Look, I’m just going to say it: we all have that drawer. You know the one. It’s crammed with takeout menus, random instruction manuals for appliances you don’t even own anymore, and about fifty thousand paper bags from the grocery store.
You keep telling yourself you’ll recycle them. But let’s be honest, you’re probably just going to shove them back in the drawer when you need to find the takeout menu for that Thai place. I’ve been there. My pantry currently looks like a paper bag hoarder’s paradise.
But instead of letting them take over your kitchen real estate, I’ve found a much better use for them: turning them into a solid hour (or maybe 45 minutes on a good day) of entertainment for the kids. I’m talking about the humble paper bag. It’s cheap, it’s versatile, and when the kids are done with it, you can still recycle it. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
So, grab that stash you’ve been hiding from your spouse, and let’s get crafty. Here are 12 paper bag activities for kids that will turn that clutter into a bag of fun.
1. The Classic Paper Bag Puppet Show
This is the granddaddy of them all, and for good reason. It’s simple, it requires zero skill, and it can keep kids entertained for hours as they write and rehearse their masterpiece.
Why This Still Works
In an age of iPads and YouTube Kids, sometimes the low-tech stuff wins. Hand a kid a paper bag and some markers, and suddenly they’re not just a kid anymore—they’re a theatre director.
- What you need: Lunch-sized paper bags, markers, googly eyes (if you’re fancy), yarn for hair, and scrap fabric.
- How we do it: My kids like to draw the face on the bottom flap (that’s the mouth, obviously). The rest of the bag becomes the head. I once spent a solid 20 minutes helping my daughter glue on yarn for hair, only for her to announce it was a “bald princess.” I mean, she’s not wrong about the representation, but it cracked us up.
- The payoff: They create the puppets, they create the stage (usually the back of the couch), and they create the story. I just sit back with my coffee and pretend to be an engaged audience member. Win-win.
2. DIY Paper Bag Piñata (The Lazy Parent’s Version)
Forget the papier-mâché mess. That stuff is for the Pinterest-perfect parents who have their lives together. I am not one of those parents. I am a “let’s use what we have in the pantry” kind of parent.
The “Good Enough” Method
You can make a perfectly functional, destructible piñata with a grocery bag and some streamers.
- Stuff it: Crumple up newspaper or more paper bags and stuff a standard grocery bag until it’s nice and plump.
- Close it up: Gather the top and tie it with string or a rubber band.
- Decorate it: Cut or tear crepe paper streamers and let the kids glue or tape them all over the bag. The messier, the better. It’s not going to win any beauty contests, but that’s not the point.
- Fill it: Carefully open the top, dump out the stuffing, and replace it with candy and small toys. Tie it back up.
FYI, hanging it from a tree branch with a baseball bat nearby is a recipe for chaos, but it’s the best kind of chaos. Just make sure you have a camera ready.
3. Paper Bag Books
This is one of those activities that feels surprisingly sophisticated for how ridiculously easy it is. It’s perfect for rainy afternoons when you hear the dreaded “I’m bored.”
How to Make a Story Sack
Grab a few lunch bags and fold a stack of them in half. Staple the folded edge to create a spine. You’ve just made a book with “secret” pockets on every page because of the open sides of the bags.
- The Concept: Each page (bag) can hold a drawing, a photo, or a little note.
- Personal Anecdote: My son made one called “The Book of Things That Are Fast.” Page one had a drawing of a cheetah. Page two had a Ferrari. Page three? A picture of me running for the ice cream truck. Rude, but fair. 😐
- Why I love it: It encourages storytelling and fine motor skills, and it’s a physical object they can be proud of. We’ve kept every single one of these mangled creations in a box under his bed.
4. The Floor Is Lava: Paper Bag Edition
You know the game. The floor is lava. It’s a classic. But sometimes you don’t have couch cushions to spare, or you’re just tired of them ending up in the middle of the hallway.
Lava-Safe Platforms
Hand each kid a flat paper bag (or two). These are their safe spots. They have to step only on the bags to get from one side of the room to the other.
- The Twist: You, the evil game master, can remove bags as they pass them.
- The Advanced Level: For older kids, make them move the bag behind them to the front, creating a moving path across the living room.
- The Reality: This usually devolves into them sliding across the floor on the bags like they’re surfing, but hey, they’re burning energy and not asking me to turn on the TV. I call that a win.
5. Marble Runs and Paper Bag Ramps
Got a kid who loves building things? Paper bags are surprisingly sturdy for quick engineering projects. We’re not building the Eiffel Tower here, but we are building stuff.
Simple Engineering at Home
Cut the bags open so they lie flat. Then, roll them into tubes or fold them into troughs.
- The Build: Tape the paper pieces to the wall, the back of a chair, or the stairs to create a run for marbles, small cars, or even dried beans.
- The Experiment: “What happens if we make this turn sharper?” “Why did the marble stop here?” It’s physics, but fun physics. Not the boring kind you learned in school.
- A Quick Tip: Use painter’s tape if you don’t want to peel paint off your walls later. I learned this the hard way so you don’t have to. You’re welcome.
6. No-Sew Paper Bag Costumes
Halloween? A random Tuesday? Who cares? Dressing up is always in season. Paper bags make for the quickest, cheapest costumes imaginable.
Last-Minute Heroes
With a little cutting, a bag can become just about anything.
- The Classic Vest: Cut a hole for the head and armholes. Let the kids go to town decorating it with markers, stickers, and foil. Instant knight, robot, or cowboy.
- The Animal Mask: A flat bag can be cut and folded into an animal face. It won’t be comfortable, but it will be hilarious.
- My Favorite Memory: One year, my kid wanted to be a “toaster.” We painted a box brown, but the principle was the same. He walked around with slices of felt “bread” popping out of the top. It was absurd, and I was never prouder.
7. Paper Bag Portraits
This is a fantastic way to get kids thinking about self-image and art, but without the pressure of a blank piece of paper.
A 3D Selfie
Give each child a bag and ask them to create a face on it. But here’s the catch: it doesn’t have to be their face. It could be how they feel today.
- Materials: Magazines for cutting out eyes, yarn for hair, fabric scraps for clothes.
- The Conversation Starter: After they’re done, ask them about their creation. Why did they choose that hair? Why is the mouth a straight line?
- The Benefit: It opens up a dialogue about emotions in a non-threatening way. Plus, you get to see what your kid thinks you look like. (Spoiler: My kid thinks I have three strands of hair. Accurate.)
8. Paper Bag Kites
This is an outdoor activity, obviously, unless you enjoy chaos inside the house. It’s perfect for a slightly breezy day at the park.
Will It Fly?
Spoiler: barely. But that’s not the point!
- Make it: Decorate a lunch bag with markers and stickers.
- Add a tail: Tape ribbons or crepe paper streamers to the open end.
- Attach the string: Punch two holes near the opening, tie a long piece of string through them.
- Run! The science behind it is solid (hot air rises), but the execution usually results in a lot of running and the bag bumping along the ground behind them.
IMO, the laughter is worth the ten minutes it takes to make one. It’s less about aeronautics and more about the sheer joy of running until you fall over.
9. The Quiet Game: Paper Bag Sorting
Need five minutes of peace to send that one important email? I’ve got you. This isn’t a high-energy craft; it’s a tactile activity that can mesmerize a toddler.
Sensory Bin Substitute
Fill a paper bag with various small items from around the house.
- What to include: Dry pasta, large buttons (if they’re past the mouthing stage), cotton balls, pom-poms, and safe kitchen utensils.
- The Task: Give them a muffin tin or a few bowls and have them sort the items by type, color, or size.
- Why it works: The crinkle of the bag, the different textures… it’s a mini sensory experience. And the best part? When they’re done, you just throw the bag away. No plastic bins to wash, no rice scattered on the floor.
10. Paper Bag Crowns
Because every kid deserves to feel like royalty, even if their kingdom is your living room and their subjects are two very tired parents and a grumpy cat.
Crafting Royalty
Cut the top of a lunch bag into a zigzag pattern. Then, let the decorating begin.
- Royal Jewels: Glue on sequins, pasta shells painted gold, or just color them with metallic markers.
- The Fun Part: Unfold the bag and let them wear it. It’s a crown that’s perfectly sized for their head.
- The Reality: We once had a “crown-making factory” for a week. Every single person who walked through the door—the mailman, grandma, the pizza delivery guy—was forced to wear a crown. It was awkward for them, but hilarious for us.
11. Paper Bag Memory Game
This is a great twist on the classic card game, and it uses those flat, uncrumbled bags you’ve been saving.
Making the Game
Cut the bottoms off a bunch of bags so you have flat pieces of kraft paper. Cut them into identical squares.
- Create Pairs: On two squares, draw a star. On another two, draw a heart. You get the idea. Make as many pairs as you want.
- Play: Mix them up and lay them face down. The kids have to flip them over two at a time to find matches.
- Why it’s better: It’s customizable. If your kid loves dinosaurs, you can make a dinosaur memory game. If they love Paw Patrol, well, good luck drawing those… but you can try!
12. The Paper Bag “Town”
This is the ultimate collaborative project. It can take over your kitchen floor for an afternoon, and it’s absolutely glorious.
Building a Metropolis
Give each kid a few paper bags and a mission: build a building.
- The Buildings: They can stuff them with newspaper to make them 3D, or keep them flat and draw the details on.
- The Town: Once you have a school, a fire station, a house, and a “poop store” (my son is five), you arrange them on the floor. Add some roads with masking tape, and grab the toy cars.
- The Result: A massive, sprawling town that they built themselves. They’ll play in it for the rest of the afternoon. And when playtime is over? You just scoop up the bags and toss them. Or, if you’re sentimental like me, you’ll keep the “poop store” as a souvenir.
So there you have it. Twelve ways to turn that overflowing drawer of paper bags into a solid block of kid-entertainment. The best part about these activities is that they’re not just about the final product; they’re about the process. The glue sticks, the marker on the table, the arguments over who gets the red streamer—that’s where the real memories are made.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go clean said markers off the table. But honestly, it was worth it. 😀
What’s the most creative thing your kids have ever made with a paper bag? Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear about it!
