Pipe cleaners are a versatile craft material that is easily obtainable if it is not already in your craft supplies at home. With pipe cleaners kids can twist them into many kinds of crafts, use them for learning activities such as STEM projects or fine motor activities. Kids can even make little toys to play with using pipe cleaners!

Below you will find 25+ pipe cleaner crafts and activities for kids to make. Most of the projects use pipe cleaners exclusively. Others need a few other basic craft materials.

Pipe Cleaner Crafts: Things for Kids to Make & Do

Kids of all ages will have fun creating, playing and learning with these pipe cleaner craft ideas. And the best part is pipe cleaner crafts make excellent activities for quiet time. 

Pipe Cleaner Crafts for Kids

Pipe Cleaner Crown– This simple crown can be made with glittery pipe cleaners for some added sparkle! They are a wonderful craft to make and wear to celebrate birthdays and holidays such as New Years Eve!

Pipe Cleaner Starfish by Glued to My Crafts. This cute little starfish craft is simple to make with some pipe cleaners and googly eyes. It’s a great craft to add to a summer learning program or beach theme. 

Pipe Cleaner Fireworks Craft by Crafty Morning. Using pipe cleaners even toddlers can create some fireworks art! This is a great activity to do around New Year’s Eve or any patriotic holiday.

Hungry Caterpillar Craft by A Mummy Too. Kids can make this adorable hungry caterpillar craft to go along with The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. It’s a wonderful craft to make that works on fine motor skills.

Pipe Cleaner Animals by Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls. There are so many animals that can be created using pipe cleaners. Check out this post for a whole list of adorable pipe cleaner animal crafts you and your kids can make!

Learning with Pipe Cleaners

Learning Letters with Pipe Cleaners by Make and Takes. Make learning letters hands-on with this simple pipe cleaner craft. All you need is a pack of colorful pipe cleaners to teach preschoolers letter formation. 

DIY Touch and Feel Shapes by Teach Me Mommy. With some cardboard squares and pipe cleaners, parents and teachers can make this sensory shape activity. It would be a great activity for toddlers and preschoolers who are learning shapes. You could even make it a matching game!

Pipe Cleaner Counting Activity by Planning Playtime. This simple counting activity uses paper cups and pipe cleaners. It would be a great quiet time activity for preschoolers! 

Counting Beads on a Pipe Cleaner by Laughing Kids Learn. Another simple way for preschoolers to practice counting is with pipe cleaners and beads. It is also an excellent fine motor activity! 

Sight Word Threading by Childhood 101. This hands-on sight word spelling activity uses pipe cleaners and letter beads. This is a wonderful learning activity for kindergarteners and kinesthetic learners! 

Practice Spelling with Pipe Cleaner Words by Creative Family Fun. Here’s another hands-on learning activity using pipe cleaners to practice spelling words! All you need is some pipe cleaners and your spelling word list! 

Pipe Cleaner STEM Projects

Grow a Borax Crystal Rainbow by The Homespun Hydrangea. Pipe cleaners are not just for crafts, they can also be used for science. Kids will delight in this cool crystal rainbow using borax and pipe cleaners!

Engineering for Kids: Straw Geodesic Dome  & Sphere by Babble Dabble Do. Explore geodesic structures with this cool STEM activity! All you need are pipe cleaners and straws to build a geodesic dome and sphere. 

Pipe Cleaner Magnetic Water Play by Modern Preschool.  Young children will have fun exploring the science of magnetism with this simple water play sensory bin. Simply fill a bin with water, add small pieces of pipe cleaner and invite preschoolers to explore with magnets. 

STEM Activity: Tensile Bubbles by Babble Dabble Do. With some pipe cleaners and straws you and your kids will have fun making tensile bubbles! This would be a great activity to do outside in the spring or summer! 

Pipe Cleaner Constellations by 123Homeschool4Me. Kids will have fun learning about constellations with this hands-on activity! All you need are star shaped beads and pipe cleaners to create models of the constellations. 

Playing with Pipe Cleaners 

LEGO Duplo Ring Toss with Pipe Cleaners by Stir the Wonder.  Make this fun ring toss game with pipe cleaners and DUPLO bricks. Kids will have a blast trying to toss the pipe cleaner rings onto the DUPLO towers!  

Pipe Cleaner Tic Tac Toe by Make and Takes. Kids can make this simple tic tac toe game using only pipe cleaners. This is a perfect game to bring along as part of a busy bag or quiet activity. 

DIY Shape Bubble Wands at Red Ted Art. Kids can make these adorable bubble wands with pipe cleaners, beads, wire and cookie cutters. Then mix up some simple bubble solution and have some fun blowing bubbles! 

Pipe Cleaner Finger Puppets by The Soccer Mom Blog. These  adorable pipe cleaner finger puppets are not only easy for kids to create but fun to play with too! All you need are some pipe cleaners, pom-poms and googly-eyes. 

Pipe Cleaner Super Heroes by Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls. Kids will have fun making and playing with these adorable pipe cleaner super heroes. All you need are some pipe cleaners, paper straws and beads.

Pipe Cleaner Dancing Princesses by Blue Bear Wood. Kids can make and play with these beautiful pipe cleaner dancing princesses. All you need are some pipe cleaners and fancy paper napkins for this craft!

Pipe Cleaner Fishing Game for Toddlers by Best Toys 4 Toddlers. This simple fishing game is fun for toddlers. All you need are some pipe cleaners and jars to make this activity that works on fine motor skills. 

Pipe Cleaner Fine Motor Activities 

Weaving with Pipe Cleaners by JDaniel’s Mom. This simple fine motor activity utilizes pipe cleaners and a wire rack found in most kitchens. This weaving activity is a good one for quiet time. 

Pipe Cleaner and Colander Play by Hands On As We Grow. Keep your toddler busy with this simple fine motor activity. All you need are a handful of pipe cleaners and a colander. Little ones will be challenged by poking the pipe cleaners into the holes. 

Threading with Pipe Cleaners and Straws by Laughing Kids Learn. Threading pipe cleaners with straws is a great quiet time activity that also works on fine motor skills. Simply cut up some straws and pair them with pipe cleaners for this activity. 

Fall Button Trees. Kids will have fun threading beads onto pipe cleaners with this simple fine motor activity. All you need are are colorful beads and pipe cleaners. 

Pipe Cleaner Toddler Toy by Craftulate. This pipe cleaner toddler toy is simple to make using an old snack can, a hole puncher and some pipe cleaners. It’s a great activity for young toddlers to play with and practice fine motor skills during quiet time. 

I hope these 25+ pipe cleaner crafts and activities inspire you and your kids to get creative while crafting, playing and learning with pipe cleaners!