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You are here: Home / Activities & Crafts / How To Make A Paper Chain Countdown

How To Make A Paper Chain Countdown

August 1, 2024 by Rachel Easley

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My kids love making paper chain countdowns when special events are coming up! We have always make one for Christmas and for birthdays. Making a countdown chain is a fun way to keep track of days before going on vacation or celebrating someone special coming to visit. They’re more fun than just going each day and looking at a calendar, at least for kids! These are so easy to make and take no time at all. The best thing about making these chains is that you more than likely have everything you need at home already and you can make a simple paper chain countdown and customize it for any occasion.

This tutorial for how to make paper chains was first shared on August 23, 2016. I made a few updates and I am publishing it here for my new readers to enjoy.

Countdown Chain Tutorial

paper chain countdown

Countdown Paper Chain Craft Supplies Needed:

  • different colors of paper (construction paper works best because it is a little thicker than regular printer paper)
  • scissors
  • tape
  • markers

You only need a few basic craft supplies for this easy craft countdown paper chain.

paper chain supplies

How To Make A Paper Ring Countdown Step-By-Step:

Your kids are going to love this fun activity! Here is how to make a paper chain in a few simple steps.

First, you need to choose what occasion you will be making your paper chain countdown for! School has not started for my kiddos yet so we chose to make a Back To School paper chain countdown to help get prepared for the first day of school. This also works well for the end of school and counting down the days of school left.

If you don’t have any special occasions coming up, you could make one for a holiday like Halloween, or even Easter! As a fun variation, you make a paper countdown chain to celebrate Christmas day. Just start with December 1st and it will be sort of like a cool paper advent calendar and double as cute Christmas decorations.

making paper chain

Take your marker and sketch out what your chain will be hanging from. For us, we drew an apple for our back to school chain. If you have a birthday coming up, draw a cake or a present. For a Halloween countdown chain, you could draw a ghost or pumpkin and so on. Cut out your chain topper and set aside.

Next, count how many days till your special occasion. Grab your scissors and several more sheets of construction paper and cut out paper strips that correlate to the number of days till the big day.

how to make paper chain countdown

After all your strips of paper are cut out, start taping the ends of each strip of paper together to make loops or rings. Interlock each paper ring to the previous one to create a chain link. For your last link which will actually be your first loop at the top, cut a slit close to the bottom of your paper chain topper (for us, it’s our apple) and slide the last piece of paper you have into the slit and tape the 2 ends together! Now you have your paper chain countdown!

back to school paper chain

If you want, write your occasion on your paper ring countdown topper and include the date. That is how you make paper countdown chains. Pretty easy right?

Paper Countdown Chain Conclusion

First make the paper chain countdown as instructed above. Then each day that goes by, young children will have so much fun getting to remove one paper link form the chain and see the days literally growing shorter until the big event. It is a simple way to make time fly! This easy craft is such a fun way to celebrate your favorite holidays.

Have you ever made a paper countdown chain before? Try this fun twist the next time a special occasion is coming up! Kids of all ages love these and crafts are great for children’s development.  Do your kids enjoy crafts?

Related Posts:

Easy Toilet Paper Roll Crafts Kids Will Love To Make

How to Make a Milk Jug Bird Feeder

Construction Paper Crafts: How To Make Fall Pencil Toppers

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Comments

  1. Nina says

    August 1, 2024 at 2:20 pm

    What an easy, fun craft. I already knew how to make a paper chain but I never thought of using the paper chain as a countdown chain. My kids will love this!

  2. Gauthamarul says

    August 2, 2024 at 4:54 am

    I love the idea that each day kids can remove one link to mark the countdown, making it a great visual way to anticipate special events or holidays.

  3. Kidzonia says

    August 3, 2024 at 1:57 am

    Creating a paper chain countdown is a wonderful activity to engage children, enhancing their fine motor skills and fostering creativity. At Kidzonia, we love incorporating such hands-on activities into our curriculum to make learning fun and interactive. Thank you for sharing this delightful idea!

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Thanks for reading Family Focus Blog, a parenting and lifestyle blog that provides tips, advice, and inspiration for families. It covers a wide range of topics, including parenting tips, family-friendly recipes, eco-friendly living, family travel, home decor, and family activities. The blog was created in 2010 by Nashville mom blogger, Scarlet Paolicchi. She shares her personal experiences and practical advice for raising children and maintaining a balanced family life. Scarlet Paolicchi is the author of four books, available through her affiliate link on Amazon.

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