Lovely childcare

Handmade toys with magnets! A collection of fun, playable 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.
9 years of experience as a nursery school teacherShibata Risa
I am an active nursery school teacher with 9 years of experience. After graduating from university, I worked at a daycare center. The time I spent happily with children—playing piano, singing songs, and doing finger-play—are priceless memories to me. Currently, while raising three children of my own, I work at an after-school day service, engaging with children and providing individualized developmental support. Drawing on my diverse experiences as a childcare worker and as a mother, I hope to express and convey my thoughts through writing.

Here are some fun, handmade toy ideas that use magnets! There are plenty of ideas that both adults and kids can enjoy casually.

Try making them with everyday materials, adjusting the design to suit your child’s age.

As you experience the mysterious power of magnets together, help draw out your children’s creativity.

You’ll create memories filled with smiles for both kids and adults, along with the time you spend making them.

Why not have a great time by getting excited together, playing with the toys you made, and coming up with creative ways to play?

Handmade Magnet Toys! A Collection of Fun, Playable Ideas (21–30)

Fishing for fish

I made a felt fishing toy / handmade / hand-crafted / educational toy

Fishing for fish

Fishing is one of the most popular pastimes for children.

So why not try making various sea creatures out of felt? In addition to fish, kids might be delighted to have creatures you wouldn’t normally catch when fishing, like sharks, dolphins, and turtles.

If you put a material inside that sticks to a magnet, they can enjoy “catching” them with a rod that has a magnet on the end.

You can make them by layering and gluing felt, or stuff them with cotton to give them a three-dimensional shape—both are recommended.

Since they’re toys, be sure to make them colorful!

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ice cream

[Easy!] Ice Cream Made with Felt / 100-Yen Shop DIY / Felt Ice Cream

ice cream

Here’s an idea for a toy that lets you play ice cream shop! You can make it using felt, magnets, cardboard, and stuffing.

Basically, you stuff cotton into felt cut into circles or half-circles to create the ice cream scoops and cones.

A sticker-type magnet attached to cardboard is placed in the flat part of the cone and the bottom of the ice cream, so when you put the ice cream on the cone, it sticks and won’t fall off easily.

Make different kinds of ice cream by changing the felt colors and toppings!

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Handmade magnet toys! A collection of fun, playable ideas (31–40)

A butterfly and dandelions in flight

A mysterious, fluttering motion as if it's flying ♪ Magnetic butterfly

A butterfly and dandelions in flight

A butterfly flies in and sticks to a dandelion! It’s a craft project using magnets to make a dandelion and a butterfly.

Attach a magnet and kite string to the center of butterfly-shaped origami, then fold the butterfly so it sandwiches the string and secure it with tape.

Take a sheet of origami cut in half, fold it in half again, and make slits at 1 cm intervals.

Roll it to fit around a small round magnet and spread open the slit sections to form the dandelion.

Apply glue to the magnet to fix it onto a backing sheet, then use the kite string to guide the butterfly and make it stick to the dandelion as you play!

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Fishing game

The two-year-old class at the nursery enjoyed a fishing game.

Fishing game

How about a fishing game? Make lots of fish out of origami and attach a paper clip to the mouth of each one.

For the fishing rod, tie a string to an easy-to-hold stick and attach a magnet to the end.

Lay out a vinyl sheet to represent water, place the fish on it, and catch them so the magnet snaps onto the clips.

It would be fun for everyone to make the fish together and draw illustrations or patterns on them.

Let’s also try making colorful, original fishing rods!

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spinning doll

[Craft] Let's Make a Spinning Figure Doll [Magnet]

spinning doll

This is a doll inspired by a figure skater gliding freely across the ice.

First, use colored pencils or similar tools to draw a full-body illustration of a figure skater.

Fold the paper in half and cut it out.

Next, attach a paper clip to the skates in the illustration and secure it with tape.

Place a plastic sheet or similar item in between, then put a magnet underneath to move the figure.

You can also prepare a large board and move multiple dolls at once for more fun.

Try making this magnet-powered doll that moves smoothly!

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Magnet Tangram

[Educational toys from the 100-yen shop] Handmade tangram for 300 yen!

Magnet Tangram

A tangram is a puzzle where you combine cut pieces to form shapes.

Let’s make a puzzle that’s also used as a toy to train children’s creativity and thinking skills.

First, prepare an illustration with tangram patterns and a magnetic sheet.

Next, trace the lines within the frame onto the magnetic sheet so they line up, then cut out each shape.

Once you place the magnetic sheet pieces into the template, you’re ready to go.

It’s a toy where you aim to complete the illustration by combining the pieces.

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Dress-up magnets

[100-Yen Store DIY] Easy! I tried remaking dress-up stickers into magnets! [I Gave It a Try]

Dress-up magnets

This is a toy made with dress-up stickers and magnetic sheets.

First, cut the base dress-up piece to fit the magnetic sheet.

Next, cut out the clothes, shoes, and decorations for dressing up.

After that, combine them however you like to create dress-up magnets.

Because they can be attached and removed repeatedly, kids can play over and over.

Using dress-up stickers you can buy at 100-yen shops to try unexpected combinations is also a fun idea.

Try making a toy that both taps into children’s rich creativity and helps train their fine motor skills.

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