A lot of kids’ games have spinners to play. Children love making them spin, and they are a fun alternative to dice. They also pack up flat and are easy to transport without getting damaged (this is essential for me as a teacher who moves from classroom to classroom!)
When I started making my own games for my classes, I searched around to see how I could make a spinner with things I had to hand. It’s actually really easy to do with only a few materials. And because it’s so easy, your kids can also make their own DIY game spinners in class to take home!
So if you’ve been looking to add a fun and interactive element to your kids’ games, then read on. In this post, I’ll be sharing four creative ways to make game spinners using everyday items that you probably already have at home. These DIY spinners are easy, low/no-cost, and perfect for engaging children in homemade games.
Let’s dive in and I’ll show you how simple it is to create them with just a few materials!
You can use any of these methods to play Tea Time Teachables spinner games. Check them out in FREE RESOURCES or my SHOP!
4 DIFFERENT WAYS TO MAKE A DIY GAME SPINNER AT HOME:
These DIY game spinners are for children of 4+ years old. Some contain small parts which may constitute a choking hazard.
Do not allow young children to play with DIY spinners unsupervised.
1. A Split-Pin and Paper Clip
This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to make a home-made spinner, and my personal favourite! Make a hole in the centre of the spinner. Take a split pin and insert it though the narrowest loop of a paper clip. Then push the split pin through the hole in the spinner.
Make sure not to push it through completely – ensure there is a small gap to allow the paper clip to spin freely. Turn the spinner over and open the two feet of the split pin to secure.
2. A Pencil
This is probably the most basic way to make a spinner. Simply poke a pencil through your card game disc and spin it like a top. The good thing about this method is that every child in your class can have their own spinner. However, I have found that the hole in the middle of the card quickly starts to widen and the disc falls down, so you usually end up needing to tape it in place. It also doesn’t spin for very long and isn’t very long-lasting, but it’s a good option if you need a quick spinner.
3. A Fidget Spinner (Hand Spinner)
Here’s a fun idea for a DIY game spinner! Just mark one of the spokes of the fidget spinner with a sticker, paint, or a blob of play dough, sit it in the middle of your card game disc and spin.
I admit, unless you have a child at home you probably don’t have many fidget spinners lying around! Having said that, they are not expensive to buy and are pretty much everywhere nowadays. The main problem with this method is that the fidget spinners can take a long time to stop spinning, especially if they’re new! Using an old one would probably work better.
4. A DIY recycled spinner
You can also make a spinner out of recycled materials! You need a bottle top, an old CD, a toothpick and an old clear plastic food tray (like the ones used to package ham or cheese).
- Stick the CD to the bottle top with glue or blu-tac, then poke a toothpick through the centre. Make sure to cut off the sharp end at the top of the toothpick for safety.
- Cut a 1.5cm x 9cm strip from the food tray, punch a hole in one end and cut an arrow shape in the other.
This is the base for any spinner games you want to play – just print your game discs on card, make a small hole in the middle and slot them onto the spinner. It’s slightly more time-consuming to make than the other methods, but it spins easily and is easily assembled and disassembled if necessary.
So there you have it, four different ways to make DIY game spinners at home! Whether you choose to go with the split-pin and paper clip, the simple pencil method, a fidget spinner, or the DIY recycled spinner, you’ll find an easy and fun way to create your very own game spinners. Get creative and have fun with it, and maybe even involve the kids in making their own spinners too – it will really give them a sense of ownership over their playtime!
Happy spinning!
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Can you make a DIY for card board games in videos? I would really love it and I will be really interested that I can rate this site a 5 and give u some money. Thanks so much 🙂
Hi! Drop me an email to sarah@biggabug.com with any specific ideas you have and I’ll see what I can do 😉