Crafting Joy: 10 Homemade Toys to Inspire Creativity and Fun at Home

Making homemade toys is a fun and environmentally-friendly activity that allows you to reuse materials you might otherwise throw away. Not only will you save money by not buying new toys, but you’ll also be teaching your children the value of recycling and sustainability. Plus, the creative process of coming up with new toys from recycled materials is a great way to spend quality time with your kids.

Here are a few ideas for homemade toys you can make from items likely to be heading for the recycling bin.

Cardboard Box Crafts

A large cardboard box is a super versatile object as far as a small person is concerned. A simple and fun use is imply to sit inside and convert it into your little one's own 360 degree art canvas.

A collection of a few boxes is great chance to create something a little more intricate. You could try a DIY shop, car, puppet theatre or even your very own fort.

A Personal Puppet Theatre

Find a great guide for making your own puppet theatre here 

Your Own Race Car

Turn a cardboard box into a car by cutting out windows and doors, painting it to your desired color, and adding wheels made from bottle caps or cardboard tubes. You can even decorate the car with stickers or other recycled materials.

A Mini Castle Fort

What could be better than your own cardboard castle fort or ship!

Plastic bottles

Clean plastic bottles are really versatile for creative projects. You can use them for making many things from instruments, sensory toys to skittles.

Home-made Instruments

Plastic bottles can be made into a whole host of fun instruments. Fill them with dried beans, rice, or other small objects, then seal the top with hot glue or tape to create different rattles. Decorate the bottles with paint or markers to give them a fun and colourful look.

Sensory Bottles

Sensory bottles are a fun and interactive way to stimulate a child's visual senses and enjoyment of movement. Fill bottles with water or oil. You can use a food dye or glitter along with larger items like balls, rice, small toys or flowers and seal with glue or tape. Sensory bottles are suitable for children of all ages, but are particularly beneficial for infants from 6-18 months.

Additionally, sensory bottles can be a great tool for children who are easily overstimulated, as they provide a calming and relaxing effect.

DIY Skittles

Making skittles out of plastic bottles is a fun way to upcycle old bottles and create a new game for kids to enjoy. To make the skittles, collect 6-10 plastic bottles of similar sizes and fill them with dry beans or rice. Decorate each bottle with different colours and patterns using paint, stickers, or coloured tape. For older children you can include numbers and use them to practice simple maths by keeping score. Once the paint has dried, arrange the skittles in a triangle shape and use a small ball to try and knock them over. It's a great game for indoors or outdoors.

Recycled Clothes, Materials & Felt

Recycled clothes and other materials are a really versatile crafting tool that kids of all ages can enjoy. Here are just a few ideas to inspire you.

Finger Puppets

You can create hand and finger puppets using felt scraps and old socks. Kids can decorate the puppets with buttons, yarn, and other materials to give them character. Don't forget the googly eyes! 

Felt Board Storytelling

Create a felt board using an old piece of cardboard and felt scraps. Cut out shapes and figures from felt to use as characters in stories. Children can use the felt board and figures to act out their own stories or retell classic tales.

Memory Games

You can make memory games using cloth or card. Create pairs of shapes, colours or patterns to match. For added excitement you can include pictures of friends and family or their favourite characters. 

Paper & Card

There's a whole host of activities you can do with scrap card and paper. We love this kazoo made from a toilet roll and wax paper.

Crafting is a great way to get an extra life out of recycled materials around the house and is an excellent way to instill environmental consciousness and responsibility from a young age while having some fun! There are no limit to the possibilities of what kids can create with recycled bottles, paper, card and fabrics. So, let's encourage our children to turn their trash into treasure and explore their imagination while making a positive impact on the planet!

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