Recommended for 5-year-olds! Simple DIY toy ideas
Five-year-olds become more dexterous and better at using tools, so you’ll start to see them trying to express the images they imagine through their own creations.
We want them to build up lots of experiences while enjoying the fun of making things on their own.
So this time, we’re introducing handmade toy ideas that will further expand the world of making for five-year-olds.
From toys with unique movements, to ones that invite deep, focused play, to those that encourage interaction with friends—we’ve gathered plenty of handmade toy ideas that kids will love.
Incorporate each child’s free ideas and creativity, make adjustments as you go, and try making and playing a lot together with friends and teachers.
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Recommended for 5-year-olds! Simple handmade toy ideas (71–80)
Crafting fish with 100-yen shop magnets
Freshly caught and flopping! Here’s an idea for a fish craft you can make using magnets from a 100-yen shop.
It’s perfect for anyone wondering, “What kind of craft can I make with magnets?” All you need are construction paper, tape, a pen, scissors, and a magnetic sheet.
The video mainly features mackerel, but it looks like you can adapt it to other fish like flounder or filefish.
It’s such a unique idea that you’ll want to make it flop again and again!
Dreamland with a magnet
Learn about magnets while having fun crafting! Here’s a magnetic Dreamland idea.
The charm of this project is that you can make a mysterious, entertaining toy that moves using capsules and magnets.
You’ll need origami paper, a white board, construction paper, magnets, empty gashapon capsules, poster paper, a color wave sheet, glue, scissors, and pens.
Draw roads on the board and decorate with construction paper and the color wave sheet.
Put a car illustration on an empty capsule and place a magnet inside—then it’s done! Move the capsule with the car illustration by guiding a magnet from the back of the board!
Cup-and-ball (kendama) made with paper cups
Here’s a paper-cup kendama that’s fun for practicing tricks.
The main materials for this idea are two paper cups, string, and origami paper.
First, prepare a ball made by rolling up origami paper and attach a string to it.
Next, connect the two paper cups bottom to bottom, gluing the string between them.
In no time, your kendama is complete.
It could also be fun to decorate the cups however you like.
By the way, if it’s hard to catch the ball, try attaching the string to the rim side of the cup instead.
Paper cup rocket making
Here’s a paper-cup rocket that’s perfect for indoor play.
Prepare paper cups, rubber bands, construction paper, pens, scissors, and glue.
Cut four slits into one of the paper cups.
Leave the other paper cup as is.
Take two rubber bands, stretch them, and attach them to each other in a crisscross shape.
Hook the connected rubber bands onto the slitted parts of the paper cup.
With the cup that has the rubber bands on top and the other cup as a base underneath, press down; the rubber band’s force will launch the cup upward like a rocket.
You can decorate the paper cups with colored pens, origami paper, or stickers to make them even cuter.
Paper Cup Windmill
Let’s make a spinning pinwheel using a paper cup and a straw! It’s lovely to head out to the playground, feel the summer breeze, and play with your handmade pinwheel.
First, poke a hole in the bottom of the paper cup and cut it into six equal sections.
If the teacher draws guide lines beforehand, it will make the process easier for the children.
Next, apply glue to the hole you made in the bottom of the cup and insert a toothpick.
Finally, insert a chopstick into a bendy straw to make a handle, attach it to the paper cup, and you’re done! If you draw patterns on the paper cup with your favorite colored pens or crayons before spinning it, the colors will look beautiful—give it a try!
Picture matching cards
Here’s an introduction to a memory-boosting toy: matching picture cards.
These are cards made with felt, featuring different characters.
The cards come in pairs and are played like Concentration.
It’s fun to design lots of popular characters like Jam Uncle and Dokin-chan.
You’re free to choose which characters to include, so why not research which ones the children like? By the way, using felt from a 100-yen shop is perfectly fine.
Bug-catching toy
We’ll introduce how to make a bug-catching toy.
Get construction paper, magnets, straws, paper clips, glue, and some netting ready.
Cut colored construction paper into circles and assemble them into bugs.
Attach one paper clip to each bug and secure it with cellophane tape so it won’t come off.
Next, let’s make the bug-catching net.
Cut a ring out of thick paper and remove the center.
Thread the netting through the ring and staple it in place.
Make the handle out of a straw and attach it securely, then glue on a magnet, and you’re done! Have fun seeing how many bug cards you can catch.