What are some good toys to make for my rats?

Question
What toys should i make.  what materials should i use.  i am getting a rat in 2 weeks.  is there anything i really need?

Answer
Starting with a nice roomy cage, the proper bedding/litter, water bottle and food, there are several things rats should always have.

One is a little hideway such as the plastic igloos pet stores sell, or hidey houses etc...  I wouldn't suggest using wood since they can retain urine and smell after a while.
Plastic is better and can be cleaned easily during normal cleaning.
You may want to look into a nice fleece hammock that hangs from the cage ceiling too. Rats love to cuddle snuggle and sleep during the day. They all seem to love hammocks, especially when they get older.

As for toys, I always have some kind of cat ball, like hard plastic balls found in the cat section of pet stores.  I don't keep them in the cage but instead I reserve them for play time because if bored, the rats may chew them and eat the plastic.
I also have cardboard boxes all stacked together one way or another with doors cut out for them and when they are out, the spend time climbing in and out of the maze of boxes.
The list is endless really.  Rats are curious  by nature and very smart so they like to be challenged.  You can get an empty box and hide treats under strips of newspaper etc...and watch them go nuts digging for the  treats once they smell them and realize there is something yummy hiding. This will be sure hit for them!

Rats like to explore through mazes and tunnels. Depending on the size of your rats, you can use Toilet paper or paper towel rolls,  PVC pipes, mailing tubes, any kind of cylinder type object you can find and make a maze for them by taping them together. Have a treat inside as a reward!!  
They also love paper bags, too!!

Be sure the rats have a safe area to play in. I use a wire small animal play pen and stretch it around the room and let them come out of their cage into the pen and I sit in with them to observe. I think their favorite toy is ME and YOU since they will climb all over their owner. They love human toes that are inside socks so beware! They also LOVE hair!!  LOL
If your rats climb the playpen, you can add cardboard all around the playpen and secure it to the playpen. They will slide down the cardboard unless they have razor sharp nails.
Some rats are happy just playing chase with your fingers; some rats learn to play fetch...you will learn what your rat likes to play with as time goes on.  

Hope this helps!