[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.
- [For toddlers] Simple but amazing craft ideas — including toys they can play with
- [Childcare] Recommended for 3-year-olds! Craft activity ideas
- [Childcare] Playful craft ideas to enjoy with 5-year-olds
- Craft activity ideas for 4-year-olds
- [Childcare] Recommended for toddlers! Toy ideas you can make and play with
- Paper cup crafts that elementary school kids will love! A collection of fun project ideas
- Let’s make it with 3-year-olds! Fun handmade toy ideas
- Recommended for 5-year-olds! Simple DIY toy ideas
- Toddler-approved fun! DIY toy ideas for 2-year-olds
- [Childcare] Easy! Make a DIY target game. Playful craft and fun game
- [Childcare] Simple DIY ideas you can use for pretend shops
- 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/Kindergarten] Crafts You Can Play With After Making (1–10)
Snap Frog
Here’s how to make a fun “Snap-Frog” that jumps with a pop.
It’s an easy and playful craft that reuses a milk carton! Cut the carton, add slits, and hook on a rubber band to create the mechanism.
Using the stretch and snap of the band, the frog jumps with a quick spring.
For the finishing touch, make eyes out of construction paper and stick them on to create a unique frog! It’s also fun to see how the jump time changes depending on how much you bend the mechanism.
Give it a try with your child and enjoy making and playing together!
Paper Cup Rocket
Make a fun rocket that zooms into the air and play with friends and family at home.
Even on rainy days or when you can’t play outside, you can enjoy this paper cup rocket.
The colorful, exciting designs are easy to make.
Cut evenly spaced slits into a paper cup, attach rubber bands, and the base is ready.
Then take another cup and decorate it with brightly colored construction paper, etc.
Once you’ve finished your favorite design, place it over the base, let go, and your rocket will launch upward with a whoosh.
rolling toy
This is a “rolling toy” made by reusing capsule toy containers and plastic bottle caps.
The movement is so much fun that it’s sure to captivate kids! The way the cat and mouse chase each other is absolutely adorable.
For the cat, use a capsule container with a few marbles inside; for the mouse, use two plastic bottle caps glued together with one marble inside.
The key to playing is to roll them with lots of momentum! You can also customize it by adding a bell instead of just marbles for extra fun.
[Nursery/Kindergarten] Crafts You Can Play With After Making (11–20)
Spinning Snake
Let’s make a “Swirly Snake” that you’ll want to run around with! First, draw a big circle on construction paper.
Inside it, draw a coiled-up snake.
Try drawing a spiral from the outside of the circle toward the center so that the center of the circle becomes the snake’s head.
Once your illustration is done, add your favorite patterns and color it in, then cut along the lines with scissors.
Finally, make a small hole in the snake’s head and thread a string through—it’s finished! If you run while holding the string, the snake will float and flutter, making it lots of fun.
Paper plate spinning top
Fold a paper plate in half, then fold it once more along that crease.
On the front of the plate, leave a little space around the center and draw any picture you like.
Then glue a plastic bottle cap in the center.
Your paper plate spinning top is complete! That was pretty simple, right? Once it’s ready, try spinning it on a smooth floor or tabletop.
Unlike a real top, you don’t need to wind a string, so even young children can spin it easily! If you use permanent markers to color your design, it will look very beautiful when it spins.
Picture-matching puzzle
How about a craft project to make a picture-matching puzzle by reusing a milk carton? Cut the body of the carton into three sections, and draw pictures—such as animals—on each of the four faces.
The key is to draw the pictures so their counts are 1:3, 2:2, and 3:1! Once you connect the sections, the puzzle is complete.
There are no difficult steps, so even young children can make it with ease.
Try matching the same animals to play.
Picture-matching is also great for exercising your child’s mind, so it’s highly recommended.
Kendama
Introducing how to make and play a paper-cup kendama you can craft with kids.
The materials you’ll need are paper cups, stickers, colorful tape, and kite string to connect the base and the ball.
The process isn’t complicated, so you can enjoy making it while you play.
Once you decorate two paper cups in bright colors and tape their bottoms together, the kendama body is complete.
Make a ball by tightly winding tape into a sphere and attach it with kite string—your paper-cup kendama is ready, perfect for hands-on learning through play.
It’s easy to play! Without using too much force, gently toss the ball to make it easier to land in the cup.
Also, if you attach the kite string near the rim of the cup, it becomes even easier to catch.