[For Elementary School Kids] Handmade Toy Craft Ideas
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.
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[For Elementary School Students] Handmade Toy Making Ideas (161–170)
chain drop
Let’s make a toy called a “chain dropper” using a milk powder can! It’s very easy to make.
Attach the parts of Anpanman’s face to the lid of the can, then cut out the mouth area with a utility knife.
After that, secure the lid with tape so it won’t come off, and just put the chain inside! Little kids love putting things into small holes like this—and they love pulling them out, too! It’s a simple toy, but it’s a classic favorite among children.
Give it a try!
Tulip Windmill
Let me introduce a cute tulip flower pinwheel.
Prepare some wooden chopsticks, construction paper, and rubber bands, and let’s get started.
Wrap a slightly thicker rubber band inside the chopsticks.
Thread on a small cut-out circle, then the main tulip piece.
Next, slide on a large circle with slits, and finally insert the spacer, then secure the rubber band at the top.
Bring the slitted template to the top, and pass each tulip petal through the slits at the protruding triangular parts of the petals to complete the tulip.
The petals will stay firmly in place by folding down the top parts.
Attach leaves at the bottom to make an adorable tulip.
Plastic bottle windmill
Introducing a simple pinwheel you can make with a plastic bottle.
Get a plastic bottle, an awl, permanent markers, and a hanger ready.
Use the awl to make a hole in the bottom of the bottle.
Color the sides of the bottle with your favorite permanent marker colors.
Use a utility knife to cut slits in the side of the bottle, then fold them outward at an angle to create six blades.
Thread the hanger through the bottom of the bottle, bend the tip with pliers so it won’t slip out, add a straw, and you’re done.
When the blades spin, the colors you drew with the permanent markers whirl beautifully, making a lovely pinwheel!
Button practice toy
Here’s a toy idea that lets kids practice buttoning using Anpanman’s facial parts.
It’s made with felt.
First, stack two circular felt pieces to create the base of Anpanman’s face.
Embroider the eyebrows, nose, cheeks, and mouth outline on it, then sew buttons onto the eyes, nose, and cheeks.
After that, sew the corresponding attachable parts that fasten onto the buttons, and you’re done! You can use either snap buttons or regular buttons with holes—choose whichever seems more fun for your child.
Two‑handed chopstick rubber‑band gun
It’s a hefty chopstick gun that you hold with both hands like a rifle! Once you choose the chopstick that will be the muzzle, surround it with other chopsticks and secure them with rubber bands to form the barrel.
Fix the trigger and the grip with rubber bands as well, and your two-handed chopstick gun is complete.
Though it’s quite large, the method is very simple—you’re just using more chopsticks.
Even for small children who might put small objects in their mouths, this size should make it safer and more reassuring to play with.
A windmill that flies like a kite
Let me introduce a pinwheel that flies high in the sky like a kite.
Prepare A4 drawing paper, a ruler, string, and scissors, and let’s make it.
Cut the A4 drawing paper into a square, then use the ruler to draw lines connecting opposite corners to make an X.
Using scissors, cut along each line about two thirds of the way toward the center.
Fold and glue the cut corners toward the center to form the blades.
Use a thin straw as the base, wrap a small rectangle of drawing paper around it to create the axle for the pinwheel.
Make a hole in the center of the blades, insert the axle, and fix it with glue.
Thread the string through the hole in the center of the axle, tie the cut straw to both sides, and it’s done! If you prepare a long string and let it up into the sky, the pinwheel will spin in the wind.
Let’s defeat the aliens!
Harness your creativity and make it with construction paper! Here are ideas for “Defeat the Aliens!” In the video, we use a cup-ramen rocket, but it could also work as a target for throwing stars! What you’ll need: construction paper in your favorite colors, tape or glue, scissors, pens, and round stickers.
What kind of image comes to mind when you think of an alien? Maybe a tall, slender green one, or a round, light-blue one—everyone has a different idea.
Use construction paper to freely create that image.
It really sparks creativity!