Fun DIY Toy Ideas You Can Make with 100-Yen Store Materials
Kids love playing with toys.
We want to provide toys that match their developmental stages and interests and let them play a lot, but buying new toys every time can be costly, which is a concern.
So this time, we’re introducing toy ideas you can make with materials from the 100-yen shop.
From items that stimulate the five senses through seeing and touching, to those that promote fine motor development, to things that can be used for pretend play—there are plenty of fun toy ideas that babies to preschoolers can enjoy.
Another great point is that they’re easy to make without spending much money!
These are perfect not only for daycare and kindergarten but also at home, so be sure to give them a try.
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Made with dollar-store materials! Fun DIY toy ideas (1–10)
busy bag
A busy bag is a portable version of a busy board that kids can play with by attaching it to walls or floors! All you need is a soft laptop-style bag case and some toys like keychains, a doodle board, and hooks.
Open the bag and arrange items from the dollar store on both sides.
Then secure them—tying them to the elastic inside the bag, for example—so they don’t come loose, and you’re done! It’s perfect to pull out quickly when kids get bored during car rides.
playmat
This is a play mat made using large fabric or felt from a 100-yen shop! Once you decide on a theme kids will love—like roads, townscapes, or maps—cut felt pieces to make the parts.
Glue each piece onto a large felt base, then sew them with a machine to keep them from coming off.
Prepare felt for the backing, sew it right sides together, turn it right side out, and hand-stitch the opening closed to finish your handmade play mat! Kids can enjoy all kinds of play, from walking dolls around to driving mini cars.
baby mobile
Let’s try making a hanging mobile using items from a 100-yen shop, like a hanger and felt! Prepare felt-made items such as sound-making cushions and plush toys, as well as toys that can be attached and removed with hook-and-loop tape.
Then simply clip them onto the clothespin parts of the hanger, and you’re done! You can also hang toys you already have at your nursery or home, or make animals out of origami and clip those on—highly recommended.
Plus, if you attach a separate rotating mobile mechanism to the hook part, it transforms into an automatically spinning mobile! It’s also great that you can easily attach and remove the toys when kids get bored of them or when they get dirty.
baby gym
With just tubular cushions and hula hoop parts, you can make a DIY baby gym! Assemble the hula hoops into half-moon shapes, cross them in the center, and tie them together with string to secure.
Wrap tubular cushions around the legs and tape them in place, then attach items that attract children’s interest—like stuffed animals or bells—and you’re done in no time! What children find interesting changes one after another.
Being able to easily swap out the hanging items to match their changing interests is one of the unique benefits of making it yourself, don’t you think?
Infinite Tissues
Let’s make a popular educational toy—the pull-out tissue toy—using a handkerchief and a tissue box! Cut a small square hole in the bottom of the tissue box and reinforce the cut edge with masking tape.
It’s also a good idea to put tape around the tissue opening.
Next, tie all the handkerchiefs together and store them inside the box.
Pull a corner of the end handkerchief out through the hole in the bottom and secure it with tape—that’s it! Watching the handkerchiefs come out one after another will bring smiles to children’s faces.
Another perk is that you can reuse an empty tissue box and keep material costs low.