Let's make toys out of cardboard! Easy and fun handmade toys
We’re introducing handmade toys you can make out of cardboard.
This time, they’re geared toward children of preschool and kindergarten age!
We’ve gathered ideas that are easy to make and play with, focusing on ones kids will love.
Some projects may take a little more time to make, but if you create them, the kids will definitely be thrilled!
If you want to make handmade toys or enjoy crafting together with your child, be sure to use these ideas as a reference.
They’re perfect for everyday play at home, as well as for playing with lots of friends at preschool or kindergarten!
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Let's Make Toys with Cardboard! Easy and Fun Handmade Toys (11–20)
cardboard house
This is a wonderfully imaginative cardboard craft project—you can even make a “house” out of cardboard! It’s assembled from a dedicated kit, and it’s large enough for several children to go inside at once.
The fact that it has windows and a door is lovely, too.
And it’s great that after assembling it, you can freely paint and decorate it as you like!
smartphone
For children, the smartphones their moms and dads are always glued to are objects of admiration, aren’t they? How about making one out of cardboard? You can create smartphones in all sorts of colors, and you can draw whatever you like on the screen or paste photos, so I think both making them and playing with them will be lots of fun!
Marble coaster
This is a gem where Dad and Mom take center stage: the Marble Coaster.
Let’s make a coaster that uses a slope to let marbles roll down! From design to construction it’s fairly advanced, but it’s perfect for kids in nursery school or kindergarten—you’ll end up with a toy that’s fun to watch and play with!
Time machine
You really can’t underestimate how versatile cardboard crafts are—believe it or not, you can even make Doraemon’s “Time Machine”! Cut and glue neatly, add some color, and you can recreate that dream gadget perfectly.
Kids are sure to be thrilled and have a great time playing with it!
Cardboard Maze
Here’s a play structure that lets everyone have fun using cardboard in a bold way! Connect lots of cardboard pieces to create a three-dimensional maze that kids can crawl through.
You might need a spacious area, but if you make creative use of the whole room so the kids can run around and giggle as they play, they’re sure to love it!
A full-fledged crane game that even beginners can make
This is a crane game that delivers a stable finish by proceeding through the steps in order.
Cut the cardboard into individual parts, and thread bamboo skewers and string to create the movement mechanism.
Carefully securing everything with glue improves durability.
By combining binder clips and popsicle sticks for the arm, it can perform a gripping action, and using wooden dowels and boards expands the range of control.
The moment you lift a prize feels just like the real thing, and it’s sure to captivate not only children but adults as well.
It’s a practical idea that keeps material costs low while offering both a sense of accomplishment and plenty of play value.
Let’s Make Toys with Cardboard! Easy and Fun DIY Toys (21–30)
Let’s make darts!
Prepare several long strips of cardboard cut to a width of 3.5 cm.
Lightly spray one side with water to moisten it, then peel off the outer layer of paper.
Once the cardboard is dry, use glue and roll it up from one end into a spiral.
Keep adding strips and roll them all together.
That completes the target, so next we’ll make arrows using origami paper and toothpicks.
Use a toothpick as the arrow’s shaft, and glue origami paper to the back as the fletching.
Wrap tape around the tip of the toothpick as a weight, and it’s done.
Mount the target on a wall and try throwing the arrows to play.
