Turn a cardboard tube into an educational toy! A handmade toy your kids will love
The core of plastic wrap is very hard and sturdy, isn’t it?
That very core is perfect as a material for kids’ handmade toys!
So this time, we’re introducing ideas for DIY toys that make the most of the wrap core’s long, cylindrical shape.
We’ve included sensory educational toys that stimulate babies’ five senses, as well as toys that toddlers can enjoy.
You can put them together right away using materials from 100-yen shops or recyclables, so the low cost is another great bonus!
Find something that matches your child’s stage of development and give it a try.
- Toddler-approved fun! DIY toy ideas for 2-year-olds
- Make it with everyday materials! A collection of DIY toy ideas recommended for 1-year-olds
- [Childcare] Easy to make! Handmade toys that delight 0-year-olds
- Recommended for 5-year-olds! Simple DIY toy ideas
- Let’s make it with 3-year-olds! Fun handmade toy ideas
- Fun DIY Toy Ideas You Can Make with 100-Yen Store Materials
- [Daycare/Preschool] Handmade toys that delight infants
- Handmade ideas for wall-mounted toys for 0-year-olds
- [For toddlers] Simple but amazing craft ideas — including toys they can play with
- [Childcare] Recommended for toddlers! Toy ideas you can make and play with
- [For 0-year-olds] Fun indoor play ideas using raffia tape (suzuran tape)
- Craft activity ideas for 4-year-olds
- [Childcare] Playful craft ideas to enjoy with 5-year-olds
Turn a paper towel roll core into an educational toy! DIY toys kids will love (1–10)
A guitar that changes its sound
This is a handmade guitar toy you can play by plucking rubber band strings, where the sound changes.
First, make the guitar neck using a kitchen paper tube.
Cut slits in the tube and attach rubber bands, then hook the bendable part of a straw onto the strings.
Next, attach the rim of a paper cup between the straws, and press down on the rim’s surface to lower its position.
Apply glue to the bottom of the paper cup and attach it to the tube, then stick a paper plate on the opposite side to finish! Try making this fun toy where the sound changes depending on where you press the strings.
Drop-in game using plastic bottle caps
Why not try making a popular infant toy called a “potton drop”? It’s easy to make with a paper towel tube, plastic bottle caps, and colored tape! First, wrap red tape around the paper towel tube at a diagonal.
Next, use tape to stick two caps together to make one piece.
Using different colors of tape will make it look cute.
And that’s it—your potton drop is ready! Stand the tube upright and drop the caps in from the top.
After you’ve dropped them all in, slowly lift the tube up; the caps will stack like building blocks, and knocking them over is another fun activity for kids.
hanging toy
Let me introduce a hanging toy that’s fun to watch as it sways.
Before you begin, prepare several empty plastic wrap (cling film) cores.
Then combine pieces by slicing the cores into rings or cutting them into various shapes.
Tie them together with string so that each part can move when the toy is hung.
You can also customize it by hanging a bouncy ball or attaching a bell to the frame made from the wrap cores to make a toy for parakeets.
Feel free to let your ideas grow and enjoy creating it.
Turn a toilet paper roll core into an educational toy! DIY toys kids will love (11–20)
toy frying pan
Let’s make a toy frying pan that will be handy for pretend play.
You’ll need a plastic wrap tube, cardboard, black construction paper, and black tape.
Cut the cardboard into a circle and a strip, then cover them with black construction paper.
The plastic wrap tube will be the handle, so cut it to a suitable length and wrap it with black construction paper as well.
Wrap the cardboard strip around the circular cardboard and glue it in place.
Cut a slit in the plastic wrap tube, insert the cardboard strip, and secure it with tape—and your frying pan is complete! Try making it in a size that’s easy for children to hold.
Spinning educational toy
Why not try making a spinning hexagonal toy using a plastic wrap core as the axis? It’s easy if you use an empty box of the popular snack “Koala’s March.” First, cut the Koala’s March box into three sections and cover the entire surface with construction paper.
Punch a hole in the center the same diameter as the wrap core, insert the core, and give it a spin.
If it spins well, draw pictures, letters, or numbers on the visible construction paper to finish it off! Depending on the length of the wrap core and the strength you want, using two boxes might work better.
A toy you pull and use with your fingertips
This is a toy made by poking holes in a plastic wrap core and threading a string or an elastic with beads through it so that children can pull and play.
It’s very simple, but it seems like an idea that even young babies who are still lying down can enjoy.
It also looks great for developing the hand and finger skills of 1- to 2-year-olds.
It’s easy to make! Decorate the plastic wrap core cutely with origami paper, construction paper, or masking tape, then thread and secure string, elastic, and beads you can buy at a dollar store.
If you’re using string, make two holes at the same height and thread a slightly longer string through so it can be pulled from both sides for extra fun.
Translucent origami kaleidoscope
Here’s an idea for making a kaleidoscope using a plastic wrap core and mirror-like sheets.
Cut the wrap core in half, then insert mirror-like sheets folded into a triangular prism.
Make sure the reflective sides face inward.
Cut a clear plastic sheet into a circle and attach translucent origami paper to it.
Make a hole in the center, insert a bamboo skewer through it, and secure it.
Align the bamboo skewer with the corner of the triangular mirror sheet and attach it so it runs along the side of the wrap core—then you’re done! If you smooth the edges of the clear sheet with sandpaper, it will be safer for children to play with.