Popular with toddlers! A collection of homemade toy ideas
This article introduces handmade toy ideas that are popular with preschoolers.
There are plenty of toys you can enjoy both indoors and outdoors, such as cup-and-ball, yo-yos, airplanes, and spinning tops.
All of the ideas can be made using recycled materials or supplies from 100-yen stores, so feel free to make them and play.
Some preschoolers are starting to use scissors and glue, too.
It’s a good idea to let them give it a try while adults help with the tricky parts.
Popular with toddlers! A collection of handmade toy ideas (1–10)
Twisting Soap Bubbles
This is a craft idea for a spinning bubble toy—also known as a rainbow stick—that looks like soap bubbles when you twirl it.
By using holographic chiyogami paper, it creates a magical appearance when you actually play with it, sure to excite not only children but adults as well.
You’ll need a utility knife to cut the chiyogami, but using a paper cutter sold at 100-yen shops makes the process easy and safe, so it should be more child-friendly to make.
You can craft it in multiple colors or a single color, so feel free to tailor it to your preference.
Milk Carton Buzzing Spinning Top
“Bunbun-goma” (whirligigs) are a popular toy for kids.
This time, here’s an idea using a milk carton.
First, open the carton and cut off the bottom.
Use the bottom piece as a template and cut out another piece.
Draw and color any design you like on the cutouts, then mark the center and pierce a hole with an awl.
Stick the two pieces together with double-sided tape, thread kite string through, and you’re done.
If you tape the end of the string, it’s easier to thread.
The way you spin it changes how the picture looks, so it’s a toy you can enjoy over and over.
Swirly Shower
This is a craft you can play with in a pool or bath: when you fill it with water, it spins as the water flows out.
Make four holes in a milk carton, insert straws into the holes, and bend the tips of the straws.
To make it spin well, two key points are to narrow the straw tips using cellophane tape and to ensure the straws inside don’t touch each other.
After that, attach kite string so it can be hung, and the basic structure is complete.
That alone is a bit plain, so let’s use another milk carton to add decorations that make it more fun when it spins and sprays water.
[Milk Carton] Yo-Yo
![[Milk Carton] Yo-Yo](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Gx5H_UadIeM/sddefault.jpg)
A yo-yo made from a milk carton and rubber bands is a great craft for kids because they can play with it after it’s finished.
You can gather all the materials from around the house, so it’s inexpensive, and even if little children play rough and break it, you can quickly make a new one—that’s another big plus.
You’ll use scissors to cut the milk carton, but since it isn’t detailed work, it might be perfect as scissor practice, too.
Try drawing your favorite pictures or coloring the milk carton to create a yo-yo full of originality.
“Paper Cup” Rocket
This is a rocket made by combining a paper cup and rubber bands, with a fun mechanism that shoots it powerfully upward.
The four slits cut into the rim of the paper cup are key; you attach rubber bands through these slits.
You then stack another paper cup over it so the rubber bands are stretched, and when you let go, it shoots up with force.
Wings and windows are the classic decorations, but it could be fun to have everyone think up designs for rockets that seem like they would fly farther and use those ideas as inspiration for the decorations.
[Toilet paper roll] Bow and arrow / Archery
![[Toilet paper roll] Bow and arrow / Archery](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/G4IOWRb1qpI/sddefault.jpg)
A bow and arrow made by combining a toilet paper tube and rubber bands—the fun part is how the arrow shoots off with force.
First, stack two toilet paper tubes to make a rod shape with a hole through the middle.
Then attach rubber bands by hooking them onto both ends to complete the bow.
Insert an arrow made from a chopstick into the hole, pull it back together with the rubber bands, and release to launch the arrow.
Important tips include firmly securing the joint between the toilet paper tubes so it can withstand the tension of the rubber bands, and attaching a ball of tissue to the tip of the arrow to make it as safe as possible.
[Straw] Twirling Whistle
![[Straw] Twirling Whistle](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3rlHRMSuI3A/sddefault.jpg)
This is a craft for making the curly party whistle you often see at festivals using materials you have at home.
You can make the body with just paper, a straw, and tape, and once you draw a picture with colored pencils or pens, it’s complete.
That makes it an easy project not only at home but also for kindergarten or preschool.
You only need scissors to cut the straw in half, so it’s easy for little kids to try, too.
It’s a fun, recommended craft idea to make together with parents, teachers, or friends and compete to see whose whistle can extend the longest.
[Clear File] Airplane
![[Clear File] Airplane](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CK9waX-nb1Y/sddefault.jpg)
Airplanes made with clear plastic files as wings are easy to build and can fly far, making them great for crafts.
Besides the clear file, the materials—like straws and vinyl tape—are everyday items that are easy to gather, so it should be easy to get started.
Clear files also come in many colors, so you might be able to make your own original airplane.
However, since there are steps like cutting the clear file with scissors, adults should provide support appropriate to the child’s age when they work on the craft.
Decorap: Parachute
A parachute made with Decolap looks beautiful and will likely delight children.
Depending on how you combine the Decolap, you can make it colorful, and by adding illustrations drawn by your child, you can create a unique, original parachute—there are many ways to enjoy it.
However, since it involves precise measuring and using scissors, please have an adult assist according to the child’s age when they do the craft.
It’s a recommended craft idea that everyone can get excited about by launching it from a high place.
Kendama with Paper Cups
Let’s try making a kendama using paper cups.
First, draw your favorite picture on a paper cup.
Once you’re done, place the bottoms of two paper cups together and tape them to stick.
Next, attach a piece of kite string to the paper cups, and tie a crumpled ball of newspaper to the other end—that’s it! Because the ball is light, it’s easy for children to handle, and when not in use, you can store the ball inside the paper cups, which is convenient.
Instead of drawing, you can also decorate the cups with stickers, or make them look like animals by adding embellishments with construction paper or yarn.
