Let’s build a city out of paper for a fun architectural activity! If your kids love to build and are looking for a new challenge, they’re going to love building a paper city! It is the ultimate paper craft idea for kids of all ages that requires limited supplies that you already have on hand plus their imagination. We have new paper house templates that you can download, print, decorate, fold and secure to make your own paper city.
Paper House & City Crafts for kids
Making your own paper city is a great way to not only keep your child busy, but also give them a creative outlet to create and play. Creating your own paper city is educational entertainment that introduces some basic architecture concepts and stretches kids imaginations into 3D with paper folding and paper building techniques.
Related: More Paper Crafts for Kids
Building paper cities is so fun they won’t even know they’re learning. Use the cut out printable house templates for easy paper building.
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Build a Paper City
We were originally inspired by Foster + Partners, a British architecture studio, who released paper craft building templates online, complete with instructions on how to fold and glue each building and structure. We loved the fabulous STEAM activity for kids of all ages, that combined so many different skills, all while being fun.
Printable City Building Templates for Kids
Unfortunately, they removed the online building templates, but here at Kids Activities Blog we used them as inspiration to create our own paper houses!
Architecture For Kids
1. Simple House with Roof Template
The first printable house template has simple lines and can be decorated in any way as a house or store for your paper city.
2. Fancy House with Roof Template
Our second printable house template is a fancier house with decorative roof tiles that can be decorated to be added to your paper city.
Download & Print House Template PDF Files Here
Our Experience Building a Paper City
My six-year-old loved cutting out some of the bigger shapes, coloring in parts of the building, and learning how to fold the paper into boxes.
Related: Have you build a paper bag city?
Little does she realize how much she’s learning as she creates her own paper city! After all, this activity is wonderful for encouraging not only creativity and art, but design and engineering skills too.
Additional Architecture For Kids Projects
As kids create and build more and more buildings and houses, they can start to design an entire city. In other words, this paper city activity may keep your kiddos busy and entertained for hours.
They’ll have a blast not only putting together the buildings, but deciding how to organize their paper city too.
“The main aim has been to get them to ask questions about their surroundings and start thinking about their built environment. For instance, the photo story activity teaches children about scale and prompts them to think differently about space and buildings.”
-Katy Harris, a senior partner at Foster + Partners, told Dezeen
DIY Paper Buildings For Kids Ages 2-12
While Foster + Partners says they designed the templates and activities with kids age 2 to 12 years old in mind, they’re finding that kids of all ages (and yes, parents too) are having a blast making their own paper city.
People from all over the world are emailing their creations directly with Foster + Partners as well as sharing them through social media using the hashtag #architecturefromhome.
For younger kids not yet ready to fold and assemble boxes, consider creating a pretend city with them using paper bags instead.
More Fun Paper Crafts & STEAM Ideas from Kids Activities Blog
- Looking for more STEM projects? Check out this solar system for kids!
- Want to learn how to make a paper airplane?
- Learn about kinetic energy from an origami hopping frog.
- I love this simple origami heart that is easy to fold and fun to give to a friend.
- Teach your child about life science with these mini terrarium and mini ecosystems.
- You can get over 3,000 printable STEM activity pages for your kids!
- Try your hand at some fun construction paper crafts for kids.
- Oh so many LEGO building ideas
- Your kids will love this straw challenge. It’s a fun STEM project.
- Try this red cup STEM challenge!
Did you have fun with this paper craft? What did your paper city look like?
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