[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!
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[Childcare] Recommended for toddlers! Toy ideas you can make and play with (31–40)
Fun educational game
https://www.tiktok.com/@soramame.sensei/video/7254149835400416514This is a simple indoor game where you gently stack colorful cardboard pieces—cut into shapes of foods kids love—onto a toilet paper roll using chopsticks or your hands.
Because it requires careful control of force, it helps develop fine motor skills, concentration, and recognition of colors and shapes.
You can use everyday materials! Even if pieces fall, it’s still fun, so children naturally experience cooperation and a sense of accomplishment as they play.
Kids with and without disabilities can enjoy it together, and you can adjust the difficulty with a bit of creativity.
It’s a gentle, handmade activity that even adults can get absorbed in.
paper plate castanets
@welbe.co.jp Easy Craft Series: Paper Plate Castanets#NeurodevelopmentalDisordersParenting# developmental support (ryōiku)Habi
Akuma Night Disco (feat. Nozomi Sato) – The Ghost's Strange Tale
This is a sound-play item that you can easily make with familiar materials.
First, fold a paper plate in half and attach a plastic bottle cap.
Make a hole in the middle of the fold, thread a rubber band through it, and tie it so it won’t come out.
Decorate it, and you’re done! When you tap it lightly, it produces a fun sound that helps develop hand movement and a sense of rhythm.
By varying the volume and rhythm, it can also boost concentration and promote emotional stability.
The time spent making it with your child becomes a wonderful opportunity for communication filled with smiles.
Be sure to include it in your playtime with your child.
Masking tape toy
Stick 2–3 strips of masking tape horizontally on the wall, leaving a small gap in the middle to form a tunnel.
Then drop balls or beanbags through it—simple and fun.
It helps children develop control of hand strength, aiming skills, and concentration.
You can place a box underneath and adjust how loose the tape is to match each child’s developmental level.
Children with disabilities can also enjoy success at their own pace, building confidence.
It’s easy to start with everyday materials, and it naturally brings smiles to children’s faces!
Space Travel Game
Let me introduce a handmade space travel game.
Prepare 10 round magnets, round stickers, straws, and construction paper, and let’s make it together.
For the spaceship, attach a straw to a magnet, stick on a round sticker, and draw a rocket illustration.
Next, create a flight course for the spaceship on a base sheet of construction paper.
Cut black construction paper into circles and glue magnets at the center to make black holes.
Stick several of these black holes along the course, and you’re done.
Pilot the spaceship and try to reach the goal without getting swallowed by the black holes.
Climbing ladybug
Climbing up! Sliding down! A freely moving ladybug is so much fun! Here’s an idea for a climbing ladybug.
For children, ladybugs are familiar insects they see in picture books or on walks, right? This unique idea makes it look like the ladybug is playfully roaming around.
What you’ll need: round magnets, a toilet paper tube, a plastic wrap tube, a half-sphere of Styrofoam, wooden sticks or chopsticks, construction paper, pens, scissors, and double-sided tape.
Give it a try!
[Childcare] Recommended for toddlers! Toy ideas you can make and play with (41–50)
Paper cup spinning top
A paper cup spinning top is also great for practicing twisting motions like turning faucets and doorknobs.
The idea is to cut and open a paper cup, then add decorations to turn it into a top.
The appeal lies not only in the making process but also in the many ways to experiment while playing—try figuring out how to spin it well or invent different ways to use it.
Depending on the situation, caregivers or teachers can offer prompts that spark creativity, such as, “What happens if you spin it the other way?”
Tokotoko Penguin
This is an adorable paper-cup penguin that waddles along, swaying from side to side.
Stick origami paper onto a paper cup, then draw details with a pen and attach parts made from origami to make it look more like a penguin.
Make two slits on each side of the cup’s rim.
Attach a rubber band to a used battery and set it into the slits so it’s held in place, and you’re done! Twist the battery a few times, set the penguin down on its belly, and enjoy its cute little waddle.
