Rainbow Spinner

Looking for a simple craft that’s full of fun and color? This rainbow spinner is a quick and easy paper spinner toy made from paper strips and a pencil! It twirls and spins with just a flick, making it the perfect rainy-day project or afternoon boredom buster. Plus, it’s a sneaky way to introduce kids to basic STEM concepts like force and motion, with no screens in sight!

A rainbow spinner made with instructions from Skip to My Lou. — How to make a rainbow spinning toy with paper strips for kids. A step-by-step tutorial for making a colorful, twirling paper toy using simple craft supplies.

Related: Love toys that move? The sky’s the limit with these rocket straws—a fun launchable toy powered by a puff of air!

Supplies for a Rainbow Paper Spinner Toy

You don’t need much to make this colorful, spinning fun:

Strips of colored paper (use rainbow colors for the rainbow spinning toy effect!)
Scissors
Pencil with eraser
Punch
Wooden skewer stick
A bead with a hole in it
Plastic straw
Glue gun and regular paper glue
Optional: markers, crayons, or stickers to decorate

WATCH | Make a Rainbow Spinning Toy

How to Make a Paper Spinner (Rainbow Spinning Toy)

Want to know exactly how to make a rainbow spinning toy with paper strips? Here’s the easy step-by-step:

1. Cut rainbow-colored paper strips
Cut 4–6 long strips of paper about ½ inch wide and 6–8 inches long. Two hands holding long strips of cut paper.

2. Cut a piece of paper into small circles and punch a hole in the middle.
Take two circles, put them on top of each other and using a punch, make a hole in the middle. Two hands holding two small circles of blue paper with a hole punched through the middle.

3. Add glue to one of the punched paper circles
Now add some glue to the paper circle to start attaching the paper strips. Two hands adding some glue to one of the punched paper circles.

4. Attach paper strips.
You can now attach the paper strips all around the circumference of the circle. Two hands gluing paper strips all around the circumference of the circle.

5. Attach one of the unpunched circles
Glue one of the unpunched circles to secure the first part of your rainbow spinner.

Two hands gluing a paper circle without a punched whole to secure all the colored strips of paper.

6. Secure the loose pieces to the other unpunched circle
Take the other unpunched circle, add glue to the top, and secure the other ends of the colored strips of paper to it. Two hands securing the other ends of the colored paper to the second unpunched circle using some glue.

7. Glue on the top
Now take the final unpunched circle and secure it to the top with glue. Two hands gluing the other unpunched circle to the top of the rainbow spinner. 8. Place the skewer stick through the middle from the bottom upwards
Take a skewer stick and push it through the round circle at the bottom, all the way through the top and place the bead on top. Two hands pushing a skewer stick through the circle at the bottom, all the way to the top, and attaching a bead with a hole in it.
9. Cut the straw.
Cut the straw as shown in the image, and add some glue to the cut ends using a glue gun. Two hands using a glue gun to place glue on a cut straw.
10. Attach the staw
Attach the straw to the bottom of the rainbow spinner. Two hands securing the straw to the bottom of the skewer stick.

11. Push the straw and have fun.
By pushing the straw up and down, your rainbow spinner makes awesome, colorful patterns! Two hands pushing the straw up and down to form colorful rainbow spinner patterns.

A finished rainbow spinner. — Easy paper spinner toy craft for kids that really spins.
This fun homemade spinner is perfect for classrooms, rainy days, or colorful STEM play.

This DIY rainbow spinner is a creative and colorful craft that’s perfect for home, classrooms, or parties. It’s amazing what you can do with a few paper strips and a pencil! Kids will love watching their spinner come to life and experimenting with how fast or slow it turns. It’s a win for fun, learning, and low-mess creativity!

Related: Love fidget toys? Try this printable flextangle template to make a mesmerizing moving toy that bends, twists, and entertains for hours.

More Paper Crafts

Keep those little hands creating with these fun and easy paper crafts:

Jumping Paper Frog – Watch this folded frog leap across the table—so much fun!
Accordion Paper Flowers – Make bright, cheerful blooms perfect for decorations or gifts.
Origami Owl – A wise little friend made from a single sheet of paper.
Paper Cup Mechanical Claw – A clever STEM craft where kids can grab and grip using a simple paper cup!
Easy Paper Butterfly – Graceful and colorful, these butterflies are a springtime favorite.
Paper Fortune Teller – Classic playground fun—kids love making and sharing these!

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