Play equipment that delights children. Toys and play tools that can be enjoyed from early childhood.
We’ve put together a collection of play items that kids will love!
We’ll introduce lots of toys and play gear that both boys and girls can enjoy, so use this guide to make trips to the park more fun, fill downtime on camping trips, or keep kids entertained indoors on bad-weather days.
In addition to gift-worthy items, there are plenty of affordable playthings that are easy to find at 100-yen shops and similar stores.
Even though they’re from 100-yen shops, the quality is surprisingly high, making them perfect when you want to try something a little new!
- Fun DIY Toy Ideas You Can Make with 100-Yen Store Materials
- Indoor activities that 2-year-olds can enjoy. Recommended at-home games that will keep them engaged.
- [Daycare/Preschool] Handmade toys that delight infants
- [Nursery/Kindergarten] Water play ideas that kids will love
- Play ideas kids can enjoy from 1st to 6th grade [indoors & outdoors]
- For 1-year-olds! Indoor play ideas that make rainy days fun
- [Elementary School] Quick and Easy! Indoor Recreational Activities Perfect for Lower Grades
- [Children’s Club] Easy and fun indoor games. Exciting party games
- [Elementary School Rec] Recommended Games and Performances for a Fun Party
- [Childcare] Recommended for toddlers! Toy ideas you can make and play with
- Get excited! A list of popular and fun hand games that captivate children
- Fun summer activities for kids: ideas you’ll want to try in childcare and at home
- [Childcare] Playing with scrap materials: Toys you can make from recycled items
Playthings Kids Love: Toys and Play Equipment for Toddlers and Up (21–30)
seesaw game
The seesaw game where you hang several pool noodles horizontally and place cut pieces of pool noodle on top is a fun activity for everyone.
Play it with children aged three and up, who are getting used to games with rules.
Take turns stacking the pool noodle pieces, and the game ends when the balance is lost.
To keep things orderly, have children waiting for their turn sit on chairs.
The suspense of not knowing when the noodles will collapse is thrilling.
Teachers should join in too and enjoy it together.
Toy stethoscope for playing doctor
When you want to play doctor, make a toy stethoscope and get into character! For this one, you’ll use a headband you can find at a 100-yen shop.
Cover the headband with a tube of sewn felt, so if it has any decorations, remove them first.
For the tubing, use a string or cord, and for the chest piece, cover a suitably sized cap or lid with felt.
Once you’ve connected everything, your stethoscope is ready! It might be even more fun if you also make items like a medicine bag or bandages.
Paku-Paku Bear
Pakupaku Kuma-san: a bear face sewn onto a large piece of felt with a zipper for its mouth.
Next to the bear, items like rice balls, bread, eggs, and vegetables are attached with snap buttons.
You can unfasten them and feed them to the bear—it’s a toy, right? The actions of unbuttoning and buttoning seem helpful for developing fine motor skills, and seeing the bear eagerly eat everything might spark children’s interest in food, making them think, “I want to try the same thing,” or “I wonder what it tastes like?”
[Upcycled] Toilet Paper Roll Rocket
![[Upcycled] Toilet Paper Roll Rocket](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1uVgQH8nNcE/sddefault.jpg)
This is a toilet paper roll rocket that shoots out with force the moment you let go.
Cut slits in four places around the edge of the roll and fold them outward.
Hook a rubber band on one side and staple it so it won’t come off.
Twist the rubber band once, hook it on the opposite side, and staple it there as well.
Cover the stapled areas with tape to prevent injuries when touched.
Use origami paper, stickers, or markers to finish shaping it like a rocket, then make the launch pad.
Cut two notches at the top of a plastic wrap core to catch the rubber band inside the rocket, and decorate it with origami paper just like the rocket to complete it!
Drawing board
An electronic drawing board that lets you freely draw and erase with a stylus is perfect for keeping kids entertained during downtime.
If your child draws every day, they can go through a sketchbook in no time.
A single sketchbook can cost a few hundred yen, so the expenses add up—but with an electronic board, you can reuse it endlessly, making it cost-effective.
What’s more, these days you can even find them at 100-yen shops for around 500 yen, so they’re very affordable! Why not go check them out right away?
Fishing for fish
Fishing is one of the most popular pastimes for children.
So why not try making various sea creatures out of felt? In addition to fish, kids might be delighted to have creatures you wouldn’t normally catch when fishing, like sharks, dolphins, and turtles.
If you put a material inside that sticks to a magnet, they can enjoy “catching” them with a rod that has a magnet on the end.
You can make them by layering and gluing felt, or stuff them with cotton to give them a three-dimensional shape—both are recommended.
Since they’re toys, be sure to make them colorful!
Raft play
You can make a raft by lining up pool noodles and tying them together.
How about using it as an indoor play item? All you need are pool noodles, jute twine, and stick-shaped wooden rods.
Line up the pool noodles, place the rods at both ends, and tie them securely with the twine.
You’ll have a fun toy that’s great for kids’ pretend play or territory games! Since throwing it or jumping onto it can be dangerous, it’s best for children around age 3 and up who can follow basic rules.
It’ll be exciting to see what kinds of play it leads to.