Hoop around your thumb
Make a small paper or pipe-cleaner hoop to fit around your thumb, then practice spinning and looping it to explore balance and simple motion.
Step-by-step guide to make a thumb hoop (paper or pipe-cleaner)
Step 1
Choose whether you will use paper or a pipe-cleaner to make your thumb hoop.
Step 2
If you chose paper cut a strip about 1 cm wide and 10 cm long.
Step 3
If you chose paper curl the strip gently around your thumb to check the size.
Step 4
If you chose paper secure the ends with a small piece of tape to make a ring.
Step 5
If you chose a pipe-cleaner shape it into a circle sized to fit around your thumb.
Step 6
If you chose a pipe-cleaner twist the ends together once to lock the hoop shape.
Step 7
Adjust the hoop so it slides over your thumb but does not fall off easily.
Step 8
Decorate the hoop with colouring materials to make it bright and fun.
Step 9
Slide the finished hoop onto your thumb with the open side facing up.
Step 10
Hold your arm out steady with your palm facing down and your wrist straight.
Step 11
Gently flick your wrist forward once to make the hoop spin around your thumb.
Step 12
Try a small backward flick or a slightly faster forward flick to practice looping and balancing.
Step 13
Share your finished spinning hoop and what you learned on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use instead if we don't have pipe-cleaners or tape for the hoop?
If you don't have pipe-cleaners or tape, cut a 1 cm by 10 cm strip from lightweight cardboard or use a bendable drinking straw and fasten the paper ends with a small staple or glue instead of tape.
Why does my hoop keep falling off or not stay a circle, and how can I fix it?
If the hoop keeps falling off or loses shape, re-curl the paper around your thumb to check size, add a small piece of tape or twist the pipe-cleaner ends tighter to lock the hoop as the instructions say so it slides on but doesn't fall off.
How can I adapt the activity for younger kids or make it harder for older kids?
For younger children have an adult pre-cut a wider paper ring or use a larger foam ring and help secure the tape and do the first wrist flicks, while older kids can make the 1 cm paper rings themselves, add detailed decorations, and practice faster forward or small backward flicks to loop and balance.
What are fun ways to improve or personalize our thumb hoop after making it?
Decorate the hoop with stickers, beads threaded onto a pipe-cleaner, or glitter, make a set of different sizes to test which spins best, and share your favorite designs and what you learned on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to make a thumb hoop (paper or pipe-cleaner)
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Facts about fine motor skills and simple motion for kids
✂️ Pipe cleaners (also called chenille stems) are bendy wires wrapped in fuzzy yarn, making them perfect for quick, squishy hoops.
📚 Hula hoops exploded in popularity in the 1950s — millions were sold in just a few months during the toy craze!
🤹 Practicing loops and spins builds timing, gentle force control, and balance — skills that help with juggling and yo-yo tricks later on.
🌀 Spinning keeps a hoop upright thanks to angular momentum — that’s the same physics that helps bicycles stay balanced when moving!
🎯 Tiny hoops are like mini toys: making one to fit your thumb teaches measuring, adjusting, and tweaking for a good fit.
How do you make and play with a thumb hoop?
What materials do I need to make a thumb hoop?
What ages is this thumb hoop activity suitable for?
What are the benefits of playing with a thumb hoop?
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