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 DIY toy ideas (11–20)
Jack-in-the-box made from a milk carton
Let’s make a perfect jack-in-the-box for birthday parties and celebrations, and have some thrilling fun with five-year-olds! First, flatten a milk carton and cut it into 5 cm-wide strips.
Decorating the cut pieces with hologram stickers will enhance the look.
Make small slits above and below around the center and hook a rubber band into them.
Fold it the other way, and you’ve created a mechanism that springs up with the power of the rubber band! Make several of these to match the size of your box.
Prepare some confetti as well and set everything in the box.
You can also add a message or a small gift.
When the lid is opened, the springy pieces and confetti pop out—this jack-in-the-box is a surefire hit that’s exciting every time you open it!
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!
Ponpoko Animals
Ponpoko Animals is a craft project that’s fun because it makes sounds.
There are many steps a five-year-old can do on their own, so making it together as a group will be lively and exciting.
First, as prep work, the teacher should make holes in plastic bottle caps and thread strings through them.
Have the children start from the step of tying knots at the ends of the strings.
After making two, attach them to the plastic bottle body so they line up where the hands would be.
Using vinyl tape works well.
Next, stick a face made from construction paper onto the bottle.
If the children make the faces themselves, the result will be even more original.
When you shake the bottle, the caps hit the body and make a rattling sound—your cute little toy is complete!
Sliding puzzle
Why not try making a sliding puzzle by hand? It’s a toy that makes use of a five-year-old’s thinking skills and imagination, and because it’s handmade, you can create the puzzle with a motif that interests them.
First, prepare three flat pieces of cardboard of the same size.
Set one aside as the base, then draw a frame on the other two and cut out the centers.
Stack the frames you made and glue them together.
For the puzzle section, cut it just slightly smaller so it fits easily, and draw the puzzle piece lines on the back.
After attaching the picture to the front, cut along the lines of the pieces on the back.
Finally, fit the pieces into the frame and remove one piece—done!
Slinky
It’s fun to make and play with! Here are some ideas for a slinky.
A slinky is typically a springy toy made of metal or plastic with a unique spiral shape.
When you hold it and tilt it, it’s captivating to watch it descend down stairs or a slope.
This time, let’s make a slinky with origami! You’ll need quarter-sized sheets of origami paper, cardstock, and glue or double-sided tape.
Since you’ll be repeatedly folding the same parts and need to follow the steps carefully, it’s a project that encourages focused, attentive crafting.
ruffous horseshoe bat
Just like a real bat! Here’s an idea for a flapping bat.
Bats are nocturnal and often rest during the day in caves, gaps in trees, or attics, but many children are familiar with them from Halloween illustrations and picture books.
This time, let’s make a flapping bat with origami.
All you need is origami paper cut to half size.
The steps are simple and easy to follow, so once kids learn the folds, they’ll likely be able to make one on their own!
Recommended for 5-year-olds! Simple DIY toy ideas (21–30)
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.
