Amigurumi is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting stuffed toys. There are no restrictions in size or set style despite the usual expectation that they will be small. The term is an merging of the words ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, and nuigurumi, meaning stuffed doll.
Their popularity has increased dramatically in the West over the last 10 years and the range of patterns available has rocketed. When looking for a pattern I first check out Amigurumi.today, though once you get confident you can make your own using the basic shapes.
Crocheted amigurumi is easy to do; they are generally worked in double crochet and once you know how to do a magic ring.
One of the tricky choices with amigurumi is how to do the eyes on the finished piece. Safety eyes are available but not suitable for children under three. This website has an a few alternatives