[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 Craft Ideas (11–20)
Candy pot
Let’s make a gashapon-style candy jar using cute items you can find at a 100-yen shop.
By playing with colors and combinations, you can create a stylish candy pot that blends perfectly with your interior.
For the base, you can use a flowerpot, and for the top decorations or handle, you can go with antique-style motifs or something pop and playful—the ideas are all up to you.
Fill the jar with colorful candies and treats.
It’s fun to look at, fun to display, and fun to taste—brighten up your life with a handmade candy pot.
Handmade crane game out of cardboard!
A claw machine made from cardboard is a perfect activity for kids who love crafts.
By assembling the cardboard into a box and cutting out windows so you can see inside, you can create the feel of a real arcade machine.
If you use pipe cleaners for the arm, it will move flexibly, letting you enjoy the sensation of grabbing prizes.
Fill it with plush toys or light trinkets, and each attempt becomes more exciting—you can even compete with friends and family.
You can adjust the difficulty by changing how you build it, and once it’s finished, you’ll experience both the satisfaction of completing it and the fun of playing.
It’s a creative idea that lets you enjoy an arcade vibe using familiar, everyday materials.
Magnet Crane Game
A crane game that uses magnets can become uniquely fun with just a few clever tweaks.
We recommend building a frame out of cardboard and attaching a clear plastic panel so you can see inside.
Install paper cups inside to hold prizes, and run a tension rod through the sides to create the crane’s range of motion.
Attach a magnet to the end of a string, and it turns into a mechanism that can lift prizes with metal embedded in them.
By turning a wooden rod to raise and lower the string, you can aim and drop with great control, making each attempt exciting.
It’s a compelling idea that lets you experience the fun of ingenuity while you play.
A crane game operated with twine
A crane game you can make by combining construction paper, bamboo skewers, and kite string, with the fun focused on cleverly moving the arm.
Secure the arm firmly with a hot glue gun and devise a mechanism so it moves up and down.
Then thread bamboo skewers so it can also be operated forward, backward, left, and right, creating a structure that lets you aim for prizes from multiple directions like a real crane.
Once it’s finished, prepare a box for the main body and decorate the exterior however you like to create your own original game machine.
It’s an idea you can truly enjoy, offering the satisfaction of operating it by hand and grabbing prizes yourself.
A full-fledged crane game that even beginners can make
This is a crane game that delivers a stable finish by proceeding through the steps in order.
Cut the cardboard into individual parts, and thread bamboo skewers and string to create the movement mechanism.
Carefully securing everything with glue improves durability.
By combining binder clips and popsicle sticks for the arm, it can perform a gripping action, and using wooden dowels and boards expands the range of control.
The moment you lift a prize feels just like the real thing, and it’s sure to captivate not only children but adults as well.
It’s a practical idea that keeps material costs low while offering both a sense of accomplishment and plenty of play value.
Safe Design Marble Game
Kids love rolling toys! Many children want to play with marbles, but when kids are small, there’s a risk of swallowing them, which worries caregivers.
So here’s a toy idea that uses marbles safely.
Inside a box, move plastic bottle caps with marbles set inside them toward a goal without letting them fall into holes.
The marbles are firmly fixed to the caps, and the caps are also tied to the box with string, so it’s safe.
Decorate the box and caps with any designs you like, and play by tilting the box to slide the caps around.
[For Elementary School Children] Handmade Toy Craft Ideas (21–30)
5 Easy DIY Crafts You Can Try
Kids love crafts, but as first graders it can be hard to stay focused for a long time.
So here are some quick craft ideas you can finish in a short time.
You can make five things: a moving boat, a guitar, a fortune slip (omikuji), a ghost that pops out of a box, and a spinning top.
The materials are mostly recyclables—things you likely have at home—such as milk cartons, plastic bottles, wooden chopsticks, straws, ice cream sticks, and plastic bags.
You can play with each item after you make it, so once you’re done, decorate it however you like and put it to use as a fun at-home activity.