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[Childcare] Fun recreation ideas using paper cups
Group recreation activities.
Recreation play is especially important in preschool classes to enrich the bonds between children.
It’s great when everyone can cooperate and have a fun time together.
This time, we’ll introduce a recreation activity using paper cups that doesn’t require much preparation.
When preparation is simple, it’s easier to incorporate into childcare, and because it can be played repeatedly, satisfaction is high.
It’s also useful on rainy or hot days when you’re unsure what activities to do.
By all means, try incorporating recreation into your childcare program.
[Childcare] Fun and engaging recreation ideas using paper cups (1–10)
Ball Catch
Here’s an idea for a game where you catch balls using a tool made from a paper cup! It’s a game kids can enjoy from around age four.
First, cut a paper cup in half horizontally.
Make four slits around the rim.
Hook rubber bands onto the slits, then roll a clear file into a tube and attach it to the paper cup.
Once your tool is ready, try covering a ball with the paper cup.
Thanks to the rubber bands, the captured ball won’t fall out.
Use this tool to compete with friends to see how many balls you can catch within a time limit!
UFO catcher game
The UFO catcher game is one of kids’ favorite activities! Here’s an idea for making a UFO catcher using paper cups.
Prepare two paper cups and make a hole in the bottom of each.
In one of the cups, cut seven slits from the rim down to the base and fold the cut sections outward.
Then fold those flaps back inward from the middle toward the inside, and stack the other paper cup over it from the top.
Finally, thread a straw through the holes and secure it—that’s it! It can pick up lightweight items, so make some balls by crumpling newspaper and have fun playing.
Treasure Hunt Game
Let me introduce a game where you try to find a red cap hidden under paper cups.
It’s easy to prepare since all you need are paper cups and caps.
Make the cups cute by using colored ones or decorating them with animals made from construction paper.
Prepare one cap for each cup, paint just one of them red, and hide it under an upside-down paper cup.
Split into two teams, then open one cup at a time simultaneously.
The team that finds the red cap first wins.
You can also make the cap gold to give it a treasure-like feel.
combined paper cup
Would you like to try a game where you use a tool made of a rubber band with strings attached to stack paper cups? The rubber band has four strings, and each person holds one, so four people work together to lift and stack the cups.
You pull the rubber band outward to widen the loop and fit it over a paper cup, then tighten the loop to lift it—but it can be quite tricky if you’re not in sync.
Be careful when stacking, too; if you apply too much force, the cups can topple over.
It’s hard to control the pressure, but try calling out to each other and give it a go with your friends! This game can be enjoyed from around age four.
Paper Cup Tower Game
Let’s have fun building and playing with a paper cup tower.
How to play: simply stack paper cups in tiers, piling them up higher and higher! If you manage to stack all of them, you succeed.
Younger children will enjoy this on its own, and for preschool classes you can make it a head-to-head race to see who can stack them faster.
If you paint the cups green and put a star on the final one, it becomes a tree when completed—perfect for a Christmas activity.
It’s a recommended game that helps develop concentration while using fine motor skills.
Craft musical instrument performance
Let’s have fun making music with instruments made from paper cups! We’ll make a drum and maracas.
For the drum, cut the mouth off a balloon and stretch it over a paper cup, then secure it with tape so it won’t come off.
For the maracas, put beads into a paper cup, place another paper cup on top, and tape them together.
You can make them cute by using patterned washi tape, or by decorating the cups with stickers and drawings.
Enjoy playing along to seasonal songs or children’s favorite nursery rhymes!
Whac-A-Mole
Whack-a-mole is a fun game where you smack moles that pop up unexpectedly, and it’s also popular as a summer festival attraction.
This time, we’re introducing an idea you can make with a paper cup.
First, cut eight slits into the bottom of the paper cup.
Next, make an opening on the side measuring 5 cm vertically and 1 cm horizontally, then attach a lactic acid drink bottle to a plastic spoon.
This bottle will be the mole, so decorate it with construction paper.
Finally, glue the paper cup to a base, place the mole inside the cup, and you’re done.
Let’s whack the moles as they pop up while building visual tracking and concentration skills!