Fun with Paper

Let your child hold the page between his/her hands. Show your child how to clap his/her hands without letting the paper drop.

Each player receives two papers. Indicate where the starting point and finish line is. Players line up behind the starting line with the two papers placed in front of them on the floor. The idea is to move from the starting point to the finish line without touching the floor. To achieve this they have to step on the first paper, stand on the second paper while moving the first paper in front of them, etc.

1. Let each child hold a paper between his/her knees. Players have to try to move as quickly as possible to the finish line without dropping the paper.
2. Let your child cut a fish out of paper. Use a rolled up newspaper to move the fish to the finish line.

Let your child tear a piece of paper in strips and then crumple the strip into a tiny ball. Show your child how to make an OK sign with his/her fingers. Use the paper balls to shoot targets (soldiers/animals) by extending the middle finger quickly.

1. Cut different sized openings out of the side of an old shoebox. Number the openings from big to small (1-5, one being the largest hole). Let your child shoot the paper balls in the openings. S/he has to shoot a paper ball in opening one before s/he is allowed to move on to opening number two.
2. Give your child a straw. Let him/her put a piece of paper in the straw and shoot at a target by blowing quick and hard.

Block game:

Draw ten dots next to each other (spaced approximately 1cm). Draw ten dots under each of the dots in the first row. Each player receives a pencil and takes turns connecting two dots by drawing a line between them. When the lines are connected to form a square the player that managed to close the square write his/her initial in the block. The player with the most blocks wins.

1. Naughts and crosses: Show your child how to draw two vertical and two horizontal lines to form a square in the middle. One player is naughts (o) and the other is crosses (x). Each player gets a turn to make his/her sign in one of the blocks. The player that manages to get three o/x in a row wins the round.

Let your child cut 20 circles (diameter 10cm) out of paper or cardboard and paint/colour them in bright colours. Place the circles in five rows with four circles each on the floor. Give your child a card. S/he has to stand in front of the circle where s/he has to start and then move from circle to circle as indicated on the card (e.g. yellow, red, blue, green).

1. Cut left and right feet out of cardboard or newspaper and place them in different patterns on the floor. Let your child jump on the feet (placing his/her right foot on a right foot and left foot on a left foot).
2. Twister: Place four rows with five blue, five red, five green and five red dots. Each player gets a turn to spin a wheel. S/he has to place a hand/foot on the colour s/he lands on. Once both hand and feet are on a dot, they have to move one hand/foot to the next colour. If a player touch the ground with a part of his/her body that player is out.

Paste a picture on a piece of cardboard. Draw lines over the picture and have your child cut them out to make a puzzle.

1. Man: Start drawing a picture of a man by drawing only the head. Fold the paper closed so that only the neck is sticking out. Let you child draw the upper body. Show your child how to fold the paper so that only the bottom of the shirt is sticking out. You then draw the legs, folding the paper so that only the ankles can be seen. Let your child draw the feet. Open the paper to see what your person looks like.

Catching fish:

1. Draw fish on paper and cut them out.
2. Open paper clips halfway and push them through the nose of each fish.
3. Fold open two extra paper clips and fasten a piece of string to each.
4. Tie the opposite side of the string to one of your rhythm sticks to make a fishing rod.
5. Place the fishes in a box.
6. See how many fish your child can catch in 5 minutes.

Weave with paper:

1. Fold an A4 paper in half.
2. Cut then strips to about 1cm of the side while the paper is folded.
3. Cut the same width of strips out of coloured pieces of paper.
4. Weave the coloured pieces through the paper.
5. Make a paper lantern: Fold an A4 paper in half (lengthwise). Let your child draw a line lengthwise along the paper and then draw lines from the fold to the line across the page. Show your child how to cut on each line. Glue the sides together and cut a handle for your lantern out of another piece of paper.
6. Fan: Place an A4 paper vertically before your child. Show your child how to fold the tip of the paper over once, flip the paper over and fold it again until the whole paper is folded. Staple the ends together and open the fan.

Fold a piece of paper in half. Draw half a picture on the folding line. Cut out the picture and open it up.

1. Fold a piece of paper in half three times. Draw half a man on the folding line. Cut the picture out and open the paper.

Draw a picture on paper. Tear off little pieces of gummed paper and paste them inside the lines of the picture to “colour” the picture.

1. Tear strips off coloured tissues, crinkle paper or tissue paper and crumple them into little balls. Paste the paper balls inside the picture to “colour” the picture.

Lace patterns on a piece of paper using a needle and wool.

Draw a target on a piece of paper or cardboard. Let your child throw a wet sponge at the target.

Show your child how to fold a paper plane. See whose plane can fly the furthest, the highest etc.

1. Origami: Show your child how to fold a frog (follow the instructions provided below).
2. Fortune teller: Show your child how to fold a fortune teller (follow the instructions provided below).

Instructions for origami hat, origami fortune teller, origami sail boats, origami talking dog and origami jumping frog. Download and printing below: