Lovely childcare

[Childcare] Easy to make! Handmade toys that delight 0-year-olds

9 years of experience as a nursery school teacherShibata Risa
I am an active nursery school teacher with 9 years of experience. After graduating from university, I worked at a daycare center. The time I spent happily with children—playing piano, singing songs, and doing finger-play—are priceless memories to me. Currently, while raising three children of my own, I work at an after-school day service, engaging with children and providing individualized developmental support. Drawing on my diverse experiences as a childcare worker and as a mother, I hope to express and convey my thoughts through writing.

As the months go by, a 0-year-old baby steadily grows and can do more and more.

Each little milestone is joyful and incredibly precious.

Many people may be thinking, “I want to make handmade toys” that match their baby’s development and interests.

So this time, we’re introducing handmade toy ideas that are perfect for babies under one.

These toys are packed with ideas that babies can look at, listen to, touch, and play with in fascination!

They’re all easy to make using familiar recyclables or materials from the 100-yen shop, so be sure to find something your baby will love and give it a try.

[Childcare] Easy to make! Handmade toys that delight 0-year-olds (41–50)

Salt maracas

@gmamanoikuji
Easy handmade educational toys that babies can play with from 0 years oldtoy Educational Translation #HandmadeToys
♬ CHILDAYS – BLOOM VASE

The colors change every time you play! Here’s how to make salt maracas that are fun to look at and fun to shake.

First, take a small plastic bottle that’s easy for a 0-year-old to hold, and put in one pastel crayon of your favorite color along with some salt.

If you use a funnel for the salt, you can pour it into the container cleanly without spilling.

Finally, close the lid and secure it with tape, and you’re done.

When you shake it like a maraca, the pastel’s color rubs off onto the salt, causing the salt’s color to change.

Make them with lots of different colors and have fun playing together!

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Perfect for button practice! Onigiri

[Buttoning Practice] Handmade Felt Rice Balls (With Fillings, Bonus Included) [Easy DIY Toy]

Perfect for button practice! Onigiri

Here’s an idea for felt rice balls that help kids practice buttoning! First, cut a rectangle from white felt and fold it.

Keeping the middle of the folded edge intact, cut it into a rice ball shape.

Make fillings like pickled plum or salmon and sew on snap buttons.

Sew matching snap buttons to the center of the rice ball’s inside as well.

Sew a two-hole button to the upper inside part of the rice ball, and make a slit on the opposite side.

Finally, glue a strip of seaweed cut from black felt to the outside, and you’re done! Attach your favorite filling and close the rice ball with the buttons to enjoy making onigiri.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

A toy with many ways to play when cut into small pieces

Handmade toy using paper rolls for 1-year-olds

A toy with many ways to play when cut into small pieces

Cut a paper wrap core into five pieces and wrap them with felt to make a toy.

To prevent injuries from the cut edges, please cover them with masking tape or something similar.

Basically, once you cut and attach the felt, it’s done, but it could be fun to write numbers on them or add hook-and-loop fasteners so the cores stick together.

You can also prepare a string to enjoy threading, use them like building blocks, or connect them all to pretend they’re a train.

It’s a simple toy, but there are many ways to play with it!

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

picture book

Made with 100-yen shop items! Felt picture book! Let’s play with a pop-up/interactive book♪ Use it as design inspiration!

picture book

How about making a cloth picture book for babies out of felt? You can find colorful felt at 100-yen shops and craft stores, so try cutting, pasting, and sewing it to match your vision.

You can recreate a picture book your child loves, or add interactive elements they can play with.

There are many kinds of mechanisms: for example, motifs that can be peeled off with hook-and-loop tape, parts that fasten with buttons, and classics like puzzles or matching games.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Handmade maracas

[Handmade Instruments] Make Maracas with Things at Home: A Fun Activity to Do with Your Kids

Handmade maracas

Here’s an introduction to easy, handmade maracas you can make with everyday materials.

Gather a capsule toy case, a toilet paper roll, a plastic bottle, beads or buttons, and vinyl tape, and let’s get started.

Cut off the neck portion of the plastic bottle, roll the toilet paper core to make a sturdy handle, and attach it securely with vinyl tape.

Put the buttons or beads inside the capsule toy case, fasten it firmly with vinyl tape, and close the lid.

Once it’s finished, shake your maracas, sing along, and have fun!

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem