[Childcare] Recommended for toddlers! Toy ideas you can make and play with

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 for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: 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.

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! DIY toy ideas you can make and play with (61–70)

Sandwich shop

How about making a sandwich toy inspired by Anpanman characters? Try creating baguettes shaped like Anpanman or Shokupanman’s faces, as well as fillings like ham, cheese, and vegetables.

The basic material is felt.

Since the baguette needs thickness, you’ll have to stuff it with cotton and sew it, but I think the other parts can be assembled by gluing them together.

Be sure to make it with your child’s favorite characters and enjoy some pretend play!

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sasashina

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cardboard tambourine

@nobuhiro1139
Tambourine translation
♪ Original Song – Nobuhiro – ⛩️ OjiKura ⛩️

Fun to make! Here are some ideas for making a tambourine out of cardboard.

You’ll need cardboard, a compass, a pencil, a plastic sheet, craft glue, plastic bottle caps, beads, and vinyl tape.

It’s great that cardboard and bottle caps are easy to prepare at home or in preschool! Using familiar materials may also help foster an appreciation for taking care of things.

Be sure to try making one together with your child.

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Bata-Bata Straw

https://www.tiktok.com/@renamama_asobi/video/7435247891200937233

Let me introduce the freely moving flapping straw toy.

Prepare two bendy straws, a rubber band, a hairpin, and scissors.

Bend the accordion section of the straw and cut it to the same length.

Do the same with the other straw.

Cut the leftover straw in half.

Hook a rubber band onto the accordion section, then use the hairpin to thread the rubber band through the halved straw, and connect it to the accordion section of the other straw on the opposite side.

When hooking the straws onto the accordion parts, tie them securely so they don’t come off.

Slide the rubber band slightly to adjust, and it’s done.

You can enjoy dance-like movements.

Give it a try!

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Try turning the pin into a character

Design the pins you knock down in bowling as characters and give it a try.

Anything can be used as a pin—plastic bottles, paper cups, you name it! Once you’ve found what to use as pins, just decorate them with your favorite character designs and you’re done.

It can also be fun to purposely choose a villain or bad-guy character and play the hero by knocking them down in bowling! For the ball, prepare something that matches the size and weight of your pins, like a balled-up newspaper or a lightweight plastic ball, and start playing!

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SAKI

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Soap bubbles made with a plastic bottle

@n.annlee321
I'll write the usable bottles and additional notes in the comments ☺️✨#tiktok video contest #tiktok classroom Life with children
Classic Medley 2019 – Pianica Magician

You can play without blowing! Enjoy soap bubbles using a plastic bottle.

The key is to prepare a soft plastic bottle that dents with a squeeze.

Cut a hole in the cap with scissors and insert the mouthpiece of a bubble wand into the hole—voilà, it’s ready in no time.

Dip the tip into bubble solution and squeeze the bottle to pump out bubbles.

This is a perfect idea for young children who might have trouble blowing bubbles or for kids who want to practice hand and finger movements.

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Pom-pom curling

@tomonite_official
Looks so fun! 🤩 It’s also cool how it puffs up when you tap it 💡 You can make it easily with materials you have at home, so give it a try ✨ Please do this activity together with an adult and keep safety in mind. We’re featuring a post from Instagram by @hanamama.ikuji ✨ Thank you for the lovely post. ↓↓↓ ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ Puff-up Tap Tap Curling [Materials] ・Plastic bag ・Construction paper (cardboard or a template works too 🙆‍♀️) ・Paper roll core ・Scissors ・Cellophane tape ・Double-sided tape [How-to tips] ・If there’s anywhere air can escape, it won’t puff up, so firmly tape the mouth of the bag—folded three times—all the way to the edges. ・The rest can be pretty loose 🤣 A play idea kids get super excited about❣️ Activities where they can feel the difference—like saying “Softer!” or “That was too strong!”—help them learn to adjust their strength 💡 Save this and try it together as a parent–child activity ✨ ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ This is Tomonite @tomonite_official. Even on busy days, we want family time to be full of smiles! We share: ・Time-saving housework and parenting hacks ・Handy items with great time and cost performance ・Relatable parenting moments and heartwarming videos ✨A small favor✨ Likes and comments mean the world to us! If you found this post helpful or enjoyable, we’d love it if you’d leave a 👶 in the comments! Please use this idea with safety in mind. All posts featured by Tomonite are used with permission from the original creators. Comments that may hurt others may be hidden by our team. We’d be so happy if everyone could enjoy friendly conversations and lots of interaction here ✨Curling work Simple toy #AtHomePlay #ParentingHack
♬ POP IN 2_Official Oshi no Ko – TV Anime [Oshi no Ko] Official

Make it with materials you have at home! Here’s an idea for “Pom-Pom Curling.” Curling is a sport played on ice where teams take turns throwing heavy circular stones called “stones,” competing against each other.

This time, let’s use items you have at home to play Pom-Pom Curling! What you’ll need: construction paper, a toilet paper roll, a bag, scissors, double-sided tape, and tape.

It looks like a great way to develop control over force and strategic thinking.

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