Age 4: Simple and Fun! Handmade Toy Ideas
By the age of four, children’s imaginations blossom, and they become able to express their thoughts and feelings smoothly in words.
They also get better at using tools like scissors and glue, which further expands the range of crafts they can make.
So this time, we’re introducing handmade toy ideas that will captivate four-year-olds.
From moving toys to flying toys to sound-making toys, there are plenty of fun ideas that will capture a four-year-old’s heart!
Encourage children to use their free imagination and expressive power to make a favorite piece.
We hope they have lots of fun playing while enjoying communication with their friends!
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[Age 4] Simple and Fun! Handmade Toy Ideas (11–20)
Bowling
Introducing a DIY toy you can make with everyday materials.
It’s a simple bowling game that even small children can enjoy—perfect for getting everyone excited together.
No special supplies are required.
Just gather common items you already have at home or can find at a dollar store, like paper cups, colored paper, newspapers, and tape, and you can make it and start playing right away.
There’s no complicated tool-making or difficult crafting steps, so adults and kids can have fun creating together and sharing ideas as they play.
Another great point is that you can play anytime, anywhere with the toys you’ve made.
The candy box transforms! A moving horse
Let’s make a horse using a box of your favorite snacks! Since the package will become the pattern, pick a box with a design you like.
First, cut the box into three rings of equal width.
Place one ring horizontally, and to its left, place another ring vertically.
Staple the touching edges to create the horse’s body and neck.
Take the remaining ring, turn it horizontally, align its left end with the others, and attach it along the underside of the body.
Flatten the part that sticks out on the left so it juts out, and staple it.
Then, cut the head, legs, ears, and tail from the leftover box pieces and glue them on.
If you hold the part sticking out on the left side of the body and pull the tail on the opposite side, the neck will move.
3D horse made of Perler beads
Iron beads are a handmade toy you can even find at 100-yen shops.
You arrange small pipe-shaped pieces on a pegboard and fuse them with the heat of an iron to enjoy all kinds of designs.
Basically, you make flat designs, but like this horse idea, you can combine flat pieces to create three-dimensional results too.
Iron beads are sold in a wide variety of colors, so try making a horse in your favorite shades.
Add a horn and it might even become a unicorn!
A cute horse made from a plastic bottle
Great for kids’ crafts too! It’s a colorful project finished by repurposing materials that would normally be thrown away.
You’ll need two plastic bottles, a toilet paper roll, tissues, three sheets of colored paper, a pen, scissors, tape, and a thin stick.
In the video, 500 ml bottles are used, but changing the size gives it a different look and makes it more fun.
It’s also a good idea to make it together with a parent or teacher, tailored to the child’s age!
Jump Flower
Have you ever made a handmade toy using a paper cup? Here, I’d like to share an idea kids can play with together and love: the “Jumping Flower.” It’s very simple to make—just cut slits into a paper cup and fold them toward the center.
It’s easy to play with, too: press the cup down from the top, and it pops up with a fun springy bounce! Since it looks like a flower, making it in various colors also makes it nice for display.
Try making it together during parent-child time and let your children’s smiles blossom!
straw airplane
Let me introduce a straw airplane.
Prepare a straw, a shorter sheet of construction paper, a longer sheet of construction paper, and cellophane tape, and let’s make it.
Roll up each of the short and long pieces of construction paper and tape them into rings.
Attach a strip of tape horizontally to one end of the straw, then stick the smaller paper ring to that end; do the same on the other end with the larger paper ring to complete it.
When flying and playing, make sure no one is around and use a wide, open space.
It could also be fun to race by launching multiple airplanes against each other.
[Age 4] Easy and fun! Handmade toy ideas (21–30)
cute pineapple toy
https://www.tiktok.com/@n.annlee321/video/7384368556575640833Here’s how to make a cute pineapple toy using a candy container! Use an empty cylindrical candy box that matches the size of a pool noodle.
Insert a yellow pool noodle inside, then cut it to the width that suits a pineapple shape.
It already looks pineapple-like at this point, but you can add the pineapple pattern by scoring it with a nail or a thin stick.
Finally, decorate the candy case to look like a tin can using fabric scraps or wrapping paper—and you’re done! It’s perfect for pretend play or playing shop.
