Lovely Play & Recreation

[For Elementary School Kids] Handmade Toy Craft Ideas

Composition nerdmutō
Started performing in bands in junior high school. Influenced by Japanese rock and UK rock, spent over 10 years continuing band activities while creating original songs. Later began producing Vocaloid tracks using Hatsune Miku, with total plays of released songs surpassing 10,000. Has five years of experience writing for music magazines. Currently works as a music writer, director, and composer, keeping a ground-level perspective on the scene by attending live shows across Japan. Now performs at live houses in Tokyo, showcasing guitar playing centered on acoustic guitar and informed by knowledge of chord analysis and guitar scales. Also writes leveraging a broad knowledge of music genres.

There are plenty of opportunities to make handmade toys, like indoor play items or independent research projects.

Some of you might be thinking, “Isn’t there a toy I can make with things I already have at home?”

In this article, we’ve compiled a bunch of handmade toy ideas for elementary school children.

These are not only fun to make, but also fun to play with once they’re finished.

It’s also great to incorporate your favorite characters or designs when making them.

Be sure to check out these handmade toy ideas that you can enjoy with family and friends.

[For Elementary School Students] Handmade Toy Making Ideas (101–110)

Make and Play! Cake Shop

[Fake Sweets] Make and play with 100-yen clay! Pretend cake shop

Make and Play! Cake Shop

Simple to make yet impressive enough to make you say “Wow!” This craft lets you create a realistic-looking blackberry cake and have fun while doing it.

You can easily get the materials at 100-yen shops, and it’s simple to do at home.

Using soft, squishy paper clay, you can make adorable sweets that are fun to touch and pleasing to the eye! Practice your decorating skills with piping cream and coloring, and boost your sense of design.

With a little creativity, you can open your very own one-of-a-kind “cake shop.” After you’re done, play cake shop with friends or display your creation as a perfect room decor piece.

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Nigi-Nigi Cube

[At-home Crafting] Recreating that character with tape ⚒️

Nigi-Nigi Cube

Crush it and it springs back into shape! Here’s an idea for a squishy squeeze cube.

Not only is it fun to touch and play with, but you can also stack it like building blocks.

Let’s make a squeeze cube! All you need are clear tape, a permanent marker, and scissors.

Create six square panels by layering clear tape, then simply stick them together to finish.

It’s an easy project to try.

If you design it with characters or colors your child likes, it might capture their interest even more.

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Let’s make a super ball

Simple Craft: Let's Make a Super Ball! #MakeASuperBall #ElementarySchoolExperiment #shorts

Let's make a super ball

Did you know you can make a super ball yourself? You’ll need PVA laundry glue, salt, and food coloring or paint.

First, dissolve 40 g of salt in water and add color, then pour the saltwater into the glue and stir with a chopstick.

You’ll see a gooey mass start to form around the chopstick.

Gather it up and blot the moisture with a paper towel, and you’ll have an easy homemade super ball.

Depending on the batch, some bounce very well and others less so, but try adding your favorite colors and make all kinds of super balls!

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Paper Plate Balance Game

A fun parent-child craft game! Can you balance marbles evenly on a wobbly paper plate? #crafts #handmadetoys #easycrafts

Paper Plate Balance Game

Let me introduce a guaranteed crowd-pleasing, handmade recreation activity you can make and play with elementary school kids: the Paper Plate Balance Game.

Paint a paper plate in four colors—red, yellow, blue, and green—and attach capsule toy containers or paper cups underneath to create an unstable balancing base.

The rules use two kinds of dice: one regular number die and a special die with “colors” and faces like “x2” and “x3.” Players take turns placing small counters (like marbles or flat game pieces) according to the color and number rolled.

If you upset the balance and make pieces fall, you lose.

It’s easy to make, and a fun idea game that nurtures dexterity, concentration, and creativity.

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Well-Flying Archery

[Playable Craft] So Easy! A High-Flying Bow and Arrow/Archery: How to Make It ② (Toilet Paper Roll, Straw, Rubber Bands, Tissues) [Easy Crafts, Recycled Play, At-Home Play, Indoor Play, Handmade Toy]

Well-Flying Archery

Here are some craft ideas for making an archery set using scrap materials.

First, make a slightly larger hole in one spot on a toilet paper roll.

Make the same hole on the opposite side, then cut small slits at the top and bottom and hook a rubber band onto them.

Twist the rubber band once so it forms an X shape.

That completes the bow.

For the arrow, use a straw and a ball made from rolled-up tissue.

Cut one end of the straw into a V shape, then attach the ball—rolled and secured with masking tape—to the other end.

With the arrow finished, thread it onto the bow and try shooting it for fun.

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[For Elementary School Students] Handmade Toy Craft Ideas (111–120)

Flower fidget spinner

@n.annlee321
A festive plum blossom hand spinner ☺️✨#2022 #tiktok classroom Life with children #VideoYouCan'tHelpButWatch
♬ Relaxing cute everyday BGM – Hiraoka

How about making your own hand spinner that twirls between your fingers or on a desk, finished in a cute flower shape? Use two circles cut from cardboard for the finger pads, connect them with a toothpick to form the axle, and attach the spinning flower piece between them, leaving a slight gap as you assemble the axle.

The way it spins will change depending on the gap between your fingers and the rotating part, as well as the size of the hole the toothpick passes through, so try building it while experimenting with ways to make it spin longer.

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Flower Hand-cranked Spinning Top

@n.annlee321
A hand-spun top that you spin with your palm ☺️✨Summer Vacation Craft #tiktok classroom Life with children #HandmadeToys
♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey

Let’s make a hand-spun top that you spin vigorously with your hand, designed with a cute, flower-inspired look.

We’ll use a disposable chopstick as the top’s axle, and wrap long, folded strips of paper around it to form the shape of the top.

Everyone should clearly imagine their favorite flower and think about which colors of paper will best match that flower.

Wrapping the paper tightly is the key to making the whole piece sturdy and ensuring it spins well.

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