Collection of handmade spinning top ideas: how to make tops for use in childcare and play
Spinning tops are a classic item enjoyed as a New Year’s game.
They’ve traditionally been played with because you can enjoy watching the top whirl around by pulling a string or twirling a stick, and they’re popular with children, too.
In this article, we’ve put together a roundup of handmade spinning top ideas that let you enjoy both making and playing.
Many can be made with simple materials you have at home, like milk cartons and flyers, so they’re easy to try.
Give it a go and create your own original tops with any illustrations or patterns you like.
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Collection of handmade spinning top ideas: How to make tops for childcare and play (31–40)
Make with Kids! Mini Gem Spinning Tops
@n.annlee321 For details on materials, etc., see below ↓ 📕 Over 10,000 copies sold 🎉 🔎 “New Handmade Toys” (available on Amazon, Rakuten, and at bookstores) ☆*:.｡.┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈.｡.:*☆ I’m Ann, sharing fun activities to enjoy with kids ☺️🌸 DIY Mini Gem Spinning Tops 💎 Wooden coasters: Daiso Gem stickers: Seria Craft parts: Can★Do! You can make this with any flat coaster 😊 The indented part on the inside of a plastic bottle bottom worked well as the tip of the top♪ The rounded-bottom type shown in the video has good balance and spins easily—recommended! Kids can enjoy imagining what patterns will appear when it spins while sticking on the gem stickers ✨ Spinning tops are great for fine-motor development too ◎ Spin with both hands or one hand—play strengthens little fingers 🌸 The jewel top introduced at the beginning is a toy by Dusyma! You can find it at wooden toy shops 😊 ☆*:.｡.┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈.｡.:*☆ Thanks so much for watching 😆 I’m a mom of a 4-year-old and a 7-year-old who love making and playing (Toy Consultant & Picture Book Instructor). I share crafts, play ideas, handmade toys, early learning, and other fun things to enjoy with kids ♡ I’d be happy if we could be friends!#HandmadeToysChildcare#KindergartenLife with children
♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
Do you know your birthstone? It can vary depending on the tradition, but each month has an assigned birthstone—like garnet for January and amethyst for February.
The diamond for April feels kind of luxurious, doesn’t it? A spinning top decorated with those gemstones would be lovely.
For the body of the top, a simple coaster with the round bottom of a plastic bottle glued on is enough.
Then just decorate it with your favorite “gems,” and you’re good to go! I think little kids who love sparkly things will really get into it!
Cute with origami! Handmade spinning top
Let’s try making a cute-looking spinning top using origami that you can find in any household.
This top is made with three sheets of origami paper.
You can use the same color, but using different colors makes it more colorful and fun to watch as it spins.
First, make the base of the top.
The key is to make crisp creases; this will help the later steps go smoothly.
Once the base is done, make the part you’ll spin with your fingers and the part that connects it to the base.
Combine all the pieces, and you’re done.
It’s a project that’s fun both to make and to play with once it’s spinning.
Easy and fun! Two spinning tops using marbles
In the Reiwa era, digital music and subscriptions are the norm.
For the moms and dads who spent their youth with MDs and CDs, and the uncles who made mixtapes on cassettes, there are lots of memories tied to music devices.
Sometimes an old cassette tape suddenly turns up and you realize, “I don’t have anything to play this on!” And of course, some people say, “I don’t really listen to CDs anymore either.” For people like that, here’s a fun recommendation: a spinning top made from a CD and a marble.
Just glue or double-tape a marble to the center hole of a CD and you’re done.
When it spins, the CD’s shimmering surface looks surprisingly cool.
Even if you’re not good at crafts, give it a try!
It spins so well! A buzz-top made from a milk carton
When it comes to New Year’s games, nothing says it like the top! Spinning tops have long been a favorite pastime for children.
Because they spin steadily with a straight axis, they came to be regarded as good-luck charms symbolizing that things will go smoothly.
Let’s make and play with a buzzing button spinner using a milk carton and string.
Open up the milk carton and cut out a shape with two connected ovals.
Draw a Daruma face, stick the pieces together, then make a hole in the center and thread the string through.
It’s simple to make, which is nice and easy.
When you pull both ends of the string, it spins vigorously—you can just picture how delighted the children will be.
Cardboard hand-cranked spinning top
Back in the days when there were no video games or smartphones, kids played by hitting baseballs or kicking balls around.
Then you wonder—what did they do before baseballs and balls existed? They hopped on one foot, played tag, and in the end, they knew how to have fun within whatever environment they were given.
Feeling a bit nostalgic, why not make and play with a spinning top out of cardboard? It’s simple: just cut a circle from cardboard and insert a Frankfurt sausage stick or a pair of chopsticks.
Have fun painting it however you like! In an age when we have everything, a simple cardboard top might even feel refreshingly new.
Summary of handmade spinning top ideas. How to make spinning tops usable for childcare and play (41–50)
How to make an easy spinning top from a milk carton
Here’s an idea for making a spinning top using a milk carton, a plastic bottle cap, and a straw.
First, open up the corners and flatten the milk carton, then round-cut all four sides at a point 10 cm up from the bottom.
Decorate it by drawing pictures or adding stickers, and then attach the plastic bottle cap to the center of the milk carton.
On the back side, stick a short piece of straw at the same position, and it’s done.
The sides of the milk carton act like fins, making it easy to spin, so it’s great for small children.
A playable spinning top made from a paper cup
How about making your own traditional New Year’s spinning top this year and playing with it? You can easily make one with a paper cup, a straw, and a plastic bottle cap, so give it a try.
Leave about 5 millimeters of the bottom of the paper cup and cut around it with scissors.
If a child is making it, please have a guardian watch to prevent any cuts.
Once you’ve made slits all the way around, spread them out and draw your favorite patterns.
Make a hole in the bottom of the paper cup, insert a straw cut to about 6 centimeters, and secure it to the cap—that’s it! Spend a fun New Year with a one-of-a-kind spinning top!