Fun to make in childcare! A special feature of horse craft ideas
Here’s an introduction to popular horse crafts for preschools and kindergartens.
Horses are familiar, friendly animals for children, often appearing in picture books and stories.
Using everyday materials like paper cups, paper plates, and milk cartons, these horse crafts spark children’s creativity and let them enjoy steps like coloring and gluing.
After they’re finished, kids can play pretend together with their horses or use them as decorations, expanding the fun beyond the craft itself.
We’ve gathered age-appropriate ideas, so feel free to incorporate them into your class activities.
Fun to make in childcare! A collection of horse craft ideas (1–10)
A mysterious horse that walks without power
Here’s an idea for making a moving horse out of construction paper! First, cut a rectangle from construction paper that’s 3 cm wide and 15 cm long.
Then, on both the left and right sides, make two slits each, 1 cm wide and 5 cm long.
Fold the middle of the slit sections into a valley fold to form the head and tail, and make mountain folds on the sides to create the legs.
Use scissors to round off the corners of the legs.
This will allow the horse to move.
Color it with crayons and draw the face to finish.
Try letting it walk down a slope and have fun!
Merry-go-round! The horses that go round and round
Let’s make a toy where horses spin around like a merry-go-round.
For the base, use a paper bowl and a paper cup.
For the spinning mechanism, use a paper clip, a rubber band, a bead, a toothpick, and a wooden chopstick.
First, use an awl to make a hole in the center of the bottoms of both the paper bowl and the paper cup.
Straighten the paper clip, then bend one end into a hook shape.
Thread a bead onto a rubber band, hook one end of the rubber band onto the paper clip’s hook, and pass it through from the bottom of the paper cup.
On the other end of the rubber band, insert the wooden chopstick so it won’t slip out.
Next, pass the clip up through the bottom of the paper bowl, stack it with the paper cup, then remove the hook and insert a toothpick as a stopper.
Finally, attach paper with horse illustrations to both ends of the chopstick, and you’re done.
Let’s make it together as a parent and child! A rocking horse craft
Let’s make a wooden hobbyhorse that toddlers can play with.
You’ll need two 1-meter pieces of wood and one 50-centimeter piece.
First, cross the two 1-meter pieces and fasten them together with screws.
Next, attach the 50-centimeter piece horizontally near the bottom of the crossed pieces to serve as a footrest.
That’s all for the steps, so as long as you have the tools, even beginners can make it.
When you cross the wood, adjust the lengths so that the intersection is about shoulder height for the rider.
Also, make sure the ends of the crossed wood do not extend beyond the rider’s shoulders.
The higher the footrest is, the harder it will be to mount, so it’s recommended to attach it at a low position.
Make it with a snack box! Cute little horse
Let’s make a horse toy that sticks out its head when you pinch and move its tail! All you need is a box from your favorite snacks.
First, cut the box into three ring-shaped slices about 2 cm wide.
Stand one ring vertically, then place a second ring next to it to form the horse’s neck and body, and staple them together.
Take the third ring, align its left edge, and attach it underneath the neck and body.
Once attached, flatten it so that the box juts out to the left, and staple it again.
Finally, use the remaining box material to make the head, ears, legs, and tail, attach them, and you’re done!
Make it with pipe cleaners! Chigaya horses
Chigaya horses, a traditional Tanabata decoration often made before the war.
They are made from chigaya, a type of kaya grass, and are typically displayed as a male-female pair.
This idea is to make those chigaya horses using chenille stems (pipe cleaners).
Fold a pipe cleaner in half, twist and secure it as you shape it into a horse.
Use pipe cleaners in your favorite colors to create a vibrant finish.
Since it’s a Tanabata decoration, you could also write a tanzaku (wish strip) and adorn it with a chigaya horse as an accent.
It’s a wonderful idea that also lets you learn about Nerima’s traditions.
Let’s make horse hoof sounds!
The sound of hooves striking the ground is quite distinctive, isn’t it? In this idea, we recreate that “pakaran” sound using a simple craft.
You’ll need three paper cups, one pair of chopsticks, and some twine.
Prepare three pieces of twine in different lengths.
First, use an awl to make a hole in the center of the bottom of each paper cup.
Thread the twine through the hole and secure it on the inside with tape.
Finally, fasten the other ends of the twine to the chopsticks in order from shortest to longest, and you’re done! Hold the chopsticks with both hands and press the paper cups against a hard surface like a desk or flooring.
If you tap them in a steady rhythm from the shortest to the longest, it should sound like “pakaran,” just like hooves.
Perfect for wall decorations! Cute little horses.
A perfect idea for wall decorations! Let me show you how to make a horse using construction paper.
Basically, you just cut out parts from the paper and glue them together, so it’s an activity even young children can enjoy.
It’s best for adults to prepare the small pieces in advance, but the larger pieces are great for scissor practice—draw clear cutting lines and let the kids cut them out.
Choose any color of construction paper you like for the clothes.
Adding patterns with stickers or crayons would be fun too!