Paper cup telephones

Paper cup telephones

This week the girls are on holiday from school so we decided to have some fun with this classic craft and DIY toy. I’m guessing that many people from my generation or older would remember making telephones from cups or tin cans as kids. I know I do and I remember how much fun my sister and I had playing with them. Our version is colourful and crafty and the kids loved decorating the cups to make them look special. This is a very simple and easy activity that doesn’t take too much time, skill or effort, and it’s a great way to teach kids how sound travels as well.

You will need

Note – affiliate links have been included for your convenience but many items you may already have or be able to get easily and inexpensively from a local store. The items linked to are very similar to what I’ve used but may not be the exact items.

• blank paper cups
• watercolour paints and paintbrushes
• sharpie markers
• string
• sharp knife or scissors
• 2 small beads

How To

To begin with we painted our cups with watercolour paints and allowed them to dry completely before decorating with sharpie markers.

Paper cup telephones - painting

Paper cup telephones - markers

Telephones-4

Once your cups are decorated, cut a small slit in the base of the cup in the centre and thread the end of a long piece of string in. Tie your small bead to the end to stop it sliding back out through the hole.

Now you’re ready to play.

Telephones-8

For best results keep the string tight. Have fun!

More fun ways to craft and play

– make a whirlygig with printable patterns
– have fun designing your own cereal box boardgame
– make simple toilet roll shakers
– make spinning tops from milk bottle lids in just a few minutes
– make boats from sponges and duct tape to take in the bath
– make rock cakes for pretend play
– dance and play with a simple gold ribbon dancer

You can also find tons more ideas on our craft and play board on Pinterest.

paper cup telephone

 

Similar Posts

  • Spring crafts for kids

    Looking for Spring crafts? We have you covered with over 50 fun and easy Spring crafts for kids from bloggers around the world. You might also like 20+ Easter Basket ideas Spring crafting is one of my favourite themes because I love the happy, positive vibe they bring to a room. Who can resist flowers,…

  • Easter Stick Puppets

    Here’s an EGGstraordinarily fun idea keep the kids busy—Easter stick puppets. The templates used here are free to download. Puppet crafts are always good value because they include a fun activity plus a DIY toy that can be incorporated into roleplay games when you’re done. Check out more of our puppet crafts here. These stick…

  • Pom pom goldfish

    Do you have a kid who likes goldfish? If so you’re in luck, because today we’re sharing a super-easy pom pom goldfish for kids to make. The printable template’s a freebie. You might also like our egg carton goldfish craft We can’t get enough of cute pom pom animal crafts. In the past, we’ve made…

  • Straw DIY boat craft

    Here’s an easy straw DIY boat craft for Summer! This is a fun STEM craft (building something that floats) that has plenty of room for kids to modify the design and make it their own. You could even turn it into a STEM challenge. When the boats are finished, they become DIY toys. Place them…

  • Solar system art

    It’s easy to create solar system art using sponge painting and our latest printable template. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to paint all the planets of our solar system, plus the sun and the moon, using a masking technique. *Please note this is no longer a free resource Get the template here Not long…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *