
Making paper toys is appealing not only to children but also to adults. Here, AVAKids will help you learn how to make simple toys to enhance your little one’s creativity!
The Meaning of Paper Toys
Using paper and making handmade toys keeps children entertained and saves time and money. Children will love the toys their parents make for them because they feel the love their parents have for them.
Paper toys are also very diverse and creative. Parents can unleash their imagination and practice with their children. Natural paper materials are safe and economical. At the same time, making paper toys helps children see that creativity is limitless, honing their dexterity and independence from a young age.
Simple Ways to Make Paper Toys for Kids
1. Making a Paper Chicken
How to make a paper chicken toy:
- Step 1: Draw shapes on white paper as shown in Figure 1 below. Then, apply yellow paper to white paper and cut along those shapes. Use orange paper for the chicken’s beak and base for a better look. The dashed lines indicate where to fold the paper.
- Step 2: Glue into circles and then glue them together.
- Step 3: Glue the beak and wings as shown in Figure 2 below.
- Step 4: Draw eyes or use toy eyes to glue on, and you’ve finished the chicken for your child.

Making a paper chicken toy
2. Making a Cute Paper Jellyfish
How to make a cute paper jellyfish toy:
- Step 1: Cut white paper into small strips measuring 0.5 cm x 8 cm.
- Step 2: Punch small holes in the middle of each white paper strip cut in step 1.
- Step 3: Secure with glue in the middle, gluing the strips into a cross shape.
- Step 4: Secure the above strips alternately to form a flower shape.
- Step 5: Cut 3 strips of paper 8cm x 0.5cm, then glue them into a fixed circle.
- Step 6: Wrap all the round tassels from step 4 around the circle in step 5 to form the jellyfish’s head.
- Step 7: Cut a rectangular strip of paper and use a craft knife to cut the bottom part of the top about 2cm into small, continuous tassels.
- Step 8: Glue the bottom tassels together, use scissors to create a curl, and punch two holes through the top and thread the string through the top tassel.
- Step 9: Attach the tassel just made to the jellyfish body created in step 6, attach a bead to secure the top of the string. And that’s how you create a super-fast and cute jellyfish for your child to play with.

How to make a paper jellyfish toy
3. Making a Simple Paper Rabbit
How to make a paper rabbit toy:
- Step 1: Draw 4 shapes like Figure 1; the dashed lines are fold lines.
- Step 2: Cut the paper according to the shapes you just drew. For the base, use pink paper applied to white paper and cut according to the shape.
- Step 3: Glue the two rectangular pieces of paper together to form the rabbit’s body and head, then glue them together.
- Step 4: For the rabbit’s ears, fold along the dashed lines and glue them to the head.
- Step 5: Glue the rabbit to the pink base, add eyes, nose, and mouth, and you have a cute rabbit for your child to play with.
In addition, parents can also make some paper toys for boys such as pets, airplanes,…

Making a paper rabbit toy
4. Making a Paper Bird
How to make a paper bird toy:
- Step 1: Draw the shapes as shown in Figure 1 on light blue paper; draw the rhombus for the beak on red paper. Then cut out the shapes.
- Step 2: At both ends of the long rectangular strip of paper, cut slits, being careful not to cut all the way through.
- Step 3: Fold and glue the small rectangle into a circle. For the remaining rectangle, insert the tail paper into each other at the slits.
- Step 4: Fold the wings and beak along the dashed lines. Then glue the parts together as shown below. Draw or glue on eyes. Your cute paper bird is complete, and your child will love it!

Making a paper bird toy
5. Making an Adorable Paper Dog
How to make an adorable paper dog toy:
- Step 1: Fold the square into an equilateral triangle, and fold the two sides of the triangle to make the dog’s ears.
- Step 2: Fold the tail up to create the dog’s face, then use a pen to draw eyes and nose. And there you have an adorable dog!

Making a paper dog toy
6. Folding the Simplest Paper Frog
How to make the simplest paper frog toy:
- Step 1: Fold the paper in half from top to bottom and from left to right to create two diagonal lines on the paper.
- Step 2: Then take the left and right edges and fold them to the middle. You will get a triangle.
- Step 3: Fold the right edge that you just folded to the top. Then do the same for the left edge.
- Step 4: Fold the left edge to the middle edge. Then do the same for the right edge.
- Step 5: Then take this bottom edge and fold it up close to the top triangle. After folding, smooth the edge and fold the two tops down to create the frog’s hind legs.
- Step 6: Take this bottom edge and fold it straight up to the top, then fold it down to create the frog’s shape. Finally, after folding, draw eyes and a nose for the green frog. And you have a frog for your child to play with.

Making a paper frog toy
7. Making an Origami Crane
How to make a paper crane toy:
- Step 1: Fold the square diagonally twice to create 2 diagonals, then open it again.
- Step 2: Fold the corners to the center of the square to create small squares.
- Step 3: Fold the corner of the square inwards to form a rhombus.
- Step 4: Fold the edge of the rhombus on top to the straight line in the middle to create triangles.
- Step 5: Pull the top of the paper up to create an opening.
- Step 6: Continue folding the parallelogram edges to form arrows.
- Step 7: Fold the crane’s beak and tail to complete it.

How to make a paper crane
Making paper cranes is a way to encourage spirits, helping many people overcome difficulties. Paper cranes are a symbol of hope. Legend has it that when you fold 1000 paper cranes, your wish will come true.
8. Making a Paper Pinwheel
How to make a paper pinwheel toy:
- Step 1: Cut the paper into a square.
- Step 2: Draw 4 diagonal lines, each equidistant from the center of the square.
- Step 3: Use scissors to cut along the 4 diagonal lines, equidistant from the center of the square.
- Step 3: Fold the 4 corners of the paper to the center and glue or pin them together.
- Step 4: Attach the pinwheel to a plastic or wooden stick.

How to make a super-fast paper pinwheel
9. Making a Funny Finger Puppet
How to make a funny paper finger puppet:
- Step 1: First, fold the square pieces of paper into triangles.
- Step 2: Fold the two adjacent corners inwards to form a round cylinder with a triangle on top.
- Step 3: Next, fold each side of the triangle down to create an opening inside the puppet.
- Step 4: Turn the inside of the shape just created outwards to form the paper puppet.
- Step 5: Decorate the puppet as desired, and you will have funny toys.
You can refer to the instructions in the video:

10. Folding a Paper Rocket for Your Child
How to make a paper rocket toy:
- Step 1: Fold the paper along the two diagonals and two horizontal lines to create creases.
- Step 2: Open the paper and fold one edge up to meet the intersection of the two diagonals. Use your finger to mark the edge, then open it and fold so that the crease only reaches the point where you marked it earlier. Fold the same way on all 4 sides. Then fold so that the corners form triangles in the same direction.
- Step 3: Fold the paper in half in two directions to create creases. Then bring them together, then fold the two sides into two opposite triangles, meeting at the center line. Turn over and continue folding like that.
- Step 4: Fold the small triangle again. This time, the direction is outwards.
- Step 5: After completing the creases, open it and shape it into a rocket.

How to make a paper rocket
11. Making a Paper Umbrella
How to make a paper umbrella toy:
- Step 1: Cut out multi-colored squares.
- Step 2: Randomly fold the squares to create quadrilaterals.
- Step 3: Glue the pieces together with double-sided tape.
- Step 4: After the paper pieces form a continuous shape, turn them over.
- Step 5: Roll the paper to form the umbrella handle, secure it, and tie it tightly to the top of the umbrella.

A pretty paper umbrella
12. Making a Hungry Caterpillar
How to make a hungry caterpillar toy:
- Step 1: Divide the paper for the caterpillar’s body into 3 parts, draw a vertical line to mark ⅓ of the paper. In the ⅔ part, draw a vertical line 1 cm from the edge.
- Step 2: Draw horizontal lines 1cm apart on the ⅔ part of the paper.
- Step 3: Sketch the caterpillar’s face on a different colored paper.
- Step 4: Fold the paper for the caterpillar’s body along the vertical line of ⅓ that you drew. In the ⅔ part, fold a vertical line 1 cm from the edge of the paper. Use scissors to cut the strands along the horizontal lines. Then use glue to attach the horizontal strands to the other edge of the paper to create an arc.
- Step 5: Cut out the two faces of the caterpillar, draw the face. Then cut two strips of different colored paper for the antennae.
- Step 6: Glue the antennae to the face, glue the two faces to the body. And the hungry caterpillar is complete.

How to make a paper hungry caterpillar
Making paper toys with your children not only stimulates creativity but also strengthens family bonds. Hopefully, with the suggestions above, parents will have more ideas to create fun playtime with their children.