Lovely childcare

Recommended for 1-year-olds! Craft play ideas and fun crafting techniques

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: spinning-top tricks.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

Creative activities are not only great for developing fine motor skills; they also let children touch a variety of materials, enjoy different textures, and express their own ideas—making them an essential part of healthy growth.

In this article, we’ll introduce craft ideas recommended for one-year-olds.

From projects that use various techniques to ones you can play with after making, it’s packed with fun, sensory-rich ideas.

We’ve gathered lots of activities that one-year-olds can enjoy, like crumpling paper and touching paint with their fingers.

Watch over the children’s expressions and creative gestures, and try making them together!

Because the children’s creations are regarded as works (art pieces), we use the term “seisaku” (制作) in the text to refer to them.

Recommended for 1-year-olds! Craft play ideas and fun crafting techniques (21–30)

Spring Stroll Bag

Let’s head out with a little walk bag! This is a walk bag made from a storage bag.

After decorating the bag freely with drawings or stickers, attach a string to both ends and it’s done.

Children have lots of treasures not only outside the preschool but also in the playground, so be sure to make a bag where they can keep their precious finds! If you use paper or another easily torn material for the neck strap, it will break away quickly if it gets caught, making it safe to use.

Children who have just entered or moved up a class will be excited to see what kinds of treasures they’ll discover.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

paper plate castanets

@welbe.co.jp
Easy Craft Series: Paper Plate Castanets#NeurodevelopmentalDisorders Parenting # developmental support (ryōiku)Habi
Akuma Night Disco (feat. Nozomi Sato) – The Ghost's Strange Tale

This is a sound-play item that you can easily make with familiar materials.

First, fold a paper plate in half and attach a plastic bottle cap.

Make a hole in the middle of the fold, thread a rubber band through it, and tie it so it won’t come out.

Decorate it, and you’re done! When you tap it lightly, it produces a fun sound that helps develop hand movement and a sense of rhythm.

By varying the volume and rhythm, it can also boost concentration and promote emotional stability.

The time spent making it with your child becomes a wonderful opportunity for communication filled with smiles.

Be sure to include it in your playtime with your child.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Recommended for 1-year-olds! Craft play ideas and fun crafting techniques (31–40)

[Empty containers of lactic acid bacteria drinks] Snowflake stamp

Easy Craft: Snowflake Stamps Made from Lactic Acid Drink Containers [Ages 0–1]

[Empty containers of lactic acid bacteria drinks] Snowflake stamp

Let’s make a snowflake stamp that 1-year-olds can enjoy playing with! This is an easy craft idea using an empty lactic acid bacteria drink container.

First, place a plastic bottle cap over the mouth of the empty container and secure it with vinyl tape.

Next, cut a collision-prevention cushion sheet into a snowflake shape and attach it to the top of the cap with double-sided tape—that’s it! Add color with a stamp pad or paint, then dab and stamp away.

By changing the snowflake shapes and trying different colors, you can further nurture children’s imagination.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Ants’ Errand

Here’s a craft project featuring the familiar “Ant’s Errand” from the song.

Prepare black construction paper and crayons, and let’s get started.

Have the children draw pictures on the construction paper using crayons.

When cutting out the ant’s parts from the paper, the key is to cut from the areas where the children’s drawings are.

Once all the parts are glued onto the base sheet, stick on round stickers for the eyes, add a mouth cut from construction paper, and it’s complete! Adding stickers or torn origami around it gives it a warm, handmade feel—highly recommended.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Onigiri Boy

Make the most of paper towels! Here’s a fun idea for creating an Onigiri Boy.

Many kids love the Bread Thief series, especially “Bread Thief: The Departure of Onigiri Boy,” don’t they? This time, let’s make an Onigiri Boy using paper towels.

You’ll need construction paper, crayons, scissors, paper towels, double-sided tape, and regular tape.

Draw the onigiri fillings on the paper towel, then wrap it with a seaweed sheet made from construction paper—and you’re done! Pack it in a container and take it on a walk to enjoy a pretend picnic, too!

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

A turtle made with tissue paper

Let’s make a cute turtle using a paper plate and tissue paper.

First, tear the tissue paper by hand.

Prepare a few different colors.

Next, spread glue over the paper plate and stick the torn pieces of tissue paper onto it.

If you layer plenty of pieces, you can create a beautiful pattern.

Once the glue is dry, attach the turtle’s head, legs, and tail.

Finally, add the eyes and it’s complete! The turtle’s look changes depending on how the tissue paper is handled, giving each one a unique, charming personality.

Be sure to share stories from the crafting time with the guardians as well.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

The goldfish ran away.

Let’s stamp while dabbing with a sponge! Here’s an idea inspired by “The Goldfish Got Away.” The picture book “The Goldfish Got Away,” with its charming art style and the fun of searching for the escaped goldfish, is a favorite among children! This time, let’s enjoy making a craft with sponges.

You’ll need white drawing paper, sponges, paints, and paper parts you’ve made from construction paper.

Use paint to represent the water in the fishbowl where the goldfish is.

Using a single color is fine, but mixing light blue, blue, and white will give it a different feel!

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem