmade version of that beloved fishing game for kids?
This time, we’re introducing ideas for fishing games you can make using a variety of materials.
From fish that float in water like the real thing to ones that hop and bounce—there are tons of fun ideas that spark kids’ curiosity!
They’re all easy to make with familiar recycled materials like cardboard, paper cups, and plastic bottles, or items from the dollar store, so gather everyone and make them together—then enjoy your fishing game to the fullest!
- Handmade goldfish scooping ideas: How to make goldfish and scoops (poi)
- [For 3-year-olds] A fun collection of easy origami fish to make!
- Easy to make! DIY ideas for Whack-a-Gator
- [Craft] Make and Display! A Special Feature on Ideas for Making Koinobori (Carp Streamers)
- [By Age Group] Goldfish Craft Ideas! Enjoy Fun Time with Kids
- [Nursery/Daycare] Recommended for Summer Festivals! A Collection of DIY Game Ideas
- [Childcare] Easy! Make a DIY target game. Playful craft and fun game
- [Childcare] A roundup of summer craft ideas to enjoy with 2-year-olds
- Let's make toys with paper cups! Simple and fun handmade toys
- [For toddlers] Simple but amazing craft ideas — including toys they can play with
- Fun crafts using straws
- Indoor games that different ages can enjoy! Ideas for fun everyone can get excited about together
- Fun Fish Craft Ideas to Make at Daycare and Kindergarten
Easy DIY Fishing Game! Craft Ideas Useful for Childcare (11–20)
Felt fishing toy
This is a fishing toy made with soft, fluffy felt fabric.
Gather colorful materials and try making various kinds of fish.
It’s a great idea to have children share ideas and even make the fish themselves together with teachers or parents.
Attach magnets to the backs of the finished fish and catch them with a fishing rod.
If you’re doing this in a nursery or kindergarten, you could compete to see who catches the most fish or hold a timed race.
Give this fishing game a try—it’s a fun way to get kids’ minds working.
Fishing game made with shrink plastic
When it comes to play that brings out children’s free ideas, a fishing game made with shrink plastic sheets is perfect.
Draw your favorite fish on a plastic sheet and cut them out.
Use oil-based markers so the drawings won’t dissolve in water.
Place them on aluminum foil and bake them in a toaster oven, and they’re done! When you float the fish drawn on the clear plastic in water, they can even look like they’re really swimming.
Scooping them up with a scooper or taking photogenic pictures also sounds fun.
Try this fishing game to experience the joy of both crafting and gameplay.
A fishing toy made from paper cups
A fishing game that also helps with fine motor skills and brain training.
Prepare paper cups with fish illustrations.
Provide colorful pens and stickers, and let the children draw the illustrations.
Attach a ring made from newspaper to the paper cup to complete each fish.
You can adjust the difficulty by changing the length of the ring.
Decorate a pair of chopsticks with masking tape, connect them to newspaper, and attach a hook to create the fishing rod.
The newspaper sways when they try to catch a fish, helping kids focus on the activity.
It’s also fun to add a point system or set a time limit.
Fishing with a paper-cup reel
This is a craft project to make a realistic reel that you can wind when you catch a fish.
First, let’s make the fish you’ll catch with the reel.
Draw a fish on a piece of cut origami paper and punch a hole where the mouth is.
Add a crease down the center to give it a three-dimensional shape.
The windable reel is made using a straw, a paper cup, string, and a 5-yen coin.
Cut the tip of a straw and attach it to the rim of the paper cup.
Tie the cut straw tip to a piece of string and thread the 5-yen coin onto it.
Thread another cut straw tip onto the string, then glue it to the straw attached to the cup’s rim.
Connect a component assembled by cutting and gluing two paper cups to the end of the string and attach it to the cup to finish.
It’s a fishing game where you can enjoy not only catching fish but also the fun of winding the reel.
Fishing game made with a milk carton
This is a fishing game you can make using a milk carton and pipe cleaners.
It’s a simple craft with easy steps, perfect for activities with children.
Cut off the spout and bottom of the milk carton, then cut the carton in half.
Slice it into 2 cm-wide strips, and make 1 cm slits 2 cm in from both ends.
Fold each strip in half and hook the slits together—your fish is done! Bend a pipe cleaner into a hook shape, then attach it to a string and a disposable chopstick to easily make a fishing rod.
Float the fish in a plastic kiddie pool you have at home or in a daycare, and you’ll create a fun fishing atmosphere.