[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!
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[Let’s Make and Play!] Handmade Toy Ideas (21–30)
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.
A marble coaster with interchangeable tracks!
When you keep playing with the same toy, you can get bored, right? At times like that, try making a marble run with interchangeable courses so you can keep it fresh! First, build the base track out of cardboard.
Using bamboo skewers or similar materials, create features like an escalator-like lift that carries the marbles upward, or a spiral where the marbles twirl down.
For the swap-in courses, prepare pieces of cardboard shaped to fit into the base track, and on each one attach small cut pieces of cardboard, straws, or short wooden sticks to make a variety of course types.
By swapping these in and out, you can enjoy your marble run for a long time without getting bored!
Great for party games too! Pinecone Kendama
https://www.tiktok.com/@kichijyo/video/7163163907962506498How about making a pinecone kendama you can play with after crafting? First, use pens and stickers to decorate two paper cups however you like.
Once you’re done, glue the cups together bottom to bottom, then use kite string to connect the cups and the pinecone—that’s it! You can give the cups a Christmas-themed design, or decorate them and imagine the pinecone as a Christmas tree.
With a bit of creativity, it turns into the perfect holiday craft.
Be sure to finish it as a pinecone kendama that looks great on display, too.
A UFO catcher made from a candy box
A UFO catcher made from an empty Tabecco Animal cookie box is a playful craft.
Use the box as the base, and create the frame and decorations with construction paper and colored paper.
Combine straws of different thicknesses—slide a regular straw inside a tapioca (boba) straw—to support the movement of the arm.
Reinforce it with parts from a milk carton, and thread string through it so the arm can move up and down; this mechanism is key.
Design the tip of the arm so it can grip prizes securely.
Using double-sided tape or glue during assembly will make it sturdier.
It’s a cute, fun-to-play idea that makes great use of everyday materials.
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.
A crane game operated with twine
A crane game you can make by combining construction paper, bamboo skewers, and kite string, with the fun focused on cleverly moving the arm.
Secure the arm firmly with a hot glue gun and devise a mechanism so it moves up and down.
Then thread bamboo skewers so it can also be operated forward, backward, left, and right, creating a structure that lets you aim for prizes from multiple directions like a real crane.
Once it’s finished, prepare a box for the main body and decorate the exterior however you like to create your own original game machine.
It’s an idea you can truly enjoy, offering the satisfaction of operating it by hand and grabbing prizes yourself.
A full-fledged crane game that even beginners can make
This is a crane game that delivers a stable finish by proceeding through the steps in order.
Cut the cardboard into individual parts, and thread bamboo skewers and string to create the movement mechanism.
Carefully securing everything with glue improves durability.
By combining binder clips and popsicle sticks for the arm, it can perform a gripping action, and using wooden dowels and boards expands the range of control.
The moment you lift a prize feels just like the real thing, and it’s sure to captivate not only children but adults as well.
It’s a practical idea that keeps material costs low while offering both a sense of accomplishment and plenty of play value.