Let's make toys with paper cups! Simple and fun handmade toys
Let me introduce some handmade toys using paper cups!
If “store-bought toys get boring quickly” or you “want to do crafting play with your child,” try making toys with easy-to-find paper cups.
We’ve gathered ideas that children of preschool and kindergarten age are sure to love, so have fun!
Paper cups, which we usually use for drinking, can move or even become musical instruments! They’ll surely make kids’ eyes sparkle with interest.
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Let's Make Toys with Paper Cups! Simple and Fun Handmade Toys (61–70)
Tokotoko Ghost
You can make a cute little “toko-toko” ghost that walks in a slightly clumsy way using a pudding cup, a paper cup, an AA battery, a rubber band, and twine.
First, cut slits in the pudding cup.
Next, wrap the rubber band and twine around the battery and attach it to the pudding cup to create the moving mechanism.
Finally, cover it with the decorated paper cup—add a ghost or jack-o’-lantern design—and you’re done! Pull the twine and let go, and the rubber band’s power makes it start toddling along.
It’s a fun craft idea that you can play with over and over after making it.
Paper cup spinning top
A paper cup spinning top is also great for practicing twisting motions like turning faucets and doorknobs.
The idea is to cut and open a paper cup, then add decorations to turn it into a top.
The appeal lies not only in the making process but also in the many ways to experiment while playing—try figuring out how to spin it well or invent different ways to use it.
Depending on the situation, caregivers or teachers can offer prompts that spark creativity, such as, “What happens if you spin it the other way?”
Paper Cup Windmill
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.
fishing
Let’s make a fishing game where you can catch all kinds of sea creatures—big fish, small fish, crabs, and jellyfish! We’ll use recycled materials to create the fish, such as small empty containers like plastic bags, yogurt cups, lactic acid drink bottles, and toilet paper rolls.
Embed a magnet from the inside where the fish’s head or dorsal fin will be.
For the fishing rod, attach string (like kitchen twine) to a pair of chopsticks and put a magnet at the end.
You can wrap the chopsticks with masking tape to make them cute.
Have fun making your children’s favorite sea creatures and playing with them!
Animal Light
Let’s make a magical light that projects animal shapes! Cut eight evenly spaced slits into the bottom of a paper cup.
Attach plastic wrap over the mouth of the cup and secure it with a rubber band.
Draw your favorite animal on the plastic wrap—and you’re set! Finally, insert a flashlight into the slit side, switch it on, and your animal light will project the animal’s image.
planetarium
You can make a planetarium with a paper cup! Cover the entire outside of the paper cup with black electrical tape.
Then punch holes in the cup in any shapes you like, such as stars, and stick colored cellophane over the holes—done! After that, darken the room and shine a light from inside the paper cup, and a planetarium world will spread across your room!
Whac-A-Mole
Cut the bottom of a paper cup into eight equal sections, and make 1 cm-wide slits along the side.
Next, attach a Yakult bottle to a plastic spoon, and insert it into the slits at the bottom of the paper cup.
This becomes a mole, so make as many as you like.
Then prepare a piece of cardboard covered with construction paper, fix the moles onto it, and add grass and other decorations made from construction paper around them.
Finally, attach a chopstick to a Yakult bottle to make a hammer, and you’re done! Moving the spoon will make the moles pop up!