7 Simple DIY Educational Toys for Children Under 5 Years

What’s more magical & exciting than store-bought toys? Home-made DIY toys that are created with love, creativity, and wholesome moments. Such toys are not only easy on the pockets, but they also provide hands-on learning and bonding time between you and your toddler. 

Here are some DIY educational toys for toddlers that are easy-to-make and boost the development of children under the age of 5:

1. Sensory Bottles

For this DIY educational toy for your toddler, all you need is a plastic bottle. Fill it up with water, glitter, beads, and some cool trinkets that you can find around your home. This toy stimulates vision and the child’s senses, which are great for improving focus and concentration. 

Skills Improvement: Focus, sensory exploration, fine motor skills

2. Nesting Objects

Toddlers just love nesting objects and will definitely play with them over and over again. How do you make it? Take the largest container or box you can find, and nest in the smaller one and then add another smaller container to make this easy DIY educational toy for toddlers. 

Skills Improvement: Curiosity, spatial awareness, problem-solving

3. Cup Stacking 

This is a very popular activity! All you need is paper or plastic cups. Now just arrange these cups in such a manner that they are stacked in a fun way. Once you have arranged them in a pattern, you can knock it down or make it bigger. You can also just nest them together, which is very satisfying to watch.

Skills Improvement: Fine motor skills, hand eye coordination, cause and effect understanding.

4. Giant Blocks

To make this DIY educational toy for toddlers, rinse empty milk cartons and fold the pointy edges flat. These may be made into several kinds of fantastic stuffed animal homes, castles, and forts.

Skills Improvement: Gross motor skills, imaginative play, collaboration, and communication

5. Painting the Sidewalk (with Water)

A toddler may be occupied for an hour with a few inexpensive paintbrushes and a tub of water on a sunny patio or sidewalk. It is also possible to paint lawn furniture, buildings, and fences. The best part? Your furnishings may be a little cleaner when the water dries. 

Skills improvement: Focus and mindfulness, gross motor coordination, creativity

6. Custom Crayon Rubbing

Make crayon rubbing to give outdated crayon boxes a new life. For a unique artistic creation, tear off the crayons' paper covering and rub the exposed crayons on a rough surface. Bricks, sandpaper, leaves, tree trunks, and cement sidewalks can all be used for artistic endeavors. One method for producing a textured surface is to use liquid glue. On heavy paper, just drip a design and let it dry. The exercise includes creating the design, so feel free to try anything. Paintbrushes, bottle tips, and fingers all produce different textures.

Skills improvement: Sensory development, creativity, self-expression, observation skills

7. Huge Crayon Cakes

Use aluminum foil to line an old cupcake tin to make this DIY educational toy for toddlers. Add broken and peeled crayons to each hollow until it is approximately halfway full. Put the pan on low heat in the oven for 4 to 8 minutes. Shorter times create less color blending. You have enormous crayons for enormous projects after the wax cools and solidifies.

Skills improvement: Creative thinking, color recognition and mixing, understanding transformations

DIY educational toys don’t need to be fancy or expensive, they just need a little creativity and heart. With simple materials and thoughtful play, you’re not just keeping your child engaged; you’re helping them grow, explore, and learn in the most joyful way.

Follow Dibber to know more about such fun activities that will create a lifelong bond with your young ones!