Ask Ollie
Cardboard Tube Toy Soldiers
Here's one to try together!
Turn empty cardboard tubes into a marching band of tall-hatted toy soldiers with drums, flags and shiny gold buttons!
Reviewed by our team.
Safety first
- scissors are sharp; supervise cutting
- glue and paint may irritate skin or be swallowed; use non-toxic and supervise
- small paper dots could be a choking risk for under 3s
What you need
- Empty cardboard tubes, 3 to 6
- Non-toxic paint or colored paper, a little of each color
- Paintbrush, 1
- Paper, 1 sheet
- Paper, 1 sheet
- Paper, 1 sheet
- Glue stick, 1
- Kid scissors, 1 pair
- Crayons or markers, 1 set
How to do it
Grown-up prep: Save a few empty cardboard tubes, set out paper, markers, glue and scissors, and cover the table. Supervise cutting and keep small paper dots away from babies and toddlers.
- Color the bottom part of your tube for your soldier's pants.
- Color the middle red or blue for a smart coat.
- Draw eyes, rosy cheeks and a mustache or a big smile.
- Wrap a black paper strip around the top for a tall hat. Ask for help if you need it
- Add gold buttons and a belt with yellow dots or marker.
- Cut two narrow paper arms the same color as the coat. Ask for help if you need it
- Glue the arms on the sides, then add a drum or flag.
- Name your soldier, line up your parade and show it to a friend or a grown-up!
Play it again
- Marching band: give every soldier a different instrument and play a parade song together.
- Color swap: make a team in only blue and silver, then a team in rainbow colors.
- Guard duty: hide one soldier somewhere in the room and let someone else find it.
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