[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 (71–80)
Making houses out of thick paper (cardstock)
Here’s a guide to making an adorable cardboard house.
Use a ruler to sketch the house’s dimensions on the cardboard.
Carefully cut along the guidelines with scissors or a craft knife.
Add color to the cardboard using construction paper.
Cutting the construction paper with scissors is recommended, but tearing and pasting pieces might add a charming, handmade feel to the work as well.
Use glue to attach the parts and assemble them so they don’t fall apart.
Once you add the final decorations, your cute dollhouse is complete.
If you like, adding sparkly stickers or beads can make it even more charming!
Candy Magnet
Let’s make something with plastic bottle caps! Here’s an idea for candy magnets.
How about turning materials you’d normally throw away into cute candy magnets? You’ll need two plastic bottle caps, double-sided tape, masking tape, magnets, fabric scraps, and embroidery thread.
By using leftover fabric from home or school, you can create something with even more sentimental value.
Give it a try with the kids!
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!
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?”