Age 4: Simple and Fun! Handmade Toy Ideas

sensory toy play

[Indoor Play] Sensory Toys from the Tummy Time Stage #TexturePlay #0YearOlds

Fun for all ages! Here are some sensory toy play ideas.

You’ll need: food storage bags, colored water, oil, adzuki beans, erasers, toy goldfish, beads, bells, hair gel, and tape.

Put the materials you prepared into the bag along with the hair gel! Changing up the colors and textures makes the feel different and more interesting.

Sensory toys are recommended not only for infants but also for preschoolers—they’re engaging to look at and touch, and kids will be totally absorbed.

milk carton

I made a spinning top from a milk carton that even 1–2 year-olds can spin. It’s easy, spins well, and is a handmade toy. ❤︎ DIY/spinning top/milk carton/It’s that easy!! ❤︎ #693

This is a spinning top made from an opened milk carton, with four wings spread out in all directions.

As you cut each wing, try to keep them the same size and aim for a shape that spins more easily.

To improve spin, cut the tips of the wings at an angle and attach a plastic bottle cap in the center as the axle.

It’s recommended to build it with the inside (white side) of the carton facing up, as it makes pen decorations easier.

To keep the wings straight and stable, you can also reinforce them by layering thick paper or cardboard.

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kappamaki

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Climbing Santa Claus made with a paper cup

[Craft Play] Christmas Project: Let’s Make a Climbing Santa

Here’s a craft idea themed around Santa Claus climbing a chimney to deliver presents! First, prepare a paper cup with the bottom cut out.

Attach two short pieces of straw to the inside of the cup with tape, placing them diagonally opposite each other.

Next, thread a piece of string through one straw, then loop it back through the other straw to create a U-shape—that completes the mechanism.

Decorate the outside of the cup with a Santa Claus cutout made from cardstock, and you’re done! Hook the top of the U-shaped string onto something like a hook, then pull the two hanging ends alternately, left and right, and Santa will climb higher and higher! The best part is that it’s not just for display—you can actually play with it.

You might also draw Christmas-themed designs directly on the paper cup.

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Araki Jakkan

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Panda’s Tambourine

Cute instruments can lift the mood! Here’s a panda tambourine idea to try.

You’ll need a paper plate, a straw, scissors, masking tape, panda parts cut from construction paper, and glue or double-sided tape.

First, cut the straw with scissors.

Next, fold the paper plate in half, put the cut straw pieces inside, and seal it.

Finally, attach the panda parts made from construction paper—and you’re done! It’s a charming, creative idea that will capture children’s interest.

Give it a try!

snail

Art using marbles is gaining attention.

It’s fun to dip marbles in paint and roll them around on paper to create unpredictable patterns, and it can also lead to surprising results beyond your expectations.

Here, choose a round sheet of paper in your favorite color and roll marbles coated in colors you like to make a pattern on it.

We’ll use that as the snail’s shell.

Snails go well with rainy scenes, and the traces left by the marbles—like after a rain—should match nicely, creating a lovely atmosphere.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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