[Let’s Make and Play!] Handmade Toy Ideas You Can Create Yourself
Kids love new toys, don’t they?
They figure out how to play, add their own twists, and discover new ways to have fun.
Here are some ideas for making handmade toys that are easy to customize and adapt!
These ideas use materials you already have at home or can pick up at a 100-yen shop, so they’re all things you can start making right away.
It’s great for adults to make them, and there are plenty of ideas kids can make themselves, too.
Original, one-of-a-kind toys become extra special—and even more fun!
- Let's make toys with paper cups! Simple and fun handmade toys
- Handmade games: DIY craft ideas you can make and play
- [For Elementary School Kids] Handmade Toy Craft Ideas
- [DIY] A Collection of Handmade Moving Toy Craft Ideas
- Let's make toys out of cardboard! Easy and fun handmade toys
- [Let’s Make and Play!] Handmade Ideas for a Target Shooting Game
- Easy DIY! Introducing educational toys that can be easily made with 100-yen shop items and things around the house.
- Made of paper! A fun collection of DIY toy ideas you can play with
- It's fun to spin! A collection of DIY toy ideas
- [Handmade Toys] Fun to Make! A Collection of Pull-Along Toy Ideas
- Fun for elementary school kids! A collection of craft ideas using plastic bottle caps!
- [For Kids] Today’s Handmade Craft Ideas
- [For Kids] Spins in the wind! A collection of recommended DIY pinwheel ideas
[Let’s Make and Play!] Handmade Toy Ideas (131–140)
A pinwheel made with a clear file
Let me introduce a pinwheel that spins in the wind.
Prepare a hanger, a clear file folder, pliers, scissors, and a felt-tip pen, and let’s get started.
Cut the clear file into a square and draw lines in an X shape to create the base for the blades.
Mark the center and the four corners, then punch holes.
Following the X lines, make one slit at a time with scissors, cutting toward the center.
Lift the four cut corners one by one, align them at the center, and staple to secure—this completes the blade base.
Insert a straw as the axle and attach the blades to the center of the hanger, then secure with pliers.
Your spinning pinwheel is complete!
a spinning target
Also great for shuriken practice! Here’s an idea for a spinning target.
Hitting a target with a shuriken can be tricky, right? This is a fantastic idea for when you think, “I want to practice!” What you’ll need: two milk cartons, two bamboo skewers, a straw, construction paper, scissors, glue, a pen, an awl, and craft adhesive.
The mechanism that spins when the shuriken hits is unique and fun! If you’re making it with children, be careful when handling the awl and bamboo skewers.
Bubble art
How about trying bubble art that you can display and enjoy even after playing? First, let’s make the tool.
Cut off the mouthpiece section of a plastic bottle, then cover the cut edge with a cloth.
Next, make the bubble solution.
Mix your favorite paint with water, laundry detergent, and glue.
Once you’re ready, dip the tool into the bubble solution in the color you like, and blow toward a sheet of paper.
Beautiful patterns should appear on the paper.
Adjust the colors and your blowing technique to create a lovely piece of art.
Bubble wand
For those who want to make bubbles with a unique tool, I also recommend a bubble rod.
It’s an item where a piece of yarn is stretched between two sticks, and another piece of yarn is woven through it in a zigzag pattern.
Dip it into bubble solution and lift it up, and you can make as many bubbles as there are gaps formed between the yarns.
You can even make a slightly larger version and have two people lift it together.
It’s easy to make, so I encourage you to give it a try.
Using plenty of bubble solution makes it easier to get good results.
cardboard
If you want to easily make a spinning top using materials you have at home, how about one made from cardboard? Just cut the cardboard into long, narrow strips, apply glue, roll it up tightly from one end, and insert a toothpick into the center—super simple to make! You can finish it by coloring the cardboard or decorating it with masking tape, which would look great.
Also, making lots of them to race, or competing in games like battling tops, could be a fun way for parents and children or friends to get excited together.
Flyer
A spinning top made by combining two types of parts from flyers—its key points are that the materials are easy to get and it’s easy to make.
For the shaft, use a flyer rolled tightly into a long, thin tube.
Roll it firmly with thinness and sturdiness in mind, then cut it to a suitable length.
Next, fold another flyer to a width shorter than the cut shaft, wrap it around the shaft in coils to build up volume, and you’re done.
It’s important to add plenty of volume, so keep connecting multiple sheets of flyer, varying the width as you go.
It could also be fun to observe how changes in width affect the way it spins.
Brushing the lion’s teeth with a scrubbing toothbrush
Let’s play again and again! Here’s a toothbrushing idea for the scrubbing-toothbrush lion.
You’ll need: an illustration, laminating sheets or a clear file, transparent tape, thick paper, scissors, craft glue, and a whiteboard marker.
The key is to put transparent tape over the illustration with the mouth open so it can be reused! You can also adapt it with lamination or a clear file.
If you draw dirt not only inside the mouth but also around it, kids can practice wiping the mouth with tissue or a handkerchief and build a habit of keeping clean.