32 Art, Craft and STEM Activities Kids Can Do with Toothpicks

Your pantry is a treasure trove of creative play opportunities. Even the simplest objects can be turned into tools for hours of exciting fun. Take the humble toothpick for example, it’s a surprisingly versatile item that’s perfect for kids’ toothpick activities, sparking endless fun and creativity.

• Children with fine motor skills
• Arts and Crafts Kids
• STEM classes for kids

You may ask what can be done with a simple toothpick. good! The list is really long. From fine motor skills to crafts and even STEM activities, toothpicks really are a powerhouse when it comes to keeping kids busy.

Toothpick fine motor skills

Research shows that motor skills are constantly declining. The generation of smartphones and touch panels is gradually losing control over fine motor skills.

More children enter kindergarten without the necessary motor skills.

Although this is a concern, we do not encourage young children to write while sitting down.

It’s boring and takes the joy out of learning. Instead, we recommend that you engage your child in play activities that have a magical effect on gross and fine motor skills.

Toothpicks are your best manipulation tool when it comes to fine motor skills. Although we recommend that younger children be supervised as much as possible, children as young as 6 can easily hold toothpicks unsupervised.

1. Dropping a toothpick

This is an extremely simple exercise that can be done with two children. You will need a toothpick and a salt shaker.

The task is to lower the toothpicks into the salt shaker through the holes. Quietly! Perfectly develops concentration skills.

Related: Check out fun activities for toddlers that don’t require any training and are quick and easy to set up.

2. Play dough and toothpicks

Children like this activity very much. Roll out play dough and let your kids poke holes, draw lines, and make simple patterns with toothpicks.

Give free rein to creativity!

3. A toothpick for making flakes

Children love to do food. Why not use the opportunity to improve fine motor skills!

This wonderful activity will interest your children while developing motor skills.

4. Styrofoam kneading

This activity brings great pleasure. There’s something about poking a toothpick into Styrofoam that’s just so soothing and fun.

Give the kid a big piece of Styrofoam and let him enjoy it.

5. The bubble wrap bursts

Every child (and adult!) loves popping bubble wrap and hearing the popping sounds.

Turn this fun activity into a fine motor activity by having your child pop the bubble wrap with a toothpick. An undoubted success for children of all ages.

6. Piercing with a toothpick

This toothpick fine motor skill is great for developing concentration skills. Draw a shape on a piece of paper and have your child poke holes with a toothpick along its outline.

Quick Tip: Combine this activity with Fun Preschool Activities to bring learning home.

7. Skewers with fruit toothpicks

Make eating fun with this great activity. A bowl of diced fruit such as apples, watermelon, apricots, pears and grapes is a great start to this activity.

Invite your child to string pieces of different fruits on a toothpick to make a delicious fruit salad. Each toothpick must have at least three different fruits.

Change it up a bit to turn it into a toothpick math exercise by introducing the concept of patterns.

8. Toothpick Colander Fine motor skills

Help your child practice fine motor skills with this simple exercise. All they have to do is stick a toothpick into the colander’s holes.

9. A toothpick tree with a pom-pom

Make fine motor skills fun with this fun wooden toothpick activity.

10. Outline of letters and figures

Draw some large letters or shapes on a blank piece of paper with a marker and have your child trace the letter/shape with toothpicks.

This is a great pre-writing exercise to help children learn letters and shapes.

Related: Also check out fun kindergarten activities that make learning fun.

Toothpick Art & Crafts

11. Toothpick hedgehog

We love these cute little toothpick hedgehogs who use toothpicks. All you need is a styrofoam ball or play dough and toothpicks for this art. The perfect ocean ship for toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarteners.

11. Product with a Sun toothpick

Make a bright smiling sun using toothpicks and other common materials around the house. This toothpick craft is also a great school craft project.

Related: Pair this sun craft with solstice activities for kids and learn all about this annual phenomenon.

12. Toothpick “Art with cactus”

This cute and adorable toothpick craft activity is perfect for your child and will make a great addition to your child’s room decor.

13. Painting with a toothpick

Do you want to decorate your walls with your own art? Look no further! These toothpick paintings are extremely beautiful and will add the desired effect to your walls.

14. Mandala toothpick brooch

This toothpick art is not only impressive, but also deeply soothing. Tie your own mandala brooch with just colorful yarn, toothpicks and lots of patience.

Suitable for older children, it’s also a great STEAM toothpick activity!

15. Sticky Toothpick Wall Art

Do you have a child who loves to create art? Then it will surely please your child. Hours of creative fun guaranteed and no more dirty walls!

16. Sparkling stars-toothpicks

There is something about stars and glitter that excites each of us. Make these adorable glitter stars for a garland or just for crafting fun.

We recommend using environmentally friendly glitter.

17. Toothpick Scratch art

Make scratch art at home and skip those expensive scratch sheets. Ideal for children of all ages.

18. A toothpick for an ocean-themed product

Draw cute little fish and stick them on toothpicks for a cute ocean themed craft.

19. Wall image “Toothpick”

This wall art is beautiful and easy to make. There are many ways you can customize this and use different items to decorate these miniature walls.

20. Washi Tape Toothpick Stars

This is a great craft where you make stars out of toothpicks that can be used as decorations, stuck on cards or gifts.

Toothpick STEM task

21. Rotating toothpicks

This is a quick and easy toothpick craft for kids. Make cool toothpicks for endless fun.

Related: Explore Exciting Preschool Science Experiments to Keep Curiosity and Learning Fun!

22. Designs of toothpicks

This hands-on STEM engineering challenge for kids will unleash your child’s creativity and help them understand balance and symmetry.

Related: Make math fun with preschool math games.

23. Star trick with a toothpick

This is a classic toothpick trick that never fails to amaze kids. A cool STEM science challenge that’s perfect for kids of all ages.

24. Sailboats with toothpicks

Have your kids make a floating sailboat using toothpicks and common materials like branches, Styrofoam, or a sponge. This is a great STEM science activity to start learning about buoyancy.

25. Shapes of toothpicks

Toothpicks are a great crafting tool. Use them to build three-dimensional shapes out of clay and discuss their properties. This fun math exercise for kids is great for developing motor skills, visualization and spatial awareness.

26. Toothpick, balancing structures made of marshmallows

This cool engineering challenge for kids inspires creativity and is seriously fun.

The challenge is to build a structure out of toothpick marshmallows and see if it is strong enough to support the weight of superheroes (or animal figures).

Related: Got a kid who’s crazy about building? Check if your child is a little engineer to hone their innate skills.

27. Toothpicks

Make a fun spinning toy with this cool STEM activity. You will need cardboard, scissors and toothpicks.

Step 1: Cut the cardboard into different shapes like triangle, circle and square.

Step 2. Push the toothpick into the center of the shapes so that it goes almost one-third of the way through the shape.

Yes, yes! Your spinner toothpicks are ready for the test. Spin them on a flat, smooth surface and see if all the shapes spin for the same amount of time.

28. Construction of an Easter toothpick

This engineering STEM activity for kids is quite challenging. You can use a chocolate egg, a plastic egg, or even a small ball.

29. Constellation “Toothpick”

Combine this STEM activity with your space-themed unit and create constellations using toothpicks and marshmallows (or jelly beans or grapes!).

Your kids will never forget the name of a constellation again!

30. Measure your pulse rate

Children really like this science activity because it gives them the opportunity to measure their heart rate. All you need is a toothpick and some dough.

Roll out a small cube of dough and stick a toothpick into it. Place the dough toothpick on the back of your child’s wrist.

The toothpick will show your heart rate by moving every time your heart beats!

31. Toothpick Rock Candies

This is an edible STEM activity that makes Rock Candies at home. It will surely make children excited and squealing.

Source: 32 Art, Craft and STEM Activities Kids Can Do with Toothpicks