[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 (81–90)
Tokotoko Penguin
This is an adorable paper-cup penguin that waddles along, swaying from side to side.
Stick origami paper onto a paper cup, then draw details with a pen and attach parts made from origami to make it look more like a penguin.
Make two slits on each side of the cup’s rim.
Attach a rubber band to a used battery and set it into the slits so it’s held in place, and you’re done! Twist the battery a few times, set the penguin down on its belly, and enjoy its cute little waddle.
Bunbun top (whirligig)
How about making a bunbun-goma—a classic whirling toy that spins with a satisfying buzz—using a milk carton? First, open the milk carton and cut off the bottom.
Cut out another piece from a milk carton in the same size.
Draw lines to mark the center, then draw any design you like on the white side.
Glue the two pieces together, and use an awl to make two holes in the center to thread a piece of twine through.
It helps to tape the end of the twine with cellophane tape to make threading easier.
It’s an old-fashioned toy that lets you enjoy not only the sound but also the changing patterns as it spins.
ice cream
Here’s an idea for a toy that lets you play ice cream shop! You can make it using felt, magnets, cardboard, and stuffing.
Basically, you stuff cotton into felt cut into circles or half-circles to create the ice cream scoops and cones.
A sticker-type magnet attached to cardboard is placed in the flat part of the cone and the bottom of the ice cream, so when you put the ice cream on the cone, it sticks and won’t fall off easily.
Make different kinds of ice cream by changing the felt colors and toppings!
Simple chopstick gun
This is a very simple chopstick rubber-band gun you can make with just two pairs of disposable chopsticks.
Clamp the tip of one chopstick set with the tip of the other and secure them with a rubber band.
At this point, use both chopsticks un-split, just as they are.
That’s actually all there is to the assembly! Then hook a rubber band onto the tip to set it, and slowly tilt the clamped chopstick diagonally like a trigger—the rubber band will launch.
Since you don’t need scissors, a cutter, glue, or anything else, it’s perfect for a craft project with small children.
Give it a try!
Easy with cardboard! Handmade puzzle
Puzzles made from cardboard can be created using scrap materials, so they’re inexpensive and fun to play with right from the crafting stage.
Aside from the illustrated part, everything—from the puzzle pieces to the frame—can be made out of cardboard, making it easy to create a new one whenever you get bored.
Both the crafting process and the puzzle itself involve using your fingers, which helps with learning and brain training, so they’re perfect not only for children but also for older adults.
Plus, it teaches the valuable lesson that toys can be made from everyday items, so give it a try!
