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Connecting theoretical models for exotic quantum states to real materials is a key goal in quantum material synthesis. Among such theoretical models, a “toy model” is one made deliberately simplistic in order to demonstrate new physical concepts and their underlying mechanisms. We describe here our recent progress in experimentally realizing “toy model” quantum materials which, in analogy to their theoretical counterparts, are designed to capture simple model systems by lattice and superlattice design. Examples include the realization of massless and infinitely massive electrons in corner sharing triangular networks predicted for the kagome lattice model, clean-limit 2D superconductivity in natural superlattice materials with potential connections to models of finite momentum pairing and topological superconductivity, and the use of magnetic symmetries to realize nodal electronic structures. We comment on the prospects for realizing further toy model systems in complex material systems.