Score the Dashed Red Lines
We're going to fold on these lines, and scoring makes them fold neatly.
Mechanical cardboard toys
Real machines. Real engineering. Built from raw materials.
We turn blueprints printed on cardboard into mechanical toys. We learn with our hands.
Real cardboard. Real mechanisms.
How it works
From flat cardboard to moving machine.
Cardboard Toy World turns the construction process itself into the lesson. Every fold, linkage, joint and moving part gives the maker something physical to understand.
Cut the Black Lines
We free the part's sides, structure, and function.
Assemble a Part
Illustrations on the blueprints and the YouTube video show us how.
Join the parts together
We can finish the toy in one session.
Take Home a Working Toy
Our mechanical toy comes to life! And, it's a blank slate for art and imagination...
Why cardboard?
Simple material. Serious thinking.
Nothing is pre-assembled or hidden inside a plastic shell. We trace the geometry with our tools and we create the moving parts and get them to work together with our hands. Building a machine shows us exactly how machines work. There are six levels of difficulty to choose from. Every toy is made of strong, top-quality cardboard. The toys are meant to be played with.
Future Engineers
The best part is saying, “I built that.”
Toymakers solve problems, test moving parts and make adjustments as they go. The finished mechanical build can be held, investigated, and tested. Each successful build makes the next challenge feel possible. When the toy is finished, it is blank. It can be decorated and modified in hundreds of different ways. Proud learners are welcome to share their work with the Cardboard Toy World community!
Engineered for learning
Direct Experience with Machine Making
Engineering, mechanics, geometry and design all make sense when they come together in your hands.
Ball & Socket Joints
Wipers & Followers
Rockers
Mechanical Stops & Guides
Sliders
Pistons
Parents & educators
Hands-on STEM without a complicated setup.
Designed for educators who are not science teachers. Any educator can provide this hands-on mechanics and engineering learning experience.