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! Easy DIY toy ideas (51–60)
Infinite spin
Let’s make an “Infinite Spinner,” a toy you can keep turning round and round like an origami kaleidoscope! Prepare six paper strips from construction paper.
Using two colors with three strips each makes it look extra cute.
Overlap the ends at a 90-degree angle and glue them, then fold the papers alternately.
When the strips get short, connect the remaining strips and repeat the steps.
Once everything is connected, trim any excess with scissors.
Glue the end faces together, and you’re done! The process is very simple, so why not make one as a toy for your child?
bamboo-copter
These are bamboo-copter toys made with marble art—fun both to decorate and to play with once they’re finished! Line a box with thin paper like copier paper, then roll marbles coated in paint to create patterns.
Once it’s completely dry, cut an opened milk carton into 1.7 cm-wide strips and attach the patterned paper to both sides.
Insert the folded milk-carton piece into a pre-slit straw, adjust the angle, then open the wings to the left and right—and it’s done! These bamboo-copters with colorful, unique patterns are sure to stand out against the sky.
CD
If you’ve got CDs lying around at home, why not repurpose them into handmade spinning tops? By combining a CD with a marble, you can transform it into a top that spins really well! The trick is to choose a marble that’s slightly larger than the hole in the center of the CD.
To make it, just apply glue around the center hole of the CD and fix the marble in place.
You can also add a small piece of double-sided tape where you pinch it, or use a finger cot for extra grip, making it easier to spin.
Plus, it’s fun to design and decorate the disc! Try making your own original top in your favorite colors and have fun spinning it.
For pretend play! Bento ingredients
Let’s make a felt bento lunch! You can choose your favorite items like rice balls (onigiri), hamburger patty, fried shrimp, tomato, potato salad, and rolled omelet.
The size of each item will depend on the lunch box you use.
Try making them however you like—glue felt pieces together, or sew them and stuff them with cotton.
There’s also a children’s song about bento, so it could be fun to recreate the bento that appears in the lyrics.
Once you’re finished, enjoy your bento-making!
Recommended for 5-year-olds! Simple DIY toy ideas (61–70)
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!
nori-maki (seaweed roll; sushi roll wrapped in seaweed)
Here’s how to make a sushi roll–shaped toy that’s delightful in look, sound, and feel.
You’ll need items like plastic bottle caps and beans (or similar) to make the rattle sound.
Put the sound-making beans inside a cap, seal it with tape, then attach felt pieces for the seaweed, rice, and fillings to give it a sushi-roll look, and you’re done.
You can stack them like building blocks, use them as play kitchen props, or simply shake them to enjoy the sound—there are many ways to play.
Change the fillings and they can even serve as board game pieces.
They’re suitable for a wide range of ages, from babies to young children.
The making process is fun too, so craft them together with kids and enjoy playing with your sushi roll toys.
ice cream
Here’s an idea for a toy that lets you play ice cream shop! You can make it using felt, magnets, cardboard, and stuffing.
Basically, you stuff cotton into felt cut into circles or half-circles to create the ice cream scoops and cones.
A sticker-type magnet attached to cardboard is placed in the flat part of the cone and the bottom of the ice cream, so when you put the ice cream on the cone, it sticks and won’t fall off easily.
Make different kinds of ice cream by changing the felt colors and toppings!