Lovely handmade crafts

Enjoy traditional games with your kids! A collection of DIY stilts (made from bamboo) ideas

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.

Takeuma (stilts made from bamboo) are a traditional toy that lets you enjoy the sense of balance.

Here are some hands-on ideas for making your own takeuma so you can also enjoy the feeling of accomplishment when you finish.

They’re toys, but safety is important: use bamboo pieces of the same size, and assemble the footrests securely.

The longer the bamboo, the harder it is to keep your balance once you step on, so it’s best to build them to a size that suits the user.

Once you get the hang of it, you can even play tag or dance on takeuma!

Try making them together with your child, experimenting as you go.

Enjoy traditional games with your kids! A collection of DIY stilts (1–10)

Making stilts starting from cutting bamboo

First attempt at making stilts!

Making stilts starting from cutting bamboo

Challenge yourself starting from cutting bamboo! If you find yourself in a place with bamboo, definitely try making this with children.

First, cut the bamboo just below a node.

Find another piece of bamboo of about the same length and cut that too.

Look for a slightly thicker piece of bamboo to make the footing.

Next, cut the two long bamboo pieces straight across, 2 centimeters below the end.

Cut the footing bamboo to about one node in length.

Split the footing bamboo in half, tie it with string about three times, then insert it at an angle onto the longer bamboo and fasten it securely.

Make one more identical piece and you’re done!

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Making stilts out in nature

Stilt-making (Cub Scouts)

Making stilts out in nature

Even when making stilts, children develop a sense of unity.

Here, we’ll show you how we make bamboo stilts in the Boy Scouts! Cutting the bamboo first is quite hard work, but kids and adults discuss the sizes together and get creative as they build.

Enjoying the unique interactions that happen in nature is part of the fun.

If you live in an area with bamboo—of course—or even if you don’t, why not get some bamboo and, starting with the slightly challenging task of cutting it, have adults and children make bamboo stilts together?

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Parent and child making stilts

Parent and child challenge: How to make stilts

Parent and child making stilts

Here are some ideas for making bamboo stilts with your child.

You’ll need four wooden boards, four long strings, two short strings, two bamboo poles, and a saw.

First, make cuts in two of the wooden boards using the saw.

Next, tie the two boards together with string so they clamp around the bamboo.

The key is to pull the string tight as you tie it.

Finally, offset the upper parts of the boards and tie them with string.

Add extra string for reinforcement, and you’re done! We also recommend wrapping duct tape around the handgrip area.

Give it a try!

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Enjoy traditional games with your kids! Handmade Stilts Ideas (11–20)

Crafting with Parents and Kids! How to Make Stilts

Parent and child making stilts (together)

Crafting with Parents and Kids! How to Make Stilts

Craft together as a parent and child! Here are ideas for making stilts with bamboo.

You’ll need two bamboo poles, timber blocks, string, and rubber tape.

First, cut the timber blocks to fit the size of your feet using a saw.

Next, sandwich each bamboo pole between two blocks and tie them securely while wrapping with string.

Lower the upper part of the blocks, wrap with string again and tie, then wrap thoroughly with rubber tape.

Add reinforcement as needed, and you’re done! It sounds like a fun idea to practice walking on bamboo stilts at a park or open space.

Give it a try!

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Bamboo stilts made at a preschool (kodomoen)

Let me introduce handmade stilts you can make with kids! The materials are: 2 bamboo poles, 4 wooden blocks, sandpaper, 2 sponges, 2 pieces of cloth, vinyl cord, and rubber bands.

Be sure to use two bamboo poles of the same length.

Cut around 1–1.5 cm above a node (joint); having the 2nd or 3rd node from the bottom at foot level makes them easier to walk on.

Cut the poles just a little longer than the child’s height, sand the wooden footholds, and start wrapping them with the vinyl cord.

Wedge the footholds onto the bamboo and wrap the cord diagonally to secure them firmly.

Next, wrap a sponge around the cut end of each bamboo pole with rubber bands, then wrap cloth over it and secure with tape.

Remove any small branches sticking out from the nodes, and you’re done!

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triangular stilts

@prowrestlerd
Woodworking class Triangular stilts Kidzania
♬ Just One Voice – Rokudenashi

We’re introducing a handmade triangular stilts project you can build while feeling like a carpenter.

Using real carpenter’s tools, you’ll make your own stilts to play with.

Triangular stilts are a toy made by assembling three rods into a triangle, then placing both feet on it to move forward! The steps are easier to grasp than for regular stilts, but since you’ll be using tools like a hammer, we recommend adults build them together with children, adjusting to the child’s age.

It’s also perfect for parent–child activities at kindergarten events—have fun making them together with your kids!

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Triangular stilts to make with children

Building a triangular stilts 111123 1124~01

Triangular stilts to make with children

Before starting with stilts, let’s try a fun activity! For preschoolers and lower elementary school kids, we recommend “triangle stilts.” Like regular stilts, triangle stilts are enjoyable because you balance while riding them, and once kids get the hang of it, many become totally absorbed.

Once they can ride triangle stilts, they can pick up stilt skills while playing and having fun.

You can make homemade triangle stilts using three pieces of wood, vinyl string, and rope, so try crafting them together with your child!

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