This time, we’d like to introduce some fun toys you can make and play with using bamboo.
Playing with bamboo toys enriches children’s curiosity and their ability to imagine and play creatively.
Bamboo toys are also very sturdy, so they’re hard to break and easy to play with—that’s a key feature!
Since they don’t contain chemicals, they’re gentle on both the environment and on children.
Be sure to take the kids to a spacious area and try playing with the toys you’ve made.
And when making them, please help the children with any parts that are difficult for them.
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Let's make fun toys with sturdy bamboo! (1–10)
bamboo ball
Here’s an idea for making a bamboo ball using bamboo skewers.
First, layer five skewers in a radial pattern to create a star shape at the center.
Press the skewers together firmly with your fingers to tighten the star, then add the remaining five skewers next to the existing five.
Next, weave these into a sphere.
To keep the star shape from collapsing, secure it with zip ties before you start weaving.
Also, it’s easy to lose track of which skewer is which partway through, so I recommend putting different colored round stickers on both ends of each skewer as markers.
bamboo water gun
Let’s assemble a bamboo water gun while thinking about how to combine a thick bamboo tube with a thin one.
The thick bamboo should have one node left intact on one end, and the thin bamboo should have tape or cloth wrapped around its tip.
Make a hole in the node for the water to come out, and when you push the cloth-wrapped thin bamboo in from the other side, water will be forced out through the hole.
Experiment with the diameters and the way you push to create more pressure and achieve a stronger stream.
It’s also important to balance ease of use with power as you build it.
bamboo-copter
A simple-looking traditional toy with a bamboo skewer inserted through the center of a bamboo blade, which you spin to make it fly high.
The key is the shape of the bamboo blade: the width at which you split the bamboo and the grooves you carve into it will change its rotational power and flight pattern.
Since you’ll use sharp tools when splitting, shaving, and drilling the bamboo, be sure to work carefully as you shape it.
Rather than stopping after making just one, it’s also recommended to make bamboo dragonflies with different shapes and compare how they fly.
bamboo air gun
Let’s make an air gun using real bamboo.
We’ll use medake (female bamboo) and mosochiku (Moso bamboo), so please prepare them.
First, cut the medake to 30 cm, leaving a node intact.
Next, make another cut 10 cm above the node, then cut the Moso bamboo to 20 cm.
Split the cut Moso bamboo so that it fits inside the medake.
Sand the Moso bamboo to shape it, and insert it into the medake with the node.
Now your air gun is complete.
Firmly pack in some wet tissue paper.
The air will compress, and with a pop! the tissue will shoot out.
Make a target you like and have fun practicing your aim.
bamboo ocarina
Let’s try making an ocarina using madake (a type of easily workable bamboo).
First, cut the madake to a length of 135 millimeters.
Make a hole 2 centimeters from the end, then shave around it slightly to form the mouthpiece.
Cut a thin sasa bamboo piece to 2 centimeters and split it to the same width as the mouthpiece.
Once you glue that to the mouthpiece, your ocarina is complete! Blow gently and enjoy the sound.
Decorating the bamboo with stickers or masking tape could make it look cute, too.
Bamboo kendama
It’s a toy inspired by the kendama, with two cross-sections of bamboo that look like they’re connected by a string.
On one of the bamboo slices, you attach a thin rod-like part made by splitting and narrowing bamboo, and the way you play is by passing the other slice—connected by the string—onto this rod.
Rather than a complex mechanism, the important steps are cutting and splitting the bamboo, so proceed with caution and prioritize safety.
By adjusting the string length, the shape of the rod, and how you cut the bamboo, you can make the toy more challenging to handle, which is also recommended.
Bamboo pinwheel
This is a pinwheel woven from slender bamboo splints that you can also enjoy watching spin when it catches the wind.
Once you’ve prepared bamboo splints of the same length, you only need to weave them and attach the parts, so it can be made safely.
The weaving process builds up a core in the center, and the staggered ends of the splints that protrude outward are what ultimately generate the rotation.
Attach parts at the tips to catch the wind and add an axle for stable spinning to complete the piece.
Focus on weaving evenly and finely to maintain concentration.
Sticky with bamboo
Sticky is a toy where you stand multiple sticks inserted into a ring, then pull them out one by one in turn; the person who knocks the sticks over loses.
Let’s try making one out of bamboo! First, cut the bamboo to make a ring, then split the bamboo to create the sticks.
If children will use it, sand the bamboo to make it smooth so they don’t get hurt.
Since you’ll use tools to cut and split the bamboo, make sure an adult supervises when making it with children.
Kids will love it if you decorate the bamboo by drawing on it with a pen or wrapping it with washi tape or similar.
Bamboo string telephone
A tin can telephone is a device that transmits the vibrations of your voice through a string, letting you enjoy a conversation over a distance.
It’s often made with paper cups, but you can make one with bamboo, too.
Prepare two bamboo pieces cut into tube shapes and cover one end of each with stiff paper or cardboard.
Punch a hole in the cardboard, thread the string through, and secure it so it won’t come loose.
You can decorate the bamboo and the cardboard with patterned origami paper or anything you like.
Since bamboo seems to block ambient noise better than paper cups, it might be easier to hear.
Give it a try and have fun experimenting!
bamboo ring
When we think of bamboo, we often imagine it as being hard, but bamboo skewers are surprisingly flexible and easy to use as a craft material.
Here’s an idea for making a ring using just one bamboo skewer.
Hold one end of the skewer between your thumb and index finger, curl it around, and form two adjacent loops.
Thread the end of the skewer through the gap between the two loops, then swap the positions of the loops left and right—repeat this to continue weaving.
Once you’ve completed one round, pull both ends to adjust the size.
Tuck the remaining length into the section you just wove and make a second round to finish!