Let's make it by hand-knitting: children's toys. Cute ideas.
For babies and toddlers who’ve just started walking, you naturally worry about toys because of the risk of choking or injury.
That’s why I recommend hand-knit toys.
When you knit them yourself, you can freely choose the size to suit your child, and toys made with wool or cotton yarn are soft, so they can play safely.
In addition to classics like rattles and balls, this article also introduces ideas perfect for early learning.
You can find the necessary tools and materials at 100-yen shops, so give it a try!
[Let's make it by hand knitting] Children's toys: cute ideas (1–10)
Infinity Cube
Introducing the mysterious educational toy, the six-sided 3D puzzle “Infinity Cube.” It’s crocheted with loosely spun, cotton-filled yarn, giving it a firm, satisfying feel.
The close-up video of the hands makes the stitching method very easy to understand, so even beginners can jump in with confidence.
Crochet eight cubes, then connect them at the end—and you’re done! It’s a toy that both kids and parents can enjoy, making it a great choice for gifts as well.
A rolling ball with a pop-up bear
How about making a handmade “Peekaboo Bear Rolling Ball” for a baby’s first educational toy? It’s a toy that offers lots of ways to play in one, so it also makes a great casual baby gift! The materials, like yarn, can be picked up at a 100-yen shop.
You crochet the bear and the ball separately.
Even beginners at crochet can give it a try with ease.
You can also enjoy customizing it by changing the animal or the colors, so why not crochet it while thinking of the baby on the way?
Animal Dice
What we’re introducing here is an animal die made by joining six crochet motifs.
Place a different animal on each of the six faces, and if you put a little bell inside, you’ll have an adorable die.
It’s soft to the touch, and since kids can learn animal names, it makes a handy educational toy.
The base motif is relatively easy even for beginners to crochet, so even if you get stuck on the animal parts, you can switch them to numbers and create an arranged version.
Amigurumi animal ice-cream rattle
Ice cream with a cone has such an adorable shape, doesn’t it? If you turn it into a knitted piece, it would be irresistibly cute.
You can put a little bell inside so it rattles and you can play with it.
Since it’s an animal ice cream sitting on top of the cone, it uses fewer parts than a typical animal plush, making it easier to assemble.
Using smoky pastel tones will make it even cuter.
You can also make other animals by changing the parts, so please give it a try!
A sword that’s safe to play with
Playing with swords is one of the games kids love, but hard swords can hurt and cause injuries, which is dangerous.
So, how about crocheting a yarn sword? When you crochet with yarn, you can customize the colors, designs, and sizes, so it’s fun to decide together with your child.
It’s also a good idea to prepare several swords so they can play with friends.
The nice thing about using yarn is that if you don’t need it anymore, you can unravel it back into the original yarn and turn it into anything else.
soccer ball
It’s fascinating that you can knit a soccer ball out of yarn, isn’t it? The method follows the same principle as a real soccer ball: one ball is made from 12 pentagonal pieces and 20 hexagonal pieces.
Even knowing that pentagons and hexagons can form a sphere, it still feels a bit mysterious, doesn’t it? It’s stuffed with cotton and soft, so it’s safe for children to play with indoors.
You can also use fine thread, like for lacework, to make a miniature ball and use it as a cute bag charm.
Handmade baby gym
Why not try making a handmade baby gym for your little one on the way? It’s a lovely way to pour in lots of love! The design includes clever ideas like using a hula hoop as the core for the arches and making it easy to dismantle once your baby starts crawling.
You can find the materials at 100-yen or 300-yen shops, so it’s an easy project to try.
Toys are hung with carabiners so they can move, making it fun for your baby! There are plenty of creative touches too, like putting bells inside amigurumi, adding a small mirror, or hanging rings.