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 (41–50)

Gashi-Gashi Hand

Paper Cup Craft: “Grab-and-Grip Hand”

Gashi-Gashi Hand

Introducing a grabby hand you can make with paper cups.

Let’s create a fun and useful toy using paper cups you have at home.

Prepare two paper cups: use one as the base, and use the other to make a hand that can pick up bits of paper.

Attach a straw with slits to the hand.

Make a hole in the bottom of the base cup, then insert the hand with the straw through it, and your grabby hand for picking up paper scraps is ready.

It can pick up light items like paper scraps or tissues, so kids can help tidy up the house while playing.

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cloth picture book

[Handmade Toys] A love-filled handmade cloth picture book 📘💛 A felt and hand-sewn 🪡 Anpanman cloth picture book ❤︎

cloth picture book

Why not try making a fabric picture book inspired by Anpanman? Fabric books are a staple toy for babies.

They often crinkle, include features that promote finger development, and pack in all kinds of clever ideas.

Let’s try making one by hand.

With your own ideas—like a buttoning activity using Anpanman’s face, peekaboo flaps or matching games with various characters—you can create a delightful fabric book.

If you’re not confident at sewing, using felt and glue to craft it like an art project is a great recommendation!

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Button practice toy

[Anpanman] Handmade Toy Button Practice (Tetsu Craft, Occupational Therapy, Fine Motor Training)

Button practice toy

Here’s a toy idea that lets kids practice buttoning using Anpanman’s facial parts.

It’s made with felt.

First, stack two circular felt pieces to create the base of Anpanman’s face.

Embroider the eyebrows, nose, cheeks, and mouth outline on it, then sew buttons onto the eyes, nose, and cheeks.

After that, sew the corresponding attachable parts that fasten onto the buttons, and you’re done! You can use either snap buttons or regular buttons with holes—choose whichever seems more fun for your child.

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robot arm

[Playable Craft] Using a Paper Cup and a Kitchen Paper Tube! Cool! Magic Hand (Robot Arm) [Recycled Craft / Independent Research]

robot arm

The magic hand you see in toy sections and the like—the one that’s handy for picking up items a little out of reach or retrieving something that’s fallen where you can’t reach—can actually be made easily with this idea.

The materials are very simple: two paper cups, a paper towel tube, construction paper, and string.

Just make a hole in the bottom of one paper cup and attach it to the paper towel tube, then combine it with a tube made from a paper cup and colored construction paper that serves as the gripper inside.

You can put it together in about an hour!

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Handmade maracas

[Handmade Instruments] Make Maracas with Things at Home: A Fun Activity to Do with Your Kids

Handmade maracas

Here’s an introduction to easy, handmade maracas you can make with everyday materials.

Gather a capsule toy case, a toilet paper roll, a plastic bottle, beads or buttons, and vinyl tape, and let’s get started.

Cut off the neck portion of the plastic bottle, roll the toilet paper core to make a sturdy handle, and attach it securely with vinyl tape.

Put the buttons or beads inside the capsule toy case, fasten it firmly with vinyl tape, and close the lid.

Once it’s finished, shake your maracas, sing along, and have fun!

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Lantern shade made with orizome (fold-dyeing)

At-Home Kids’ Atelier: “Orizome (2) – Let’s Make a Milk Carton Lantern!” [Yagawa Children’s Center]

Lantern shade made with orizome (fold-dyeing)

Here, we introduce how to make a lovely lantern using origami-dyed paper and a milk carton.

It’s convenient to light it from the inside with a flashlight.

First, make a slit partway down the milk carton and cut it with scissors.

Use the top half and peel off the printed layer from the body.

After peeling, glue the spout of the carton closed.

Next, tear the dyed paper into pieces and stick them onto the carton.

Once the paper is attached, brush a layer of diluted glue over the entire carton to finish.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Dishes you can make with magnets

Improvised Craft No. 74: “Jisha-Cook” #improvisedcraft #handmadetoy

Dishes you can make with magnets

Let me introduce a magnetic cooking craft that lets you enjoy flipping food.

Prepare construction paper, two paper cups, colored pens, magnets, tape, and vinyl tape, and let’s get started.

First, make a frying pan out of a paper cup.

Wrap the handle part with vinyl tape to reinforce it.

Draw a gas stove on another paper cup with colored pens and attach a magnet to the bottom.

Cut construction paper into circles and draw a sunny-side-up egg on the front and the flipped side on the back, then sandwich a magnet in the middle and stick the pieces together.

It’s also fun to make fish or meat in the same way.

Once everything is ready, place the food on the frying pan and set it on the gas stove made from the paper cup—the food inside will flip, and you can enjoy the action.

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