[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 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.

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 (71–80)

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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Mike

For kids who love to sing, a toy microphone is a great recommendation.

If you make it with felt, it won’t break if dropped and the risk of injury is low, so it’s a safe choice.

Create the handle and the microphone head with felt, and stuff the inside with fabric scraps or cotton.

Adding a ribbon or other accents would make it extra cute.

You can buy both felt and cotton at 100-yen shops, so try making it in your favorite colors.

Once it’s finished, sing using your microphone—you’ll enjoy a fresh, exciting feeling!

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sasashina

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