W

hile many children today have toys of various brands stacked up against their bedroom walls, the live-action children’s TV show Mister Maker reminds them of the simple joy of making their own playthings.

Produced by the BBC’s pre-school pay-TV channel CBeebies, Mister Maker encourages children to turn materials they can find around the house into something fun. The show has featured a sun-shaped decoration fashioned from scrap paper, a toy train shaped from boxes and bottle caps, as well as splat pictures made by bouncing a paint-soaked tennis ball onto a piece of paper.

Nic Ayling, producer of Mister Maker, said that the show found inspiration for the creations, or “makes” as he calls them, through a diverse team of people from various backgrounds: art graduates, craft experts and those who are used to working with kids.

“We also get ideas from websites and recycling. We encourage kids to keep cereal boxes and make something from the stuff,” he said.

Phil Gallagher, who plays Mister Maker, said the team usually took inspiration from nature.

“Just have a look around you and we can get inspiration. I try to inspire the children to do the same. We hope we’ll never run out of ideas because there are so many things we can make,” he said.

Ayling and Gallagher visited Indonesia recently to give live shows to Mister Maker fans and also visit schools and orphanages. It was the third time Mister Maker has toured Indonesia, with stops in Jakarta, Surabaya and Medan this year.

Gallagher said he never imagined the show, now aired in more than 100 nations, would gain so many fans worldwide.

“I’m very lucky as Mister Maker gets a chance to travel the world, meet children and make something together with them. Perhaps someday we can make an episode from the world tour, featuring the children we meet all over the world,” he said.

He hopes both children and grown-ups enjoy the show. He said he received a family picture in a home-made frame from an Indonesian man, who said watching the show had enhanced his creativity.

“I think parents should also watch the show and then make something with the children,” he said.

The show has a segment called “Minute Makes”, in which Mister Maker makes something in one minute. Gallagher said that prior to shooting the scene he would rehearse with the team to ensure the task finished within the time limit.

“But sometimes we need to retake the scene because I move too fast and the camera cannot record it properly,” he quipped.

In Indonesia the show is aired on Indovision channel 41. Also in the pipeline is its spin-off program Mister Maker Comes to Town, where Mister Maker helps children with something they can make themselves. It will be aired starting Oct. 13, 2012, four times a day at 6:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.