[Let’s Make and Play!] Handmade Toy Ideas You Can Create Yourself

A target game you can play on a desk

@hirose_ds

TranslationElderlyRecreationFocus BoostBrain training#Ninja poseNin-nin#Shuriken Target PracticeUpper limb training

♬ Dear Beloved You – Novelbright

No elaborate prep needed! Here’s a fun tabletop target game you can try anytime.

We all want to play, but if getting ready is a hassle, it’s hard to get started.

This idea is perfect for those times! All you need are empty toilet paper rolls or aluminum foil cores.

Line them up along the edge of the table and slide your “shuriken” to aim at the targets! Using the cores as-is works fine, but if you wrap them with washi-pattern origami or yarn to make them look like scrolls, it’ll boost the mood even more.

A hand that moves freely when you pull the string

@moonchan_chiiku

Here are the key tips and precautions for making it 👇 The finger that bends changes depending on which thread 🧵 you pull! 💖 Which thread do you pull to make a peace sign ✌️? This is the “Genius Hand” 🖐✨ that nurtures children’s thinking skills 💡. ————Materials———— • Construction paper 🟨 (Use somewhat sturdy paper; origami paper might tear 💦) • Straws 🥤 • Double-sided tape • Twine or other slightly thick thread 🧵 • Color stickers (from Daiso) 🟠🟢🟣 • Pen 🖊 • Scissors ✂️ ——————————— [How to make it] 1) Cut the paper into the shape of a hand 🖐 ✂️ 2) Stick three pieces of double-sided tape 📏 on each finger (two on the thumb) 3) Cut the straws to match the length of the tape 4) Thread the string 🧵 through the straws and tie it at the top to secure 5) Attach the straws with the threaded strings to the hand using the double-sided tape 6) Once all fingers are done, gather all the strings through a single straw and secure 🤏 7) Attach different colored stickers to the ends of each finger’s string 🔵🟡🟣🟢🟠✨️ ——————————— Thank you for visiting! I’m Moon-chan 🌕✨️, a Korean 🇰🇷 mom 👩 raising a 3-year-old 🧒 in Japan (dad is Japanese 🇯🇵). Drawing on my experience working at a children’s museum in Wisconsin 🇺🇸, I share “simple at-home educational play ideas.” 😊 Your follows and likes make me so happy ♥️ @moonchan_chiiku ← Check out my other posts ———————————Thinking abilityHand model#AtHomePlay#At-Home Early LearningEducationalworkTranslationEducational play#EducationalToys#HandmadeToys#ParentChildTime

♬ Doo Bee Doo Bee Doo – Schnuffel Bunny

This is a fun toy where a paper hand moves freely by pulling strings.

First, cut construction paper into the shape of a hand.

Apply double-sided tape along each finger, then attach short pieces of straw—each with a string threaded through it—lined up along the fingers.

Gather all the strings around the wrist area, stick a label or sticker on the end of each string, and you’re done! When you pull a sticker, the corresponding finger moves.

If you pull all the strings to move the fingers, you can even make a fist! It’s an easy, enjoyable toy to make, so give it a try.

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SAKI

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Ogre Tower Made with Paper Cups

Make and play together with your kids! Here are ideas for an ogre (oni) tower made from paper cups.

Children have rich imaginations, and they often surprise us with “I never would’ve thought of that!” This time, let’s build an oni tower with your child.

You’ll need paper cups, construction paper in your favorite colors, scissors, glue or tape, and pens or colored pencils.

What kind of image do children have of an oni? It’ll be fun to see the expressions they draw and the colors they choose!

Paper Cup Catcher

@ranmaru_shien

Paper Cup Catcher#HandmadeToysworkChildcareEducational# developmental support (ryōiku)#AtHomePlay

♬ The Peak – SEKAI NO OWARI

Introducing the Paper Cup Catcher, a cooperative game for two players! Prepare several paper cups of the same size.

Tie four strands of raffia string (or similar ribbon) to a single rubber band, and you’re ready to go.

Each player holds two strands, and together you use the rubber band to grab a paper cup from a row and stack it onto another cup placed beside it.

Adjust the pulling tension and coordinate your strength to clear the game as a team! It’s also fun to prepare lots of cups and compete to see which pair can stack the most within a time limit.

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SAKI

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CD

Let's make and play with a 'CD spinning top' that spins really well! The black-and-white patterns will look like colors.

If you’ve got CDs lying around at home, why not repurpose them into handmade spinning tops? By combining a CD with a marble, you can transform it into a top that spins really well! The trick is to choose a marble that’s slightly larger than the hole in the center of the CD.

To make it, just apply glue around the center hole of the CD and fix the marble in place.

You can also add a small piece of double-sided tape where you pinch it, or use a finger cot for extra grip, making it easier to spin.

Plus, it’s fun to design and decorate the disc! Try making your own original top in your favorite colors and have fun spinning it.

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miyabi

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Bubbly soap bubbles

[Simple Craft] We made a bubble blower using a plastic bottle and straws, and the foam was so intense that it was a blast

Big visual impact! Let’s make a bubbly foam bubble blower.

First, prepare 45 straws cut to about 3 cm in length.

Once they’re ready, cut a clear file folder into a strip and line the straws up on it.

A hot glue gun is recommended for attaching them.

When finished, roll the piece up into a coil.

Finally, cut a 500 ml plastic bottle to about one-third of its height, insert the part you just made, and you’re done.

When you blow bubbles with this, you’ll get a breathtaking display.

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yamamoto

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A toy for pulling on various materials

Handmade pull-to-play toy for 0-year-olds

This toy lets children pull on items made from different materials.

It helps develop their sense of touch, so it’s recommended for young kids.

Prepare a basket with holes that you can thread strings through.

Thread the strings through the basket and attach various materials to the ends of the strings—for example, bells, sponges, stretchy keychains, or cardboard toilet paper rolls.

When they pull the bell, it makes a sound; when they pull the sponge, they feel its softness.

They can enjoy a variety of sensations all at once.

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SAKI

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vortex wind turbine

Kimie Gangi’s super simple “well-spinning tag pin spiral pinwheel”

Let’s make one using price tags! It spins round and round and is so much fun! Here’s an idea for a spiral pinwheel.

You’ll need construction paper, chopsticks, a straw, scissors, tape, price tags, crayons, and bird-scarer tape.

Draw a spiral on the construction paper, add colors and patterns, then cut along the spiral with scissors.

Combine a short piece of straw, a chopstick, and a price tag, and your spiral pinwheel is complete! You can also decorate it by adding shiny bird-scarer tape to the spiral pinwheel.

Soap bubbles made with a uchiwa (Japanese fan)

YouTube Kids uchiwa are the best—kids play with soap bubbles.

If you suddenly feel like playing with soap bubbles, the fan-frame bubble idea is perfect.

All you need are an old uchiwa fan and bubble solution.

First, peel off all the paper from the fan so that only the frame is visible.

Next, make your own bubble solution and dip the fan into it—that’s it.

When you wave the fan, bubbles will appear through the gaps in the frame.

It’s great because there are no complicated steps, and you can start right away.

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yamamoto

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Making bath bombs with candy molds

[Easy] DIY Cute Handmade Mini Bath Bombs Using Anpanman Gummy Molds [How To]

Fun to make, and a joy to use! Let me show you how to make bath bombs using candy molds.

You’ll need a dish or other container, a spoon, baking soda, citric acid, potato starch, essential oil, food coloring, water, and empty candy containers.

Anpanman gummy molds are so cute that it feels like a waste to throw them away, right? How about mixing the ingredients and hand-making your own Anpanman bath bombs? If you make them with kids, it’ll feel like a fun science experiment that gets them excited.