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[Daycare/Preschool] Handmade toys that delight infants
Infants grow and change so quickly, don’t they?
The kinds of play they’re interested in vary with each developmental stage.
Constantly buying new toys to keep up can be tough!
If that sounds like you, this is a must-read.
Today, we’re sharing ideas for handmade toys that babies will love.
We’ve packed in ideas that stimulate children’s five senses—sound, shape, and texture—to spark their curiosity.
They’re all made from everyday materials, so they’re easy on the budget too.
Another perk of handmade toys is that you can adjust colors, designs, and sizes to suit each child’s personality.
Why not try making toys that your little ones will love to play with, while also enjoying the warmth that only handmade items can offer?
[Daycare] Handmade Toys That Delight Infants (1–10)
Spinning Picture Match
A spinning picture-matching toy made from recycled materials like cardboard, tape cores, and plastic wrap cores.
There are store-bought toys like this, but they can be fairly pricey.
It takes a bit of work, but how about making your own using your favorite pictures? Paste pictures you like onto tape cores, thread them onto a plastic wrap core, and build the sides with cardboard.
If you put something that makes a sound—like a small bell—inside the tape cores, it becomes an item that kids will enjoy even more!
Peekaboo
Peekaboo—there are probably many people who can’t help doing it when they meet a baby.
Since it often makes babies laugh, let’s make a peekaboo toy using two milk cartons! It’s very easy to make: cut off the tops of the milk cartons, tape together one corner of the two cartons so they can flap open and shut, and the base is done.
Draw a “peek-a…” face on the closed side, and a “boo!” face on the open side.
You can make it with all kinds of animals or characters.
Infinite Tissues
When it comes to pranks that babies love, pulling tissues out of the box one after another tops the list! Tissues can be dangerous if put in the mouth, and above all, it’s a waste… At the same time, you don’t want to stifle their curiosity.
So let’s make a DIY “infinite tissue” that lets them pull to their heart’s content! Use an empty tissue box and fill it with reusable, tissue-sized items like pieces of plastic cloth or handkerchiefs.
This way, they can pull and pull as much as they like, over and over again!
walking toy
This is a pull toy made using small empty packs like juice boxes.
Shape the small paper cartons into squares, wrap them with vinyl tape in your favorite colors, and thread a string through to connect them.
Drawing faces and other features makes them cute, and it’s an easy pull toy that kids can drag along and enjoy walking around with.
You can make it feel like walking a dog, cat, or any animal you like.
Adding bells or other noisemakers to the string that connects the cartons will make it even more delightful.
crinkle toy
A toy you can make quickly with just a few materials: a crinkly, candy-shaped toy.
It’s truly simple to make—place a stiff nylon bag or similar inside felt fabric, roll it up from one end, and secure both sides tightly with hair ties, and you’re done.
It’s fun because it makes a crinkly sound when you hold the middle, and it sparks curiosity—why does it make that sound? Try making it with felt in different colors, and vary the material and size of the nylon bag inside!
sensory bag
A sensory toy that stimulates children’s sense of touch and sight and promotes the development of their fingertips and brain.
Among them, the popular item is the sensory bag, which you can easily make yourself.
Materials include a zippered plastic bag, liquid laundry starch, potato starch, hair gel, and more.
Most of these can be bought at 100-yen shops or made with items you already have at home, so it’s highly recommended.
Be sure to seal it tightly so the contents don’t leak.
It’s a toy that’s fun and addictive not only for small children but also for adults to hold and touch.
maracas microphone
A microphone toy that’s loved not only by infants but also by older kids.
Let’s make a microphone toy that can also be used as a maraca that makes a crinkly sound—perfect for delighting babies—using an empty capsule toy container and a toilet paper roll! Put beads inside the empty capsule container, close the lid securely, and seal around it with vinyl tape.
Cut off the neck of a plastic bottle and attach it to the bottom of the capsule.
Using the bottle’s mouth as the base, wrap a toilet paper roll with slits cut into it around the mouth, stuff newspaper inside, and it’s done.