[Educational] Spark and nurture curiosity: simple and fun DIY toys
In this article, we’ll introduce simple homemade toys that spark and nurture children’s curiosity.
Kids love toys, but they often get bored with new ones quickly, or drop and break them.
That’s when homemade toys come in handy!
This time, we’ll show you how to make DIY toys using easily available materials that can be put together in a short time.
We’ll also introduce many toys that support early learning, so be sure to check them out and try making some yourself.
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- Age 4: Simple and Fun! Handmade Toy Ideas
- Make it with everyday materials! A collection of DIY toy ideas recommended for 1-year-olds
- Toddler-approved fun! DIY toy ideas for 2-year-olds
- Handmade toys that captivate babies! Fun and engaging
- Turn a cardboard tube into an educational toy! A handmade toy your kids will love
[Educational] Spark and nurture curiosity: Simple and fun handmade toys (11–20)
Castanets & Den-den daiko (Japanese pellet drum)
Kids love toys that make sounds, don’t they? Let’s try making castanets and den-den daiko drums using things you have at home! It’s great that you can easily make them with items like milk cartons and disposable chopsticks.
You could make a bunch and have a little concert with friends, or use them to make sounds and show them to a baby.
Magnet Number Match
Attach sheets of paper with numbers written on them to a whiteboard, prepare magnets with numbers written on them, and stick the magnets on the front.
You can have students memorize the numbers by placing them in order from 1 to 100, or play in other ways, such as matching the magnets you hand out to the correct spots.
Road for toy cars
Mini cars that boys love.
They’d be thrilled to have a mini car track, right? Let’s try making one by hand! Believe it or not, you can make it with materials from a 100-yen shop.
Use a document case, color foam board, and artificial turf.
Since it’s made with a document case, you can close it up and put it away neatly after playtime, which is great.
Hexagon Seven Puzzle
It’s very easy to make but a bit tricky to play—let’s try the Hexagon Seven Puzzle that builds your thinking skills.
Use a compass to cut seven hexagons out of construction paper and draw the same pattern in the same position on each one.
Crumple the papers, then arrange them so the matching patterns line up.
It looks simple, but it might be a little challenging!
A train that transforms
Many boys like trains, don’t they? Let’s try making a toy out of milk cartons that transforms from a regular train into a Shinkansen! You’ll need two milk cartons, plus tape, a permanent marker, and other common household items.
You can also use colored paper to make it look like your favorite type of train.
Handmade felt picture book
Let’s make a felt picture book using felt and buttons.
Sew buttons onto a felt base and prepare felt pieces with buttonholes.
By attaching the buttons, you can complete shapes like a pig or a car.
Try making it with buttons of various sizes and colors.
It’s also an educational toy that helps children practice fastening and unfastening buttons.
[Educational] Spark and nurture curiosity: Simple, fun DIY toys (21–30)
Fun educational game
@soramame.sensei It looks cute and gets you excited💕 It’s also fun to roll the dice and stack as many as the number you get!! It’s even more fun if you make your own rules♪Child Development SupportAfter-school day service#StayHomeTimechildEducational# developmental support (ryōiku)#CardboardCraftsFruits
♬ Exciting, fun, shopping, pop, loop – arachang
This is a simple indoor game where you gently stack colorful cardboard pieces—cut into shapes of foods kids love—onto a toilet paper roll using chopsticks or your hands.
Because it requires careful control of force, it helps develop fine motor skills, concentration, and recognition of colors and shapes.
You can use everyday materials! Even if pieces fall, it’s still fun, so children naturally experience cooperation and a sense of accomplishment as they play.
Kids with and without disabilities can enjoy it together, and you can adjust the difficulty with a bit of creativity.
It’s a gentle, handmade activity that even adults can get absorbed in.
