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[Childcare] Recommended for toddlers! Toy ideas you can make and play with
Toys you can make and play with can be created from everyday materials if you match them to your child’s age and interests.
Through crafting, kids can have fun, grow attached to what they make, and even find opportunities to communicate with friends.
Here, we’ll introduce simple, easy-to-make toy ideas for toddlers.
There are plenty of options for indoor play and for enjoying outside!
Many can be made easily using familiar recyclable materials, so please use this as a reference and try making them together with your children!
[Childcare] Recommended for toddlers! Toy ideas you can make and play with (1–10)
Musical Instrument Crafting: Guitar
We’d like to introduce a DIY musical-instrument craft: a guitar you can play once it’s finished.
Prepare four paper cups, three rubber bands, a felt-tip pen, tape, and scissors.
First, place the bottoms of two paper cups together and secure them with tape so they don’t shift.
Next, make three slits in the rim of each of the remaining two paper cups.
Insert these slit cups onto the taped-together cups, and hook the three rubber bands onto the slits so they don’t cross over like an X.
Finally, pluck the rubber bands to check that they make sound—that’s it! The steps are simple, so give it a try!
Snow globe made from a plastic bottle
Here’s how to make a snow globe using a plastic bottle.
Prepare an empty bottle from a lactic acid bacteria drink, decorative pom-poms, beads, glitter, liquid glue, and a hot glue gun.
Put the beads and decorative pom-poms into the empty drink bottle.
Fill the bottle about halfway with liquid glue, then add water.
Color a piece of paper with colored pens, place it into the bottle, and let it tint the liquid.
Mix everything together, then top up with water to push out any air, and you’re done.
Close the cap tightly and secure it with a hot glue gun so it won’t open.
Wrap vinyl tape around the top to finish.
Decorating with washi tape might make it even cuter!
Cardboard mini car case
Even tidying up is simple! Here’s an idea for a cardboard mini car case.
Many kids love toy cars like mini cars, don’t they? This idea is perfect if you’re thinking, “I want to make a road for cars to drive on and give it as a gift,” or “I’d be happy if it’s easy to take toys in and out.” It’s unique because when you open the storage case for the mini cars, it transforms into a townscape with roads.
Adding a handle makes it easy to carry, which is a nice bonus.
Definitely give it a try!
Making houses out of thick paper (cardstock)
Here’s a guide to making an adorable cardboard house.
Use a ruler to sketch the house’s dimensions on the cardboard.
Carefully cut along the guidelines with scissors or a craft knife.
Add color to the cardboard using construction paper.
Cutting the construction paper with scissors is recommended, but tearing and pasting pieces might add a charming, handmade feel to the work as well.
Use glue to attach the parts and assemble them so they don’t fall apart.
Once you add the final decorations, your cute dollhouse is complete.
If you like, adding sparkly stickers or beads can make it even more charming!
Handmade maracas
Here’s an introduction to easy, handmade maracas you can make with everyday materials.
Gather a capsule toy case, a toilet paper roll, a plastic bottle, beads or buttons, and vinyl tape, and let’s get started.
Cut off the neck portion of the plastic bottle, roll the toilet paper core to make a sturdy handle, and attach it securely with vinyl tape.
Put the buttons or beads inside the capsule toy case, fasten it firmly with vinyl tape, and close the lid.
Once it’s finished, shake your maracas, sing along, and have fun!
Sticky! Plastic bottle cap
Would you like to make a game with plastic bottle caps to promote finger development in one-year-olds? Stick two bottle caps together and attach hook-and-loop fastener to the flat side.
If you make a lot, they transform into a toy that children can stick together and pull apart according to their interests! Prepare caps in various colors so children can choose, and pick tapes in different colors and patterns as well.
Because children focus intently while playing, it’s perfect for indoor playtime.
It’s also easy to tidy up, so try incorporating it into your childcare activities.
Empty Can Tambourine
https://www.instagram.com/you_kids_yukarigaoka/reel/C3ZXcKBPRt5/Let me share an idea for making tambourines out of empty cans and boxes.
What you’ll need: empty cans or boxes from snacks, double-sided tape or glue, parts made from construction paper, and decorative materials.
Have you ever thrown away a round cookie tin or an empty cheese box thinking it might be useful for something? Why not try making a tambourine that’s fun to create and delightful to play, together with your child! The step where you freely stick the parts together is exciting for both kids and adults.
Give it a try!
Crafting fish with 100-yen shop magnets
Freshly caught and flopping! Here’s an idea for a fish craft you can make using magnets from a 100-yen shop.
It’s perfect for anyone wondering, “What kind of craft can I make with magnets?” All you need are construction paper, tape, a pen, scissors, and a magnetic sheet.
The video mainly features mackerel, but it looks like you can adapt it to other fish like flounder or filefish.
It’s such a unique idea that you’ll want to make it flop again and again!
A toy that’s fun to take out and put away
Kids around one year old love the action of putting things in and taking them out, don’t they? Let’s make the perfect toy for them! First, cut a hole in the lower part of a 2-liter plastic bottle that’s big enough for a ball to pass through, and reinforce the edges with vinyl tape for safety.
Then cut off the bottom of the bottle.
Next, take a laundry net without a zipper and cut off the lower third.
Tape the cut section to the bottom of the bottle you just removed, and it’s done.
Pop balls or any favorite items in through the hole, and when you want to take them out, open the zipper on the bottom net to release them.
It’s a toy they can play with over and over, so they’ll be totally absorbed!
Clothespin play
Why not make a DIY clothespin activity? Playing with clothespins not only exercises little fingers, but also nurtures imagination when children use them in pretend play.
First, prepare a thin, flat piece of cardboard.
Cut it into the shape of the motif you want to make, then cover it with construction paper or origami paper.
Choose familiar motifs for children, such as vegetables or animals.
After attaching the facial features, reinforce the piece with book tape or cellophane tape.
Then just clip the clothespins onto the motif and play! Encourage children to use their creativity—turn the clothespins into a fish’s tail fin, a rabbit’s ears, and more.