[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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- Easy to make! DIY ideas for Whack-a-Gator
- Craft activity ideas that parents and children can enjoy together during a preschool observation day
[Nursery school / Kindergarten] Crafts you can play with after making them (61–70)
Handmade Whac-A-Croc
@mammybear_ A handmade Whac-A-Gator game by a newly graduated teacher made its debut at the pretend summer festival! It was so much fun!#Summer FestivalRole play#Nursery schoolWani Wani Panic lol
♬ Cute and playful song(1169385) – zomap
Great for kids trying it for the first time! Here are some ideas for making your own Whac-A-Gator game.
Whac-A-Gator is the game where crocodiles pop out of holes at random and you hit them with a hammer, right? This time, let’s try making a homemade version.
You’ll need cardboard or empty boxes, colored construction paper, plastic ribbon, milk cartons, tape, and more.
It looks like you can make the hammer with a paper cup and disposable chopsticks! It’s sure to be a popular station that children from infant to preschool classes can enjoy.
Ring toss set
@hoiku.labo Usable at summer festivals! Make-and-play ring toss set ✨ Preschool craft, childcare worker, ideas for childcare, together with children, easy craft, ring toss, summer festival, let’s make and play, preschool teacher
♪ Original Song – Hoiku Kyujin Labo – Hoiku Kyujin Labo | Nursery Teacher Job Changes and Helpful Information
Let’s make and play! Here are some ideas for a DIY ring toss set.
These tips are perfect when you want to set up a ring toss corner but don’t have the equipment.
All you need are toilet paper rolls, origami paper, and foil origami.
Just wrap your favorite origami paper around a toilet paper roll to create a target.
Making and setting up lots of targets will make it even more exciting.
For the rings, twist strips of foil origami to form loops.
Give it a try!
miniature food
Make it with clay! Here are some miniature food ideas.
These unique ideas are perfect for children’s food education.
By crafting food that looks almost real with their own hands, kids can deepen their interest in and understanding of food and ingredients.
For example, as they observe to match the colors of vegetables and fruits to the real thing and look for shapes and features, natural conversations like “This one is green,” or “What kind of nutrients does it have?” are likely to emerge.
Through making miniature foods with clay, children may also cultivate an appreciation for eating and learn the importance of food.
milk carton
This is a spinning top made from an opened milk carton, with four wings spread out in all directions.
As you cut each wing, try to keep them the same size and aim for a shape that spins more easily.
To improve spin, cut the tips of the wings at an angle and attach a plastic bottle cap in the center as the axle.
It’s recommended to build it with the inside (white side) of the carton facing up, as it makes pen decorations easier.
To keep the wings straight and stable, you can also reinforce them by layering thick paper or cardboard.
Playing ice-cream shop
Many children probably want to eat lots of ice cream in the summer! So why not make your own ice cream and play shop? Let the kids freely create their own ice creams—cup ice cream, cone ice cream, ice pops, and more.
Draw designs on paper cups to make the cups, and make the ice cream part by crumpling tissue paper and sticking small stickers on it.
For the cones, draw patterns on construction paper, roll it into a cone shape, and secure it.
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.
rattle
A rattle that could be called a baby’s very first toy.
Let’s try making one with an Anpanman motif.
Prepare something sturdy like a roll from plastic wrap or poster paper, then wrap it with construction paper or colored tape.
Attach the faces of Anpanman characters to the round openings.
Make the faces out of construction paper, and cover them with clear tape so the paper won’t get damaged and the toy will last longer.
Since the core is hollow, put bells or beads inside.
When a child holds and shakes it, it makes a sound and they’ll have fun!