Let's play with paper cups! Crafts and indoor play

spool tank

[Simple Craft 013] Paper Cup Spool Tank — Goes Fairly Straight: Pincushion Tanks

Do you know the spool tank? It’s a classic craft that has long been popular, and it looks like a spool with chopsticks attached.

The chopsticks are connected to the spool with a rubber band; when you twist it, it stores energy, and when you let go, it moves forward on its own.

How about making the spool part out of a paper cup? It’s larger than a spool, so it’s more impressive, and you can have fun decorating it.

It also runs quite fast, so racing them can be really exciting.

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yamamoto

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Paper Cup Merry-Go-Round

A carousel made with paper cups! A spinning craft activity for 5-year-olds

This is a project to make a merry-go-round that spins when you twist a bar sticking out from the side! Make holes in the side and bottom of a paper cup large enough for a straw to pass through, then insert a bendable straw from the side and out through the bottom.

Cut the protruding end into four equal sections, spread them open, and attach a circular piece of paper—now you’ve created the spinning mechanism.

Make the roof and pillar parts from construction paper, hang drawings of characters the children made from the roof, and assemble.

Twist the straw to spin your handmade merry-go-round!

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yuri

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Paper Cup Windmill

[Wakuwaku-san] Let's make a pinwheel with paper cups!

Here’s a paper cup windmill you can make using a common paper cup.

Prepare a paper cup, a chopstick, a felt-tip pen, and a thumbtack, and let’s get started.

Use the felt-tip pen to mark the rim of the cup into eight equal sections.

From each mark, cut a slit downward to create eight cuts.

Fold each cut section outward at an angle to form the rotating blades.

Folding them diagonally improves airflow and makes it easier to spin—this is the key point.

Poke a hole in the center of the cup, then use the thumbtack to fix it to the chopstick, and you’re done! Wrapping the blade sections with vinyl tape as decoration will make it look more vibrant.

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mayumi

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Playable Archery Craft

[Playable Craft] So easy! A well-flying bow and arrow/archery—how to make it (plastic fork, straw, rubber bands) [Easy craft, recycled play, at-home play, indoor play]

Let’s make a bow and arrow that flies well! Here are some ideas for a playable archery activity.

Archery is a sport where you use a bow and arrow to hit a target.

This time, how about getting involved from the making process and having fun by using plastic forks, straws, and rubber bands? You can stack paper cups to make a target, or draw a picture on paper to create one.

Try playing together with a parent or guardian, experimenting with timing and how you launch the arrows.

It’s sure to become a valuable time for communication.

Ogre Tower Made with Paper Cups

Make and play together with your kids! Here are ideas for an ogre (oni) tower made from paper cups.

Children have rich imaginations, and they often surprise us with “I never would’ve thought of that!” This time, let’s build an oni tower with your child.

You’ll need paper cups, construction paper in your favorite colors, scissors, glue or tape, and pens or colored pencils.

What kind of image do children have of an oni? It’ll be fun to see the expressions they draw and the colors they choose!