30 Fun And Educational Baby Toys You Can DIY In Your Spare Time (2024)

Baby toys, particularly educational baby toys, can cost a lot of money. Unfortunately, babies tend to grow tired of their toys or outgrow them so quickly that you may think you’ve bought them for nothing.

Plus, so many manufactured toys can be harmful and contain chemicals and other materials that just aren’t safe for your little one.

The solution? Homemade baby toys, of course!

1. Alphabet Monster From Upcycled Baby Wipes Container

This little alphabet monster is great for babies and toddlers. You make it from an old baby wipes container and it has the alphabet on individual bottle caps. It’s a completely upcycled project that is so easy to make.

It’s great for babies because it teaches them hand eye coordination and once they get older, they can learn their ABCs too.

To make it, you just need a wipes container, a few bottle caps and some stickers.

Source/Tutorial: icanteachmychild

2. DIY Babies Discovery Jug

Here’s another wonderful upcycled project that babies will love. This little discovery jug can be made from an old milk jug – clean it out well first – and a few small toys that baby can put into and take out of the jug.

You’ll cut a hole in the top and on the side so baby can reach in and take things out. It’s such a simple idea that will give your little one hours of fun and learning.

Source/Tutorial: allourdays

3. Sensory Play Bag For Babies

This little sensory bag takes only about five minutes to make and you can get most of the supplies for it from your local Dollar Tree.

You just squeeze hair gel into a plastic bag and drop in a few plastic or rubber creatures. Zip up the bag and duct tape the zipper in place.

Babies will love the feel and sight of the bag and you’ll love how cheap and easy this one is to make.

Source/Tutorial: dirtandboogers

4. DIY Baby Sized Rain Sticks

Empty paper towel rolls can be upcycled to create these fun and adventurous rain sticks that are the perfect size for little hands.

You tape up the ends after decorating the sticks – washi tape or designed duct tape is perfect for this – and then you fill the tubes with tiny legumes, beans, and rice.

The sounds intrigue babies and they’ll love peeking in the ends to see what’s inside the sticks.

Source/Tutorial: theimaginationtree

5. DIY Crocheted Granny Square Blocks

I love the granny square pattern – I mean I use this pattern for just about everything and now, that includes these adorable little blocks for baby.

You can get the pattern for these on Etsy for just under $4 and the project is really easy. If you have time before new baby arrives, you can crochet an entire block collection.

These are great for giving out as gifts to new parents or just keeping for your own little one. Plus, you get to practice your granny squares, which is a great skill to have for future projects.

Source/Tutorial: etsy.com

6. Easy Crocheted Baby Rattle

If you crochet, this little baby grab rattle is a must for your next project. These are great if you are expecting or they make wonderful shower gifts if you know someone who has a little one on the way.

It’s a pretty easy crochet project and won’t take you long at all to work up. Plus, you only need to know basic stitches so you don’t have to be a crochet pro to pull this one off.

Source/Tutorial: herbsthandmade

7. DIY Baby’s First Book

When my son was a baby – many moons ago – his great aunt made him the most wonderful little book and he still has it to this day.

This little baby’s first book will become such a treasure and it’s really easy to make. There’s a bit of sewing involved and lots of felt.

Honestly, you can go by the pattern or create your own little book, maybe putting in characters to tell a story.

Source/Tutorial:allfreesewing

8. Upcycled Plastic Bottle Bowling Set

Plastic water bottles – or 2 liter bottles if you prefer – make wonderful bowling pins. You can create a neat little bowling set with mostly upcycled products and it’s a game that toddlers and even bigger kids will love.

Paint the bottles all different colors – by putting paint on the inside so that they’re safe for babies – and little ones can even use the game to learn their colors.

Source/Tutorial: ucreatewithkids

9. Cute DIY Clothespin Fairy Dolls

Wooden clothespins make the most adorable little fairies. You may want to hold these off until your little one is close to a year old or at least until they won’t instantly stick them in their mouths.

They’re perfect for toddlers and are so much fun to make. You can even let the little ones help to design them.

Source/Tutorial: madebyjoel

10. Colorful Crocheted Caterpillar Toy

Babies will absolutely adore this colorful caterpillar that you can easily crochet. The pattern is for beginners so even if you’ve never crocheted anything, you can pull this one off.

It doesn’t take long to work up and it’s perfect for expectant mothers as a shower gift.

If you prefer, do blue and white or pink and white instead of the rainbow colors, although the colors really do make it so much more appealing.

Source/Tutorial: allfreecrochet

11. Easy DIY Cork Drum Set

So, you may not want this drum set for your own little one – they really do play – but it’s a great project for musical little ones.

The drums are made from yoga cork blocks and the entire project is so very easy to do. You can even make the drum sticks yourself.

Little ones from about age one and up will adore playing with these little drums and making music for the family.

Source/Tutorial: prudentbaby

12. DIY Wooden Baby Gym

Those little baby gyms that lay in the floor are cute, but they can be a tad expensive.

This DIY version is better because it’s much cheaper and well, because it’s a DIY project.

You’ll need pine board and some dowels to create the gym and then eye hooks, s hooks and some chain to hang the toys from. Just lay baby on a blanket on the floor and watch him play away with the little overhead gym.

Source/Tutorial: eakahouse

13. DIY Sensory Boards For Babies And Toddlers

Sensory boards are great for teaching little ones all about hand eye coordination and many other things.

For older children, you can put things like zippers and buttons and for younger ones, a mirror, maybe some carpet swatches and just anything that they can see or feel.

Put all of your sensory items on a board and then secure it to the wall. Little ones will spend hours playing with all of the sensory toys.

Source/Tutorial: funathomewithkids

14. Fabric And Foam Baby Blocks

Babies love blocks – at least all of mine did. You can make a nice little set of soft blocks with some foam and a few pieces of scrap fabric.

This is the perfect project for using up all of those leftover fabric pieces from other DIYs. You’ll need to cut the foam or have it cut into small block shapes and then just sew a little cover for each one.

Source/Tutorial: wrenhandmade

15. Easy Sew Fabric Beach Balls

Fabric balls are perfect for little ones for so many reasons. These are soft, round, and really colorful and you can sew them even if you are completely new to using a sewing machine.

The inside is cotton batting so the balls are perfectly soft and safe for babies and they are simply going to love the shape and the different colors. Plus, they work well to teach toddler’s coordination as they age.

Source/Tutorial: purlbee

16. Handmade Crocheted Monkey

These little monkeys were such a hit when my kids were younger and they still have them to this day.

The crocheted design makes them really soft and pliable and little ones from birth to pre-teen are going to adore them.

This is the perfect gift for an upcoming shower if you want something that the new baby will treasure for years to come. You can get these on Etsy if you don’t feel like crocheting one yourself.

Source/Tutorial: etsy.com

17. DIY Matching Game With Felt And Wood

Wooden discs, which cost less than a dollar each at your local craft store, and some felt combine to make this really fun – and really cheap – DIY matching game.

This is a great memory and cognition game for toddlers and it’s so very easy to make.

Even younger ones – around six months old or so – will love stacking the colorful discs and when they get older, they can learn the matching aspect of the game.

Source/Tutorial: babycenter

18. DIY Little Felt Book Of Shapes

That leftover felt from other projects will be put to good use in this little felt book of shapes. You just cut the squares for the book and then add felt shapes, sewn on to make the secure. Once you’re finished adding all your shapes, use a ring to hold all of the felt book pages together. Even little babies will love the colors and softness of this book.

Source/Tutorial: plainvanillamom

19. DIY Toy Truck From Felt

Felt really is the best material for making baby toys. It’s soft, easy to work with and really inexpensive. That said, here’s another great little felt toy project for your tiny ones.

This is a toy truck that is completely made from felt. This is an adorable little truck that is perfect for the new son of a truck driver. What a wonderful baby shower gift! Plus, it’s really easy to make and did I mention that it’s adorable?

Source/Tutorial: makeit-loveit

20. Fun DIY Finger Puppets

Finger puppets are a baby favorite and you can make your own with leftover fabric scraps and a few other key supplies.

They are really quick and easy to put together and you can use your imagination to create an entire zoo of little finger puppet animals.

Now, just perfect your creature voice to go along with the puppets and keep baby entertained for hours with his own little private puppet show.

Source/Tutorial: makesewbaby

21. Sensory Stimulating Fleece Toys

These little fleece toys are really adorable and they’re perfect for tactile stimulation with their ribbon tags sticking out from all angles.

Babies will adore them and since they’re really soft, it’s ok if they stick them in their mouths.

Fleece makes them soft and touchable for babies and ensures that you can wash them from time to time to keep them clean and germ free.

Source/Tutorial: mayarts

This little football is really cute and it’s the perfect project for you to practice your crochet. You don’t need to know any complicated stitches, which makes it perfect for beginners. Plus, it’s a football and what little boy doesn’t want a soft and cuddly football? This one works up really quickly and is a great gift for an upcoming shower for a new baby boy.

Source/Tutorial: nattyknitter

23. Colorful And Fun Glitter Bottle

Did I mention how much I love upcycling projects? Well, here’s another one.

This little glitter bottle is sure to keep babies happy for hours on end and you can make it from upcycled water bottles.

Those smaller bottles work really well for little ones so grab one – or however many you want to make – and then fill with water and add any number of glittery or otherwise exciting small toys.

For really little ones, I recommend gluing the lid on to keep it from coming loose.

Source/Tutorial: pinkpistachio

24. Soft And Cuddly Glove Monsters

Turn old gloves into these adorable little glove monsters that babies will love playing with.

They’re soft so there’s no worries of them harming themselves and you can make them from mismatched gloves so technically, this qualifies as an upcycle.

If you’re sewing on button eyes, be sure to make them really secure, particularly if your little one still puts things in her mouth.

These are also great for toddlers who may just want to help you create them.

Source/Tutorial: craftaholicsanonymous

25. DIY Fine Motor Development Tugging Box

This is possibly the easiest DIY toy on the list and it’s perfect for helping babies to develop their fine motor skills.

Babies are amazed by things that they can pull and tug and this box is built just for that.

You just need a somewhat sturdy cardboard box and then things to tug like yarn, pipe cleaners, ribbon and other things.

Just attach them to the box through holes and then they can pull and push them all they want.

Source/Tutorial: laughingkidslearn

26. DIY Sensory Play Rainbow Shaker Bottles

Babies develop through learning and they learn by using all of their senses. Sensory play toys are vital for helping your little one to develop key skills. These rainbow shaker bottles are perfect for that and they’re just so much fun for little ones. Toddlers and older children can even use them as homemade instruments to create their own music and they’re made from plastic bottles that you upcycle so this really is a win-win project.

Source/Tutorial: mylittle3andme

27. Fast And Easy Ribbon Wands For Babies

Babies love lots of color which is what makes these ribbon wands perfect. They’re filled with color and little ones are going to adore watching and playing with them. You can make these in about five minutes and you don’t need too many supplies. Washi tape helps to design the handle and keeps the ribbons in place – you’ll need colorful ribbon of course. These are great for entertaining little ones or letting toddlers entertain themselves.

Source/Tutorial: becomingmartha

28. Easy Scrap Bunny Softy Baby Toy

This little bunny is made from scrap fabric, which makes him really appealing to babies since the designs are all different. Plus, it gives you a chance to use up those fabric scraps from other projects. He’s really soft so he’s perfect for little ones and you can have it put together in no time. This is a great homemade baby toy to give as a shower gift. If you have enough scrap fabric, you can make an entire family of little bunnies.

Source/Tutorial: 733blog

29. Soft Stacking Ring Toy

n though for little ones, and this soft stacking ring toy is perfect. It’s made from fabric so it’s great for little bitties to play with and they can chew on the pieces and you don’t have to worry about cuts or bruises on their gums. This is a really easy project to sew and would be perfect for new parents.

Source/Tutorial: raisin-toast

30. All Natural Baby Teething Toy

Teething is not an enjoyable time – for babies or for parents. This little all natural teething toy however, may just make it a bit more bearable. It’s made in a bunny ear pattern which gives babies two places to chew and the top is made from absorbent terry cloth which you can wet and freeze to help soothe those sore gums. The ring is unfinished maple hardwood and the entire thing is really adorable. You can get this one on Etsy for $6.

Source/Tutorial: etsy.com

Conclusion

Being crafty and enjoying DIY projects can even filter into the nursery. I’ll bet you didn’t know that you could make a learning toy for little ones with an old baby wipes container, did you? I’ll also bet that you are going to love all of the baby toys in this list.

They are all homemade so you know exactly what materials are being used and they’re easy for you to make. They make wonderful gifts for an upcoming baby shower, too. Any new parent is going to adore a handmade baby toy. Take a look at these 30 DIY Sensory Toys and Games to create the ultimate sensory playhouse.

There are some of the most adorable toys in this collection and many of them are great for learning purposes, too.

From an alphabet sorter to many sensory toys and a great box that is designed to help babies develop fine motor skills, you’re going to find the perfect baby toy project in here. Since babies do outgrow their toys quickly, it makes sense to DIY baby toys to save money, right?

Once they’re outgrown them, you can gift them to charity and you’re not really out anything. And speaking of outgrowing things, check out these 20 upcycling projects for baby clothes. There are some wonderful things that you can make when your little ones outgrow their little outfits.

So, if you worry about the toys that your little one plays with or you just really have a DIY itch and want a neat little project, check out these 30 different baby toys that you can make in your spare time.

You’ll find something that you and baby will love and things that are perfect for anyone you know that is expecting soon.

Try one or try them all. You can make everything on the list in no time at all and have an entire collection of homemade baby toys to keep your little one happy for a couple of years – until they grow into more technical type toys like video games, that is.