Singapore National Day is right around the corner, and it’s one of my favourite times of the year to get creative with some kid-friendly crafts that are perfect for celebrating with your little ones. While the National Day Parade is always a highlight (especially with those fireworks and the flypast), you can create your own patriotic memories at home with these preschool National Day craft ideas for your little Merlion. So get cracking, and zhng your home with some red and white decor for the nation’s birthday!
1. Singapore Flag Craft
Suitable for: Ages 3 and up
Let’s kick things off with a classic: the Singapore Flag! This hands-on activity is a great way to teach kids about our flag’s colours and symbols as they build it step-by-step. Red represents our universal brotherhood, white symbolises purity and virtue, the crescent moon represents a rising young nation, and the five stars stand for Singapore’s five ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice, and equality. Your little one can proudly wave their handmade flag while watching the 2025 National Day Parade!
Materials you’ll need:
- Red and white coloured paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Paper straw or wooden dowel
Here’s how I put together this Singapore flag craft:
Step 1: Take two pieces of paper in red and white. Cut a rectangle out of the red paper, making it half the width of your white paper. I recommend using red glitter or metallic paper for an extra sparkle when waving!
Step 2: Take some white cardstock, cut out a crescent moon shape, and five stars.
Step 3: Stick the red rectangle onto a white base.
Step 4: Let your little one decorate it with the moon and stars according to their placement on the flag.
Step 5: Secure a straw or dowel as a flagpole, and you’ve got a mini Singapore flag ready to wave with pride!
2. Make-Your-Own Merlion Paper Doll
Suitable for: Ages 4 and up
The Merlion is one of Singapore’s most iconic symbols, and this adorable paper doll version is sure to be a hit with the kids! Don’t worry, this Singapore National Day craft is simple to make, and you’ll only need a few basic materials to get started. I used glitter paper for this project, which I highly recommend as it gave the Merlion toy some sparkle.
Materials you’ll need:
- Red and white coloured paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Marker
- Large popsicle stick
Here’s how I put together this Merlion craft:
Step 1: Cut out a Merlion shape from white cardstock, and draw on a cute face using black marker (don’t worry if it’s not perfect!).
Step 2: Cut out 12 red paper strips. For my Merlion, I traced a large popsicle stick to round out the edges of its mane so they look like flower petals.
Step 3: Arrange the strips around the head in a circular pattern like a sun, and glue them down one at a time.
Step 4: Cut out a few red half-circles to serve as scales for the Merlion’s tail. Glue the scales in overlapping pairs or trios at the bottom of the body to mimic a mermaid-tail effect.
Step 5: Attach the head to the body with glue. Then, glue a large popsicle stick to the back of the Merlion for a handle. Voilà, your little Merlion has a Merlion paper doll of their own that they can play around with, or use to cheer on the National Day Parade!
3. National Day Pinwheels
Suitable for: Ages 4 and up
You might remember this craft from your own time in preschool, and that’s why this list wouldn’t be complete without this timeless preschool National Day craft idea. These pinwheels are easy to make, and fun to play with! You can craft them out of soft foam or paper, making them safe for little hands. Besides, it’s a great, mess-free activity to keep your child busy as they will love watching the red and white curls move as they blow on it.
Materials you’ll need:
- Soft foam or paper
- Dowel
- Paper fastener
- Glue
- Scissors
Here’s how I put together this pinwheel:
Step 1: Take a piece of scrapbook paper or cardstock. For my National Day pinwheel, I used a square of red-and-white dual-toned paper for that patriotic look. Cut from each corner toward the centre, but not all the way.
Step 2: Gently curl one point from each corner inward (always the same side of the triangle) and glue the tips to the centre, as seen in the image below.
Step 3: Once the glue has dried, punch a hole in the centre of your pinwheel.
Step 4: Slide a paper fastener through the centre hole.
Step 5: Attach your pinwheel to a paper straw or wooden dowel using the fastener, making sure it’s loose enough to spin freely. Now, give it a gentle blow and watch it spin!
4. DIY Lantern Craft
Suitable for: Ages 6 and up
This Singapore National Day craft is sure to light up your celebration – literally! Making your own lantern can be a festive bonding activity that you and your kiddo will enjoy making together, especially as you need hot glue to secure the pieces together. Battery-operated tealights make this craft kid-friendly too, so you can watch your child’s eyes beam with pride as they build and design their very own lantern.
Materials you’ll need:
- Popsicle sticks
- Tracing or baking paper – avoid using wax paper, as you won’t be able to design it
- Markers, paint, or coloured pencils
- Stickers (optional)
- Hot glue gun
- Battery-operated tealight or flashlight
How I put together this DIY lantern:
Step 1: Start by lining up red popsicle sticks to form a frame.
Step 2: With adult supervision, glue the pieces together using hot glue. Be careful not to burn yourself!
You should end up with five frames that look like this:
Step 3: Line up your frames on a sheet of tracing paper or baking paper. I used plain parchment paper for my lantern, which worked just as well. Lightly trace the inside of each frame onto the paper to mark the visible area, so your child knows where to decorate.
Step 4: Cut out the sheets, ensuring you have some allowance so you can glue the sheets onto your popsicle stick frames later on.
Step 5: Let your child draw, colour, or paint each panel with National Day designs. It’s a good opportunity to teach them about the different symbols, logos, and other Singaporean motifs. Then, glue each decorated paper panel onto a popsicle stick frame.
Step 6: Once dry, use hot glue to assemble the five frames into a cube (four sides and a top). Place a battery-operated tealight inside your DIY lantern, and let it light up the night with a warm, cosy glow that just gets you into that patriotic spirit with symbols and icons of Singapore!
5. Singapore National Day Paper Spinner
Suitable for: Ages 6 and up
This spinner craft is perfect for little hands that love to fidget! I used plain red, white, and red glitter paper for this project to create a mesmerising twirling design, but you can use your child’s favourite colours too. Watch the colours dance as your child spins them around the paper straw. Plus, this is a cool preschool National Day craft idea that will keep your child entertained while waiting for the parade to start!
Materials you’ll need:
- Thin paper strips
- Four paper circles
- Hole puncher
- Scissors
- Glue
- Paper straw or dowel
How I put together this Singapore National Day paper spinner:
Step 1: Cut strips of paper around half a centimetre wide. Cut out four circles out of white cardstock, and punch a hole in the middle of each.
Step 2: Use glue stick to secure the paper strips around one circle like sun rays, alternating colours for a spinning effect.
Step 3: Sandwich the paper strips with another circle, aligning the punched hole for the straw to go through later on.
Step 4: Repeat on the other side. If you’re using one-sided glitter or decorated paper like I did, make sure your design is facing outwards when you glue your paper strips.
Step 5: Thread a paper straw through the centre holes of your paper circles, and secure with a stopper. For my paper spinner, I rolled some cardstock around the straw, and glued the ends to form the stopper.
Step 6: Let the glue dry completely, then let your child have fun twirling and spinning around their own National Day paper spinner!
Celebrate with preschool National Day craft ideas your kiddos will love
This National Day 2025, celebrate Singapore with your kids as you spend time together as a family to show off your patriotic pride. Have fun creating Singapore-themed crafts with your kiddos, or teach them those nostalgic, traditional games in Singapore you used to play. Take your celebrations up a notch with the best cake delivery places for pastries that will delight your child (and the whole fam). Happy National Day!
