Toilet paper rolls are common household items. Instead of throwing them away, use them as craft materials for your toddler! Read on as we put together some simple craft ideas for you to try out with your toddler, and give these toilet rolls a new lease of life.

 

Toilet paper rolls can be repurposed and given a new life.

 

  • Maracas

Maracas are percussion instruments created by placing beans, pebbles or similar objects into hollow containers. As both you and your toddler embark on creating your very own maracas, explain that percussion instruments are used to create a rhythm or maintain a beat. Show them some videos of maracas performances to enable them to visualise how maracas look like.

To make your own maracas, first, seal one end of a toilet paper roll with paper and some glue around the sides before placing a handful of green or red beans into the container. Afterwards, seal the other end with paper and glue again, and there you have it! Your very own maracas!

Your toddler can personalise his or her maracas with crayons, embellishments or some paint. When it is all completed, put on some music and shake the maracas along to the beat!

This activity encourages your toddler to express his or her creativity through art and music.

 

  • Binoculars

Line two toilet paper rolls side by side and secures them together using double-sided tape or glue. You can prepare some stickers for your child to decorate their binoculars with before embarking on a scavenger hunt in the neighbourhood.

Though these paper binoculars don’t have lenses, they aren’t purely just for show. As your toddler stares through the binoculars, it narrows their field of vision and helps them focus on faraway objects.

Consider indulging them in play-pretend by becoming adventurers for an afternoon. Take them outdoors with their handmade binoculars. You can reinforce learning by researching the species of birds and critters spotted along the trip.

Create these cute cardboard monsters with some craft paper and toilet rolls!

 

  • Cardboard Characters

The materials required for this project are glue (stick glue is great for little hands with a minimal mess), some coloured paper and toilet rolls. Choose a base colour and wrap it around the roll, add some circles for eyes and paper at the top for hair. Your toddler can practise his or her cutting skills whilst grooming the character’s “hair”.

In order to enhance the activity and make it more memorable, model the characters after a storybook that your toddler is familiar. Encourage your toddler to name the characters that he or she has created too!

You won’t be able to tell the time with these watches!

 

  • Watches

Guide your toddler to snip a toilet paper roll into four pieces width-wise with child-safe scissors before pasting a drawn-on clock face of paper on each of the four loops. Toddlers have small wrists which fit perfectly into toilet paper rolls. Play-pretend watches are excellent for teaching them how to read analogue watches and clocks. Use this opportunity to teach them how to differentiate between the minute and hour hands.

Exclusively reusing recyclable material for craftwork as opposed to buying new materials from the stores not only saves the environment but pushes you and your child to think of alternative uses for everyday objects.

 

Leave us a comment to show us your toilet paper roll craft!