Lovely childcare

Let’s make it with 3-year-olds! Fun handmade toy ideas

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.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

Let’s make and play with handmade toys together with your three-year-old!

Making your own toys lets children experience the joy of creating original pieces and gives them a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment—there are so many benefits.

So this time, we’ve gathered ideas for DIY toys recommended for three-year-olds.

Everything uses familiar materials and involves simple tasks with few steps, making them easy for three-year-olds to try.

Have fun drawing freely, adding decorations, and creating a one-of-a-kind special toy together.

Let’s Make It with 3-Year-Olds! Fun DIY Toy Ideas (31–40)

Handmade microphone

[4-year-olds] Looks just like the real thing?! Handmade microphone!

Handmade microphone

Let me introduce a cute original microphone craft.

Prepare a plastic wrap tube, a capsule toy container, origami paper, and yarn, and let’s make it.

Wrap the origami paper around the plastic wrap tube so that a bit of the paper sticks out on either the left or right side.

On the side where the paper sticks out, tape on the yarn, crumple the extra paper to make it small, and tuck it into the center of the wrap tube—this completes the microphone handle.

Next, place the capsule toy container on top of the wrap tube and tape it so it won’t fall off, and your microphone is complete! Draw a switch on the handle, and add illustrations or stickers as you like to create your very own original microphone.

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Handmade aluminum balloon

https://www.tiktok.com/@mumumama_ch/video/7470453610678127890

Let’s have fun with aluminum foil! Here are some ideas for making DIY aluminum balloons.

Aluminum foil is commonly used for cooking and storage, right? This time, let’s use the aluminum foil you have at home to make handmade aluminum balloons.

You’ll need aluminum foil, a pen, a round template, stickers, scissors, laminating sheets, tape, and a stick such as a disposable chopstick.

Draw on the aluminum foil, laminate it, then make a hole and blow air into it.

Insert the stick and secure it with tape, and you’re done!

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Toy stethoscope for playing doctor

When you want to play doctor, make a toy stethoscope and get into character! For this one, you’ll use a headband you can find at a 100-yen shop.

Cover the headband with a tube of sewn felt, so if it has any decorations, remove them first.

For the tubing, use a string or cord, and for the chest piece, cover a suitably sized cap or lid with felt.

Once you’ve connected everything, your stethoscope is ready! It might be even more fun if you also make items like a medicine bag or bandages.

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Sandwich shop

How about making a sandwich toy inspired by Anpanman characters? Try creating baguettes shaped like Anpanman or Shokupanman’s faces, as well as fillings like ham, cheese, and vegetables.

The basic material is felt.

Since the baguette needs thickness, you’ll have to stuff it with cotton and sew it, but I think the other parts can be assembled by gluing them together.

Be sure to make it with your child’s favorite characters and enjoy some pretend play!

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Paku-Paku Bear

Pakupaku Kuma-san: a bear face sewn onto a large piece of felt with a zipper for its mouth.

Next to the bear, items like rice balls, bread, eggs, and vegetables are attached with snap buttons.

You can unfasten them and feed them to the bear—it’s a toy, right? The actions of unbuttoning and buttoning seem helpful for developing fine motor skills, and seeing the bear eagerly eat everything might spark children’s interest in food, making them think, “I want to try the same thing,” or “I wonder what it tastes like?”

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Let’s Make It with 3-Year-Olds! Fun Handmade Toy Ideas (41–50)

Fruit Concentration

These are felt cards you can use to play Concentration (Memory)! You can choose any motifs you like—fruits, vehicles, animals, anything is fine.

However, since Concentration is a game where you match pairs of identical cards, be sure to make two cards of each design.

Cut felt into card shapes and either glue or sew the motifs onto them.

If you’re making everything out of felt, it’s efficient to layer the same fabric and cut two identical pieces at once to save time.

If you want to keep things simple, you could also use store-bought appliqués and just stick them on.

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Fishing for fish

I made a felt fishing toy / handmade / hand-crafted / educational toy

Fishing for fish

Fishing is one of the most popular pastimes for children.

So why not try making various sea creatures out of felt? In addition to fish, kids might be delighted to have creatures you wouldn’t normally catch when fishing, like sharks, dolphins, and turtles.

If you put a material inside that sticks to a magnet, they can enjoy “catching” them with a rod that has a magnet on the end.

You can make them by layering and gluing felt, or stuff them with cotton to give them a three-dimensional shape—both are recommended.

Since they’re toys, be sure to make them colorful!

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