Lovely handmade crafts

Let's Make and Play! A Collection of Homemade Kendama Ideas

Let's Make and Play! A Collection of Homemade Kendama Ideas

Last updated:2025/9/18

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.

Traditional kendama play is still loved by many people today.

Why not try making your own kendama using everyday items?

We’ve gathered materials like paper cups, plastic bottles, and newspaper—perfect for kids to enjoy making while they craft!

Making a kendama involves cutting, gluing, and rolling—fun sensory activities in themselves.

And of course, once you’ve made it, have fun playing with it!

The difficulty of a kendama changes with the length of the string, so try adjusting and customizing it to suit the children’s ages.

Let's make and play! A collection of handmade kendama ideas (1–10)

Paper Cup Kendama: Fun for Parents and Kids!

[Handmade Toy] Easy Kendama with Paper Cups! [Let’s Play Parent and Child!]

Paper Cup Kendama: Fun for Parents and Kids!

Fun for parents and kids! Here’s an idea for a paper-cup kendama.

You’ll need two paper cups, aluminum foil, kite string, decorations like stickers and pens, and tape.

First, decorate the paper cups by putting on stickers or drawing with crayons or pens.

Next, stick the kite string to the center of a sheet of aluminum foil, then crumple the foil into a ball.

Finally, tape the other end of the string to the bottom of one paper cup, and tape the bottoms of the two cups together.

You’re done!

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Roulette Kendama Made with Paper Cups

[Kids] [Crafts] [Make] [Play] Let’s play with the Sparkling Family! “Let’s make and play with a Roulette Kendama!!”

Roulette Kendama Made with Paper Cups

Here’s an idea for making a roulette-style kendama using a paper cup.

You’ll need: 1 paper cup, a disposable chopstick, a cardboard tube (like from plastic wrap), string, duct tape, masking tape, a ruler, a utility knife, an awl, a pen, and stickers.

The idea is to cut window-like openings in the paper cup with the utility knife, then insert the cardboard tube onto the chopstick and play.

As you play, illustrations become visible through the window-like openings, which is the fun part.

It seems like it would be exciting to play while guessing which illustration will appear next!

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You can use caps too! A PET-bottle kendama

How to make a plastic-bottle kendama! Catch the ball easily with a big hole♪

You can use caps too! A PET-bottle kendama

You can use the caps too! Here’s an idea for a PET bottle kendama.

You’ll need two plastic bottles, two bottle caps, masking tape, scissors, a utility knife, and kite string.

First, attach the bottle cap to the kite string and wrap it with vinyl tape.

Next, cut off the top part of one of the bottles with a utility knife.

Cover the cut edge with masking tape.

Finally, tape the two bottle mouths together along with the kite string using vinyl tape, and you’re done!

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Make it with a plastic bottle! Goldfish-scooping kendama

[Handmade Toy] 'The Goldfish Ran Away!'

Make it with a plastic bottle! Goldfish-scooping kendama

Let’s make one with a plastic bottle! Here’s an idea for a goldfish-scooping kendama.

You’ll need one 2L plastic bottle, two bottle caps, vinyl tape in four colors, string, round stickers in white and blue, red construction paper, a utility knife, a black pen, and tape.

The charm of this idea is its cute look, reminiscent of the picture book “The Goldfish Got Away”! Try playing with the kids, coordinating your timing to catch the handmade goldfish that has escaped.

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Super cute candy kendama

@n.annlee321
Candy kendama ☺️💓#tiktok classroom Life with children Summer Vacation Craft #AtHomePlay
♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey

Here’s a super cute candy kendama idea.

You’ll need a toilet paper roll, pinking shears, double-sided tape, candy beads, twine, tape, stickers, and pens.

First, flatten the toilet paper roll and seal the bottom with double-sided tape.

Next, cut both ends of the roll with a zigzag pattern.

Finally, decorate the roll with stickers or drawings, attach the candy bead to the twine, and connect it to the roll—and you’re done!

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