Let's play with paper cups! Crafts and indoor play
Did you know that paper cups, which are handy as simple drinking cups, are also great for crafts and indoor play?
When it comes to paper cup crafts, string telephones are the classic example, but they’re also used for a variety of make-and-play projects like kendama and bamboo-copters.
This time, we’ll introduce some activities that use paper cups you likely have at home.
There are plenty of games that use paper cups as-is, so it’s perfect for anyone who wants to start playing right now.
If you’re looking for safe toys or games for children or the elderly, be sure to take a look for ideas.
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Let's play with paper cups! Crafts and indoor play (1–10)
[Play] Treasure Guessing Game
![[Play] Treasure Guessing Game](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kX9Htft-Yds/sddefault.jpg)
This is a game you can enjoy with a child in the early preschool years.
You’ll need a few paper cups and a toy small enough to fit inside one.
Choose something that excites your child, like a favorite character.
The rules are simple: place the toy under one of the upside-down cups and play a guessing game with your child to find where it is.
When they find it, celebrate together and praise them enthusiastically.
You can also write numbers on the cups and have them guess by number—that sounds fun too.
[Play] Let’s build a paper cup tower
![[Play] Let's build a paper cup tower](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pnuzfZP14mk/sddefault.jpg)
White paper cups are the most common, but there are many varieties, including colored ones and cups with illustrations.
You can easily buy them at 100-yen shops.
Let’s build a giant tower with these cute paper cups! Turn the paper cups upside down and line them up on a stable surface like a table or the floor.
Once the first layer is done, stack more cups on top to make the second and third layers, building higher and higher.
It’s simple to make, but if you’re not careful, it will topple over.
As a variation, it could be fun to design your tower using paper cups on which you’ve drawn your own letters or illustrations.
[Play] Territory-capturing game
![[Play] Territory-capturing game](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wfGIpqfXWt4/sddefault.jpg)
Draw a center line on the table with duct tape or similar, line up paper cups on it, and at the start signal, fan them with an uchiwa (hand fan) to make them flutter forward.
Move the paper cups across the tape into your opponent’s territory from your point of view.
Before the end signal sounds, try to send as many paper cups as possible into the opponent’s territory.
The player who gets more cups into the opponent’s territory wins.
If a cup falls over during play, stand it back up where it fell and continue.
If there are many participants, turning it into a knockout tournament or a team match can make it even more exciting.
Let's Play with Paper Cups! Crafts and Indoor Activities (11–20)
[Craft Play] Fishing Game
![[Craft Play] Fishing Game](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6qy7YfhTIas/sddefault.jpg)
It’s a fishing game that uses paper cups.
In many fishing games, you hook fish-shaped paper cutouts and compete to see how many you can catch, but this one has “win” and “lose” results, so kids are sure to love it.
The fishing rod is also made from a paper cup with a magnet inside.
The items you catch are paper cups as well, and each one contains a winning or losing token that you can’t see until you reel it in.
Decorate the tokens with seasonal themes and enjoy playing.
[Craft Play] Kendama
![[Craft Play] Kendama](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xMhKWTh6zKc/sddefault.jpg)
When you think of kendama, you picture one made of wood with lots of tricks, and it seems like a difficult toy for little kids, right? But this kendama is a very simple one made from paper cups.
The materials and steps are very easy: just stick the bottoms of two paper cups together, thread a string through, and attach a ball made by crumpling newspaper to the end of the string.
The way to play is to get the ball into both cups.
It’s very simple, making it perfect for small children.
It doesn’t hurt even if it hits you, so it’s safe and highly recommended!
[Craft Play] Ton-Ton Sumo (Paper Sumo)
![[Craft Play] Ton-Ton Sumo (Paper Sumo)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uoshgFw2Ohk/sddefault.jpg)
Let’s try making a Ton-Ton Sumo game using paper cups! Cut two slits on each side of a paper cup and push them slightly outward—these will be the wrestler’s hands.
Draw a mawashi and the wrestler’s face on the cup to create your own powerful-looking rikishi! For the base, use an empty snack box or similar, draw a circle, and make a dohyo (sumo ring).
It’ll be even more exciting if you make things like a ranking list (like the official banzuke) or a tournament bracket.
Giving your wrestlers ring names (shikona) is a great idea too!
[Craft Play] Basketball Board Game
![[Craft Play] Basketball Board Game](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Bo-Kua5swa0/sddefault.jpg)
How about making a basketball board game using cardboard, ping-pong balls, and paper cups? It uses a lot of cardboard and includes some small gimmicks, so there are quite a few steps involved, but you can create a surprisingly authentic board game out of cardboard.
The orange ping-pong balls look just like basketballs and are really cute.
It would also be exciting to assign points to the paper cup goals lined up in the front and back and compete for the highest total score.