Safari trip kids activity: How to make toilet paper binoculars!

If you’re planning to set up an exciting safari trip for your kids and their friends, then there are a few essentials you’re going to need to really make the experience something to remember. No Safari trip would be complete without a good pair of binoculars to find that elusive prize!

Real binoculars are great to suit an African Safari theme, but they’re not always suitable, especially if your activity is taking place at a zoo, kid’s party venue, or anywhere else away from home where expensive binoculars could become damaged. The good news is that it’s quick and easy to make your own pair of impressive-looking ‘binoculars’ out of a toilet roll and some common craft materials. Although they don’t work like real binoculars, they definitely look the part and is a great means of upcycling. 

What you’ll need for this creative craft activity

There are  just a few items you’ll need to make great-looking toilet roll binoculars for your day out:

• 2 x Empty toilet roll tubes (or 1 longer cardboard tube carefully cut in half)
• Pens/pencils 
• Glue and/or sticky tape
• Scissors
• Coloured card (or white card, coloured in)
• String or ribbon
• Craft decorations

Like a lot of fun activities for kids, this craft can get a little messy, but don’t worry! It’s best to use water-based paints, which are easier to remove from clothing than oil-based paints, and stick with washable, child-safe glues.

Making binoculars

It’s best to make the binoculars in advance, perhaps a day or two before the trip. This gives the paints and glue plenty of time to dry, so that the binoculars will be ready to go whenever your kids are.

Here’s what you do:

Begin by letting your kids pick out the colour of card they want to use. Cut it to size, wrap it around the two empty toilet rolls and glue or tape it in place. (Your little ones should be able to do most of this by themselves with adult supervision, but you might want to do the cutting part yourself.)

Then attach the two rolls together at the sides so that they look like binoculars. You can either glue, staple, or tape the two rolls side by side — it’s up to you!

Cut a strip of card that’s long enough to wrap all the way around the short circumference of the two rolls, and wide enough that it leaves around a 1cm gap at each end of the binoculars.

Glue or tape this strip of card onto the rolls (it will help to keep them together), and then decorate the binoculars however you like. You can use gems, stars, feathers and more – see what you and your little ones can come up with together!
 
Finally, cut a length of string or ribbon that’s long enough that your kids will be able to hang the binoculars around their neck safely. Tape the two ends of the string to the insides of both of the rolls. 

Making toilet paper binoculars for a safari trip isn’t just a fun way to pass an afternoon – it also helps to teach your little ones about recycling, and how we can make use of old items in the home rather than throwing them away. After making your binoculars, why not have a walk through the house with your kids and see if they can spot any other ‘rubbish’ that could be turned into incredible safari trip accessories?