[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 (21–30)
Handmade UFO catcher with magnets
A handmade UFO catcher that combines colored paper clips and neodymium magnets is a unique craft that uses magnetism.
Fix the magnet to the end of a string and secure it firmly with glue.
For the main body, connect two plastic bottle caps vertically with masking tape, adding thickness to the sides so that the clips won’t stick to them.
Thread the string through the caps to complete the arm.
Pre-drill a hole in a clear bottle, pass the string with the main body through it, and drop the clips inside.
When lowered, the magnet attracts the clips; when pulled up, the distance increases and the clips release—just like a real claw machine.
It’s a clever idea that makes good use of magnetic properties.
A crane game where you can grab capsules
A capsule-compatible claw machine made from cardboard offers an impressive look and engaging controls.
Cut the main body parts from cardboard, temporarily hold them in place with tape, then assemble.
Making use of the corrugated structure increases strength and stability.
Thread yarn through the claw section for opening and closing, and set up additional yarn to support the body so it can be operated.
To prevent the claw from opening too wide, use items like batteries as stoppers for a more realistic motion.
Reinforce the claw so it can grip capsules without dropping them, and add eye designs to give the appearance a sharper finish.
Small adjustments to the details change the difficulty, making this a three-dimensional idea that expands the fun of play.
Kids and adults alike will get hooked! Paper cup claw machine
A crane game you can make with paper cups that fascinates both kids and adults.
Punch small holes in the bottoms of two paper cups, fold them into eight equal sections, and alternate the folds back and forth.
Leave four of the sections as slits to create movable parts.
Next, insert a straw with cuts in it to act as the arms and provide movement.
Connect that straw section to the other paper cup, and you’ve completed a mechanism that can be operated like a crane.
By adjusting how you move it, you can enjoy grabbing prizes.
It’s relatively easy even for beginners at crafting, and the materials are simple to prepare.
It’s a fun idea that you can get excited about making together with kids—and have a great time playing with afterward.
Safe Design Marble Game
Kids love rolling toys! Many children want to play with marbles, but when kids are small, there’s a risk of swallowing them, which worries caregivers.
So here’s a toy idea that uses marbles safely.
Inside a box, move plastic bottle caps with marbles set inside them toward a goal without letting them fall into holes.
The marbles are firmly fixed to the caps, and the caps are also tied to the box with string, so it’s safe.
Decorate the box and caps with any designs you like, and play by tilting the box to slide the caps around.
You can make it in 10 seconds! Marble run
Want to play something right now? For you, here’s a marble-rolling game you can make in 10 seconds.
All you need is a food tray and a pencil.
A slightly larger tray might work better.
To make it, just poke several holes in the tray with the pencil.
Roll lots of marbles on the tray and fit them into the holes you made—done! You can also write point values next to each hole and turn it into a game to see how many points you can score by placing marbles in them.
It’s quick to make even if you don’t have much time, so give it a try!
You can make it in 10 seconds! Marble run
Want to play something right now? For you, here’s a marble-rolling game you can make in 10 seconds.
All you need is a food tray and a pencil.
A slightly larger tray might work better.
To make it, just poke several holes in the tray with the pencil.
Roll lots of marbles on the tray and fit them into the holes you made—done! You can also write point values next to each hole and turn it into a game to see how many points you can score by placing marbles in them.
It’s quick to make even if you don’t have much time, so give it a try!
Marble coaster with a spiral coil
Let’s make a slightly unusual spiral-type marble run using wire! First, wrap the wire around a rod whose diameter is close to that of the marble.
As you wrap, check to make sure the marble can fall properly through the coiled wire and that the loops aren’t so large that the marble drops straight down in an instant.
Next, create a path out of cardboard that leads the marble to the spiral wire, and combine it with the wire to complete the course! It’s also fun to connect it with other tracks.
Rubber band gun with two materials
Here’s a simple rubber band gun idea you can make with about three pairs of disposable chopsticks and around ten rubber bands.
Split all the chopsticks into single sticks; leave three as they are, and cut the rest into three different lengths.
If you use a utility knife for cutting, handle it with care.
It’s also a good idea to sand the cut edges for safety.
Combine the cut chopsticks to build the body, grip, and trigger, and finally create a notch at the front end of the body where the rubber band will hook.
The body tends to be long and unstable, so reinforce it by bracing it from below with shorter chopstick pieces.
A rapid-fire chopstick rubber-band gun
This is a rubber band gun made from chopsticks, finished with a mechanism that allows rapid fire by combining small pieces cut from disposable chopsticks with rubber bands.
The base is essentially a bundle of chopsticks tied together with rubber bands, to which you attach parts such as the rubber band hook (which serves as the ammunition), the grip, and the trigger components.
Although the structure is complex, the only tools you need are chopsticks, rubber bands, and scissors, so once you get used to the steps, it feels fairly simple.
It’s also important to firmly secure each part so it can withstand the tension of the loaded rubber bands.
Quirky Animals Made from Towels
Towels are essential items in daily life for things like wiping your face, and their softness is a big part of their appeal.
Let’s use that softness to make cute animal mascots.
Cut the towel into the shape of the animal you want to create, sew two pieces together, then stuff them with cotton to form the animal’s shape.
After that, attach parts like the face made from felt so it looks like the animal, and you’re done.
It’s also fun to add originality by choosing different towel colors, varying how you stuff the cotton, and designing unique shapes for the parts.