Popular with toddlers! A collection of homemade toy ideas

Egg carton caterpillar

[Craft Play] Stick origami onto an egg carton. Let's make a little caterpillar!

The uniquely shaped caterpillar is a popular insect among children and even appears as the main character in picture books.

Let’s make a caterpillar using an egg carton.

Cut the egg carton lengthwise in half, trim the edges, and round them.

Tear about three kinds of origami paper by hand and use wood glue to stick the pieces onto the egg carton.

Once everything is attached, add pipe cleaners for antennae and glue on eyes to finish.

Depending on the colors and size of the torn origami pieces, you can create a caterpillar with lots of personality.

Give it a try!

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Paper bag puppet

[Handmade Toys to Enjoy with Kids] Paper Bag Puppets / A DIY toy craft video where children, together with their parents, boost their creativity and creative drive

“Paper bag puppets” are a handmade craft idea that children can enjoy at daycare and kindergarten.

Using familiar materials like paper bags, construction paper, origami paper, and yarn, it requires no special tools, making it easy for anyone to try.

Children can create freely by sticking papers of their favorite colors and patterns onto the bag or adding yarn as hair accessories, which naturally fosters their imagination and expressive skills.

The making process itself is play, and after completion the puppets shine in pretend play and puppet shows, so they can be enjoyed for a long time.

It’s a perfect craft idea for both early childhood settings and activities at home.

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kojifumi

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sock puppet

[Childcare] Introducing how to make a sock puppet [Nursery/Kindergarten]

Make the most of socks! Here are ideas for sock puppets.

When you’re making puppets, it’s nice if they’re easy to put together, right? This time, let’s try making puppets using socks, which are easy to source and come in a wide range of colors.

What you’ll need: socks, stuffing, thick paper/cardstock, a pen, fabric double-sided tape or glue, felt, eye parts, scissors, and more.

Try creating sock puppets in your favorite motifs—like snakes, dogs, or bears—by customizing as you like!

bear puppet

Handmade Video: How to Make a Bear Puppet – Free Pattern Included #How to make stuffed animals

Make it with fleece! Here are some ideas for a bear hand puppet.

Fleece is a great fabric for beginners because it doesn’t fray easily even when the edges are cut, making it easy to sew.

It’s also a good idea to repurpose fleece you no longer wear.

Give it a try! Once your bear puppet is finished, use it to perform fingerplays, nursery rhymes, or folktales featuring bears—it’s sure to capture children’s interest.

It could also be fun to adapt the design to motifs other than a bear.

Puppet made with felt

Useful for childcare! How to make felt puppets

Have fun with design! Here are some felt puppet ideas.

When you decide to make a puppet, you might find yourself wondering what motif to choose.

For those people, here are ideas for original human-themed puppets! First, try sketching your puppet design as an illustration.

By incorporating features that resemble yourself or paying special attention to the hairstyle, you can express a sense of originality.

A great perk of using felt is that it makes thread finishing simple and easy.