Chinese Learning Activities with Cardboard Rolls
Everybody has cardboard rolls, but most of us don’t have much time. The good news is that Chinese learning activities can be set up quickly with free, recycled paper tubes!
As always, you can apply these ideas to any language. Most activity examples on my website are in Chinese because it’s a minority language for my family.
Chalk Academy is reader-supported. Some of the links are affiliate links. When you buy something through an affiliate link, we may earn a very small commission at no additional cost to you. More details here.
Using cardboard rolls for language learning games
Although English is their primary language, I hope they can speak Chinese, their heritage language.
Since the Chinese language is not mandatory in our town, I try to make their Chinese learning experience unique and memorable.
I also use activities to help them learn to read Chinese characters while having fun!
Over the past few years, I’ve used cardboard rolls to make quick learning games while learning Chinese with my children.
If you haven’t already, start saving up your cardboard tubes (纸板管 / 紙板管 / zhǐbǎn guǎn) or toilet paper rolls (卫生纸筒 / 衛生紙筒 / wèishēngzhǐ tǒng)!
These activities are great for kids between ages 4 to 8 years and include:
- Speaking activities with cardboard rolls
- Chinese numbers, shapes, and color activities
- Chinese reading games with cardboard rolls
- Crafts and other learning activities with cardboard rolls
1. Speaking activities with cardboard rolls
“I Spy” with cardboard binoculars
I Spy” can be played at home, as a car game, or at the park!
Kids can make their own 望远镜 / 望遠鏡 (wàngyuǎnjìng / binoculars) with cardboard rolls.
In Mandarin Chinese, I Spy can be translated in a few ways:
- 我用眼睛偷瞄 (Wǒ yòng yǎnjīng tōu miáo / I use my eye to peek)
- 我用我的小眼睛看到一样_色的东西 / 我用我的小眼睛看到一樣_色的東西 (Wǒ yòng wǒ de xiǎo yǎnjīng kàn dào yīyàng___sè de dōngxī / I used my little eye to see a ___-colored thing)
- 猜,猜,猜猜看! 我看到___的东西 / 猜,猜,猜猜看! 我看到_的東西 (Cāi, cāi, cāi cāi kàn! Wǒ kàn dào___de dōngxī / Guess, guess, guess, guess if you can! I see a ___ thing).
Whoever has the cardboard roll has to sing!
We made up this silly game where my kids and I pass a cardboard roll to each other.
The person holding the cardboard roll has to sing a (Chinese) song until the roll is passed to the next person!
Cardboard pom pom ramp races
Have fun talking about 毛绒球 / 毛絨球 (máo róng qiú / pom poms) and watching them roll and bounce down a DIY 坡道 (pō dào / ramp)!
Create big signs for 起点 / 起點 (qǐdiǎn / start) and 终点 / 終點 (zhōngdiǎn / end) for exposure to the written words.
You can tape it to the wall with painter’s tape or make a smaller version with a box lid!
2. Chinese numbers, colors, shapes
Montessori spindle box (蒙特梭利纺锤棒箱 / 蒙特梭利紡錘棒箱)
The Montessori spindle box introduces the concept of zero. It also teaches the relationship between quantity and number symbols and number sequence.
DIY details and teaching tips for the Montessori spindle box are here!
DIY Cardboard roll number stamps
You can add foam or dried glue to cardboard rolls and turn them into stamps!
For the number template, read more about the Foam Number Paint & Stamp activity!
Number color patterns with cardboard rolls
Cut up paper rolls and add colors with paint sticks! Have fun creating number and color patterns with cardboard rolls!
Color-matching cardboard rolls and craft sticks
Match colored crafts with colored cardboard rolls!
For exposure to written language, write color names on wooden sticks with a black marker!
Shape stamping with cardboard rolls
My daughter enjoyed this shape recognition and reading activity a few years ago!
Read Trilingual Shape Stamping! for tips on how to adapt this activity for different levels!
3. Chinese reading games made from cardboard rolls
Sun and moon stamping with cardboard rolls
Learn more about sun and moon stamping and Chinese vocabulary!
DIY Word Projector
This incredibly cool reading activity involves science. My kids love experimenting with making the words larger and smaller.
Learn how to make cardboard roll projectors without wasting materials here!
Cardboard tube bowling
Okay, according to my son, this is actually “golf bowling!”
We set up 6 “bowling pins” and put Chinese word cards in slits at the top of the cardboard rolls!
I included both scripts on each side of the heart for Chinese words with simplified and traditional Chinese characters, such as 黄/黃 (huáng / yellow).
DIY Golf Game
I taught my son the first 2 Chinese characters in Sagebooks through this golf game!
Here are 3 fun ways to teach Chinese characters 高山 with DIY golf and free printable mountains!
DIY Catapult reading game
If you have too many toilet paper tubes, cut them into thirds and make this interactive reading game!
Read DIY Catapult Sight Word Reading Game for details about how to make a catapult and set up this game!
The kids had SO much fun trying to launch pom poms into the Chinese word spots!
Chinese radicals spinning wheel
With toilet paper rolls, my daughter and I made spinning Chinese radical wheels! This clever idea was inspired by a mom, Cathy!
Chinese characters word puzzle
Cardboard rolls are also convenient for saving paper and making a puzzle.
You can write words and cut them up to make a quick puzzle! (Typically, I use cardboard from a cereal box since it’s easier to write on a flat surface.)
But you can also use cardboard rolls to make a Chinese radical puzzle, similar to the spinning activity in number 4!
Bilingual memory word matching
Earlier, we shared these cardboard rolls that were cut in half length-wise. They have been repurposed many times for quick little activities!
The above version shows a memory-matching game with Chinese and Korean colors!
You can write different words that your child is learning and skip the painting to save time.
Cardboard tree word matching
We’ve also used cardboard rolls to match the tree top to the tree stump bases!
See Paper Roll Christmas Trees Word-Matching Game (Multilingual) for translations of the Christmas words!
You can also review nature words!
Dot sticker word matching
You can grab and keep this easy activity in your purse!
Write a few Chinese characters on the toilet paper roll and dot stickers, and voila, an easy matching game!
Related: 30 Chinese Dot Sticker Learning Activities for Kids (Free Printables)
4. Other Chinese crafts and activities with toilet paper rolls
Cardboard miniature playground
My daughter and I had a great time making this mini cardboard playground together!
To normalize Chinese words, my daughter and I labeled the playground with Chinese characters.
Learn more about our DIY cardboard playground and Chinese translations here.
Chinese market with toilet paper roll roof tiles
We built our own Chinese market with cardboard boxes and toilet paper rolls to learn more about Chinese culture!
Read DIY Cardboard Chinese Lunar New Year Market for Kids for the details and printable Chinese decorations!
Earth Day sorting activity: trash, recycling, green waste
This sorting activity teaches kids how to discard trash and recycle appropriately.
Click here to learn more about this Earth Day Recycling Activity and relevant bilingual translations!
Cardboard roll counting octopus craft
My daughter made this craft a few years ago when we learned the three ways to say octopus in Chinese!
Read Cardboard Roll Octopus: A Chinese Counting Activity for more details!
Cardboard roll car and train
Since my son is obsessed with cars and we collect bottle caps, we often make cars and trains with cardboard rolls!
This is a simple craft that only requires glue! Paint and other designs are optional!
Label the cardboard tube car or train with Chinese characters to encourage a print-rich environment.
Have you tried any of these cardboard roll activities with your kids?
If you try any of these activities, please let us know in the comments below!
We’d love to hear about your learning experience and see how everything turned out! 😀
Very inspiring ideas! I definitely need these games for my kids. Great job, Betty!
Thank you for the kind note! Hope your kids can have fun with these games!