Paper Crafts Day ideas for OSHC
40 DIY activities for a paper crafts day at before and after school care or vacation care, usually run around Book Week (August) or Any time / Talk Like a Pirate Day (19 September). Pick and mix, or build a balanced day in one click.
Block-World Papercraft
Children cut, fold and glue printable templates into blocky 3D characters and objects in a block-world style. Builds fine motor and spatial skills.
Movie Day · Film Club Day · Paper Crafts Day +1Design a Popcorn Box
Children fold and decorate popcorn boxes from templates, ready to fill for a movie session.
Book Week · Silly Stories Day · Paper Crafts Day +2Folded Mini Book Making
Children write and illustrate their own small folded books, becoming authors and illustrators for the day.
Teddy Bears' Picnic · Paper Crafts Day · Craft DayMini Woven Picnic Baskets
Children weave paper strips over and under to create tiny picnic baskets for their teddies, practising patterns and fine motor skills.
Fashion Design Day · Recycle Day · Paper Crafts Day +1Newspaper Fashion Design
Children design and make wearable outfits from newspaper and tape, then model their creations.
Pirate Day · Paper Crafts Day · Crazy Hat Day +1Newspaper Pirate Hats
Children fold broadsheet newspaper into tricorn hats and decorate them. A quick dress-up craft for pirate day.
After School Quick STEM · Paper Crafts Day · Challenge Day +2One-Sheet Paper Chain
Teams try to make the longest possible paper chain from a single sheet, planning how to cut and join strips for maximum length.
Paper Crafts Day · Japan Day · Craft Day +2Origami Animals
Children follow step-by-step folds to make paper animals like frogs, cats and fish. Builds focus and following instructions.
Japan Day · Paper Crafts Day · International Day of Peace +2Origami Cranes
Children learn to fold paper cranes and other simple origami, building patience and precision.
Taco Fiesta Day · Paper Crafts Day · Culture Celebration Day +2Papel Picado Banners
Older children fold and cut tissue paper into lacy Mexican-style banners to hang across the room.
ANZAC Day · Remembrance Day · Craft Day +1Paper and Button Poppies
Children make red remembrance poppies from paper and buttons, creating a display and learning about the symbol's meaning.
Jungle Safari · Jungle Mission · Animal Theme +2Paper Chain Snakes
Children loop and link paper strips into colourful paper chain snakes.
Ice Cream Day · Paper Crafts Day · Summer Holidays +1Paper Cone Craft
Children make paper ice cream cones with layered scoops and decorate them as their own invented flavours.
National Families Week · Paper Crafts Day · Friendship Day +1Paper Doll Family Chain
Children cut and decorate a folded paper-doll chain, with each figure representing a family member.
Friendship Day · Harmony Day · Paper Crafts Day +1Paper Doll Friendship Chain
Children cut paper doll chains and decorate each figure, then join them into a giant chain of friends.
Lunar New Year · Mythical Creatures · Paper Crafts Day +2Paper Dragon Stick Puppets
Children concertina-fold paper into a long dragon body, add a head and tail, then mount it on sticks to make it dance for the new year.
Rainforest Day · Paper Crafts Day · Animal Theme +1Paper Frog Jumping Contest
Children fold origami frogs and see whose jumps the furthest. Craft and competition combined.
Holidays and Travel Week · Ice Cream Day · Summer Holidays +2Paper Ice Cream Cones
Children make colourful paper ice cream cones with scoops and toppings.
Diwali · Lunar New Year · Mooncake Festival +1Paper Lantern Garland
Children fold and cut coloured paper into lanterns and string them together into a bright garland to decorate the room.
Mooncake Festival · Lunar New Year · Paper Crafts Day +2Paper Lanterns
Children fold and cut coloured paper into lanterns to hang around the room for a festival display.
Rocket and Plane Day · Flying High · Paper Crafts Day +3Paper Plane Challenge
Children fold and test paper planes, adjusting their designs to fly furthest, stay up longest or loop the loop.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles · Rocket and Plane Day · Flying High +2Paper Plane Distance Contest
Children fold different paper plane designs and test them for distance. Simple science of flight.
Emoji Day · Paper Crafts Day · Mental Health MonthPaper Plate Emoji Faces
Children paint paper plates yellow and add card features to create expressive emoji faces.
Down on the Farm · Animal Theme · Paper Crafts Day +1Paper Plate Farm Animals
Children turn paper plates into pigs, sheep and cows using paint, cotton wool and card features.
Pyjama Day · Yarn Day · Craft Day +1Paper Plate Woven Hangings
Children weave yarn across a paper plate ring and hang beads and feathers from it. A calm weaving craft for a pyjama day.
Paper Crafts Day · Craft Day · Budding Artists +1Paper Quilling Designs
Children roll thin paper strips into coils and shapes, then glue them into colourful patterns. A calm, detailed craft for older children.
Christmas in July · Christmas · Winter Wonderland +2Paper Snowflakes
Children fold and cut paper into unique symmetrical snowflakes to hang around the room.
Paper Crafts Day · Craft Day · Yarn Day +1Paper Strip Weaving
Children weave paper strips over and under to create colourful mats. Simple pattern work that suits all ages.
Around the World Day · Culture Celebration Day · Paper Crafts Day +2Paper Tulips and Windmills
Children make paper tulips and spinning paper windmills, ideally guided by families with Dutch heritage, learning about the Netherlands.
New Year's Party · Craft Day · Paper Crafts Day +1Party Popper Craft
Children turn cardboard tubes and tissue paper into colourful pretend party poppers filled with paper confetti. Great for a noise-free countdown celebration.
Detective Day · Spy School · Paper Crafts DayPocket Detective Notebooks
Children make a small stapled notebook with a home-made badge on the cover, ready to record clues throughout the day.
Paper Crafts Day · Craft Day · Mother's Day +2Pop-up Cards
Children cut and fold card to make pop-up greeting cards for someone special. A little bit of engineering in a craft.
Christmas · Craft Day · Paper Crafts Day +1Pop-Up Christmas Cards
Children make pop-up Christmas cards with a hidden surprise that springs up when the card opens.
Mother's Day · Father's Day · Grandparents Day +2Pop-Up Heart Card
Children fold and cut card to make a greeting card with a heart that pops up when it opens.
Recycle Day · Sustainable Superstars · Science Week +3Recycled Paper Making
Older children turn scrap paper into pulp and press it into new sheets of handmade paper, seeing the recycling process up close.
Lunar New Year · Paper Crafts Day · Culture Celebration Day +1Red Envelope Making
Children fold and decorate red envelopes and write good-luck wishes inside, learning about the custom of giving red envelopes at Lunar New Year.
Father's Day · Paper Crafts Day · Grandparents DayShirt and Tie Cards
Children fold card into a shirt shape and paint a bright tie to make a greeting card for a special person.
Winter Wonderland · Paper Crafts Day · Christmas in July +2Snowflake Symmetry
Children fold and cut paper snowflakes, exploring lines of symmetry and how repeating patterns form.
Book Week · Craft Day · Paper Crafts Day +2Tasselled Bookmark Making
Children design and decorate their own bookmarks with ribbon tassels, encouraging them to keep reading.
Taco Fiesta Day · Craft Day · Paper Crafts Day +2Tissue Paper Fiesta Flowers
Children make big, bright tissue paper flowers to decorate the room for a fiesta celebration.