Make your own skittles

These easy homemade skittles are fun to play with, and fun to make! Just remember, any paint you use can take up to 24 hours to dry. 

A series of numbered, multi-coloured mini-skittles

This guide is part of our Sense Arts, Sport & Wellbeing programme. This activity can be done at a time that suits you, either in your own space or in an educational setting.

Who is this for?

This is a crafting activity for people who are deafblind or have complex disabilities.

Why does this make a difference?

This is a creative, sensory activity that helps people use their senses to connect with their surroundings, exploring colours and textures, and supporting independent choice and self-expression through creativity.

Scissors, coloured paper and toilet paper roll tubes

How to do this activity

What you’ll need

  • 12 toilet paper tubes
  • Felt tip pens
  • Scissors
  • Coloured paper and glue, or paint

Cutting red coloured paper with scissors to fit a toilet paper tube

Step 1

Make your skittles colourful by painting the toilet paper tubes in different colours. Alternatively, cut rectangles of different coloured paper to be the same width as each tube and long enough to wrap around.
Rolling the paper around the toilet paper tube and attaching it with tape

Step 2

Attach the coloured paper by rolling it around the tubes and attaching with tape, or glue. Leave the glue or paint to dry out if needed, remembering this could take a few hours.
A series of numbered, multi-coloured mini-skittles

Step 3

Add numbers to your skittles by drawing them on with a felt tip pen, or cutting them out of a different coloured paper and sticking on with glue.

Top tips

  • Paint on different patterns like spots or stripes if you want to make it even more colourful
  • Make the skittles more sensory by decorating each one with different textured craft materials so they feel different from one another