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! Easy and fun handmade toys (1–10)
Jump Flower
Have you ever made a handmade toy using a paper cup? Here, I’d like to share an idea kids can play with together and love: the “Jumping Flower.” It’s very simple to make—just cut slits into a paper cup and fold them toward the center.
It’s easy to play with, too: press the cup down from the top, and it pops up with a fun springy bounce! Since it looks like a flower, making it in various colors also makes it nice for display.
Try making it together during parent-child time and let your children’s smiles blossom!
A hippopotamus opening its mouth
Let’s make a hippopotamus with a wide-open mouth using a paper cup! It’s a craft that even small children will enjoy.
First, cut the paper cup halfway down with a utility knife, leaving the rim intact, to create the hippo’s head.
Add ears, eyes, and nostrils to make it look like a hippo! Next, use a piece of cardstock cut into a rectangle to connect the head and body, and you’re done.
By moving the body left and right, the hippo opens and closes its mouth in a fun way! It’s a simple mechanism, but it should be more than enough for kids to enjoy.
airplane
Here’s an idea for a high-flying airplane made from paper cups.
This one uses two paper cups combined bottom-to-bottom, with a rubber band wrapped around them.
It doesn’t look like an airplane at all, but once you let go, the power of the rubber band launches it and it soars through the air.
If you catch the wind just right, it can fly even farther.
It sounds fun to have a contest with friends or family to see whose flies the farthest.
It could also be interesting to compare how far it flies versus a paper airplane.
puppet
Introducing a marionette made with paper cups! This craft is perfect for parents and kids to make together, and you can play with it after you’re done.
First, use paper cups to create the puppet’s head and body.
Next, make the arms and legs by attaching plastic bottle caps to the ends of long, thin strips of construction paper, then stick them onto the body.
To finish, prepare some string such as packing twine: fix one end to the puppet’s head and the other end to a pair of disposable chopsticks to complete the mechanism that moves the puppet! If you have time, try adding more puppets or control strings to create a more authentic puppet show.
Give it a try!
helicopter
If you want to spark children’s creativity, how about making a paper-cup helicopter? It’s an idea where you create a propeller using a bamboo skewer and rubber bands attached to a paper cup.
Since there are several somewhat complex steps, make sure a parent or guardian provides support when working with younger children.
By changing the cup’s color, adding drawings, or decorating with stickers, you can create a helicopter full of originality depending on your arrangements.
Through activities like this, try experiencing how familiar everyday materials can take on new shapes and functions!