Lovely childcare

[For toddlers] Simple but amazing craft ideas — including toys they can play with

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: spinning-top tricks.
Keyboard playerSAKI
I’ve been playing the Electone since I was six, mainly performing Disney music, anime songs, and music from dramas and films. I post performance videos on YouTube and social media, and I also give concerts. Building on my Electone experience, I took up synthesizer and piano during my student years and performed at school-sponsored events. As a writer, I’ve covered not only music-related topics but a wide range of genres, so I hope to draw on my experience to deliver articles that make readers think, “I want to try that!” or “I want to listen to that!”

There are so many opportunities to do crafts at daycare and kindergarten, aren’t there?

Crafts help develop fine motor skills, nurture imagination and concentration, and offer plenty of great benefits for children’s development.

But are there teachers and parents out there thinking, “What should we make?” and running out of ideas?

In this article, we’ll introduce simple yet impressive craft ideas.

Many of them can be played with after making them, so the kids are sure to have a great time!

They’re all easy to make with materials that are simple to gather, so please use these as a reference.

[For Toddlers] Simple but Amazing Craft Ideas: Playable Toys Too (21–30)

A cute horse made from a plastic bottle

[Summer Vacation Crafts] [Plastic Bottle] How to Make a Cute Horse and Unicorn [Easy Craft]

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!

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Target shooting

[Easy ~5 minutes] Let’s DIY a shooting game for 0 yen! | Easy Disposable Chopsticks

Target shooting

Let’s make a rubber band shooter using a milk carton.

Gather a milk carton, rubber bands, chopsticks, scissors, and tape to build it.

Open the milk carton, cut it in half, and fold one half so the white side faces out.

Draw the outline of a gun on the folded carton, then cut it out through both layers.

Using the leftover carton pieces, layer them and sketch the trigger area to create the trigger that will release the rubber band.

Open the gun-shaped pieces and tape a chopstick along the center, then fold them back and insert the trigger so it can move.

Tape the surrounding carton pieces together.

Adjust to ensure the trigger moves smoothly, and you’re done! Hook a rubber band on and give it a try.

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[For toddlers] Simple but amazing craft ideas. Playable toys too (31–40)

Paper cup rocket making

[For 4-year-olds] Easy rocket craft using paper cups!

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.

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Ice Cream Kendama

[Craft] Let's make and play — Ice Cream Kendama

Ice Cream Kendama

Delicious ice cream turned into a kendama! Here’s a craft idea where, if you succeed at the kendama, it becomes an ice cream.

Draw a cone pattern on brown construction paper and mark the middle of either long side.

Align the end of a piece of kite string with the mark and tape it down, then roll the paper into a cone shape and secure it with tape.

It’s safer to tape down the stringed area as well.

Attach the other end of the kite string to the center of a sheet of newspaper with tape, and crumple the newspaper into a ball.

Cover it with your favorite color of origami paper from the top and secure it to make the ice cream part.

Draw patterns on the ice cream, and you’re done!

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Pool cue keychain

@sayacky_be.child
I put all the materials and tips together here 👇🏻 (Follow before you forget ▶︎ @sayacky_be.child) ⁡ ▫️Materials▫️ ・Pool noodles (Yellow is recommended! Seria) ・Lacquer spray (Brown! DAISO) *I also tried beige and white, but sorry 🙏🏻 ・White glue sticks (DAISO) ・Rhinestone stickers, etc. (Mine are from Seria) ┈┈┈┈┈Keychain materials from here┈┈┈┈┈ ・Mini fork (Mine is from Seria) ・Clear glue sticks (DAISO, Seria) ・Jump rings (Mine are from Seria) ・Keychain hardware (Mine is from Seria) ・Any decorations you like ⁡ ▫️Tools, etc.▫️ ・Utility knife & cutting mat ・Scissors ・Empty Chip Star can (if you have one!) ・Hot glue gun (craft store, hardware store, also at DAISO) ・Cardboard box (to protect surroundings when spraying) ・Rubber gloves (to protect hands when spraying) ┈┈┈┈┈Keychain tools from here┈┈┈┈┈ ・Awl or ice pick ・Something to heat with, like a lighter ・Cork board (as a base for making holes) ・Pliers, etc. (if you have them) ⁡ ▫️Tips▫️ ⚠️Read the usage precautions on the back of the lacquer spray carefully and use it outdoors, away from fire, with an adult! ・The pool noodle texture looks so real★ If adults do the prep and spraying, the kids can decorate however they like and use them for pretend play ♡ ・You can use glue mixed with paint instead of a glue gun ◎ It may just take longer to dry. ・I put mine in Madeleine paper cups (Seria), and set them on a tray (Seria) and wire grid (Seria)! ⁡ ⁡ ⋆┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈⋆ ⁡ Nice to meet you! “Let’s be kids together♪” I’m Sayacky, a nursery teacher and mom of two ♡ ⁡ I share play ideas that make both kids and former kids feel excited—together! ⁡ Please follow me☆ ⁡ @sayacky_be.child ▲See other posts here ໒꒱ ⁡ ⁡ ⋆┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈⋆#Sayakki-World #HandmadeToys #Childcare Crafting Craft Play #Childcare topic #AtHomePlay #StayHomeTime #100-yen shop DIY Simple craft Kids' crafts #Donuts Keychain making
♬ Original Song – Sayakki | New Kids’ Crafts That Adults Will Want To Try Too – Sayakki | New Kids’ Crafts That Adults Will Want To Try Too

Let me introduce a cute pool-noodle donut keychain.

Prepare a pool noodle, scissors, spray paint, a hot glue gun, white glue sticks, a small fork, and a keychain chain, then let’s get crafting.

Cut the pool noodle to the size of the donut you want.

The key is to trim off the edges to round them out and shape it nicely.

Spray it with your preferred color and let it dry.

For a 3D effect, use the hot glue gun to drizzle glue over the dried donut base like chocolate sauce.

Sprinkle on beads or other toppings, insert a small fork and secure it with adhesive, attach the keychain chain, and you’re done!

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Fishing for fish

I made a felt fishing toy / handmade / hand-crafted / educational toy

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!

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cute pineapple toy

@n.annlee321
Everyone, thank you always for your lovely comments 🥰🫶✨Parenting Childcare Childcare #100-yen-shop #HandmadeToys work pool cue Seria #Seria purchases
♬ Cute retro piano for cooking and work videos(873280) – Single Origin Music

Here’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.

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