[Nursery/Kindergarten] Crafts you can play with after making them
At daycare centers and kindergartens, there are many opportunities to make toys using familiar recycled materials.
Making their own toys and playing with them lets children enjoy the process of creating, builds confidence, and gives them a sense of accomplishment—benefits that greatly support their development.
Let’s actively incorporate lots of these activities.
This time, we’re introducing craft ideas that kids can play with after making them.
Tops, pinwheels, puzzles—ideas that are sure to spark children’s curiosity!
Feel free to adapt them while incorporating the children’s ideas, and create one-of-a-kind toys bursting with originality!
They’ll surely grow attached to them, and the fun will double.
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[Nursery/Kindergarten] Crafts You Can Play With After Making (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?”
Milk Carton Yo-Yo
An unbreakable yo-yo made from a milk carton.
Cut the milk carton open so it forms a cross, and use stickers or markers to decorate the inside.
Make two holes in the bottom and thread a rubber band through them, then connect additional rubber bands to make it longer.
Gather the four cross-shaped flaps toward the center so the decorations face outward, tape them in place, and then secure firmly with a stapler to finish! If you swing it too hard, it becomes harder to catch.
It’s best to encourage gentle play, saying things like, “Try it gently so the rubber band doesn’t stretch out too much.”
The Ferris wheel spinning round and round
@sayacky_be.child Here are the materials and tips▼ (Follow before you forget ▶︎ @sayacky_be.child) [Materials] ● Milk carton ● Pool noodle (from Seria) ● Plastic spoon ● Round wooden chopsticks ● Gacha capsule container Handy tools when making it ● Scissors ● Utility knife ● Cutting mat ● Hot glue gun ● Empty Chip Star can Points ▶︎ When we tried it in the bath, the play got a bit wild and the spoon came off a few times 😂 Since it’s just inserted, it’s easy to fix, but if that bothers you, securing it with hot glue in the hole might help❣️ ▶︎ With lots of use, the milk carton might get soft 👻 Doubling the layers or using chopsticks as pillars should make it last longer 😉 ▶︎ I’ll share tips in Stories on how to make it easily and neatly 🥰 Everyone, great job as always! Wishing you bright, cheerful days… 🎧𓈒𓏸 Nice to meet you! I’m Sayacky, a nursery teacher and mom of two who loves play that lets adults be kids too! 🥰 I share play ideas that connect, brighten, and nurture hearts—for both grown-ups and kids❣️ Please follow me 💓 @sayacky_be.child ▲ See other posts here ໒꒱#Sayakki-WorldNursery teacher / Childcare worker#NurseryTeacherMom#HandmadeToys#Childcare CraftingCraft Play#Childcare topic#AtHomePlay#StayHomeTime#100-yen shop DIY
♪ Original Song – Sayakki | Preschool Crafts, Handmade Toys, Educational Play – Sayakki’s Play Atelier
Let me introduce a water-play friendly, spinning Ferris wheel craft.
Gather pool noodles, a milk carton, wooden chopsticks, plastic spoons, and a utility knife, and let’s make it.
First, cut the milk carton to create the base on which the Ferris wheel will rotate.
Next, take a piece of cut pool noodle and make six evenly spaced slits along its side.
Insert plastic spoons into the slits with the handles pointing inward.
Thread a chopstick through the center, set it onto the milk carton base, and it’s complete.
Attach gashapon capsules to the plastic spoons to transform it into a Ferris wheel.
By keeping the balance even, the Ferris wheel will spin smoothly.
plastic bottle shower
All you have to do is poke holes in the bottom of a plastic bottle with an awl, and your plastic-bottle shower is complete! It’s the perfect toy for water play season.
If you decorate the bottle with waterproof materials like vinyl tape, you can give it a unique, personalized look.
You can also change how the water comes out by adjusting the number and size of the holes, so you can prepare different patterns and have fun experimenting.
Plastic-bottle showers are safe and suitable even for infants, making them an excellent choice.
It’s a good idea to make plenty as summer approaches.
catch-ball machine
How about making a fun catch-ball machine that shoots the ball and pawn with a satisfying pop? First, cut a circle in the center of a paper plate to match the diameter of a toilet paper tube, then cut away one quarter of the plate and overlap the edges to form a cone, taping it in place.
Next, cut slits into one end of the toilet paper tube, hook two rubber bands in a cross shape into the slits, secure them with tape so they don’t come off, and attach a ball made by wrapping tissues with tape to the rubber bands.
Thread the toilet paper tube through the hole in the paper plate and fix it in place.
Finally, make one more soft ball out of tissues and tape, and you’re done.
It’s fun to play alone, and making several to play with family or friends sounds great too!