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 (41–50)

Skeleton flower

Introducing how to make a skeleton flower with a charming glossy shine.

Prepare transparent origami paper, a flower template, round stickers, glue, scissors, crayons, and clear tape.

Use the flower template to trace the shape onto the backing paper and cut it out.

Apply clear tape to the back of the construction paper so you can attach transparent origami paper to the flower area.

Have the children stick the cut transparent origami pieces from the front.

Mixing different transparent origami colors when sticking them makes the colors blend and look adorable.

Draw the stem with a crayon, and it’s complete.

Give it a try!

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mayumi

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Colorful fish with decalcomania

Decalcomania is a simple technique that even one-year-olds can try, and it’s a delightful way to enjoy the fun of colors.

Using decalcomania, let’s make some smoothly swimming fish.

First, enjoy decalcomania with construction paper.

It’s wonderful if you can involve the one-year-old from the step of placing the paint.

Once the paint dries, cut the construction paper into the shape of a fish and use round stickers to make the eyes and mouth.

Finally, stick the fish onto another sheet of construction paper that represents the sea, and you’re done! Please give it a try and make these adorable fish that look like they’re swimming in the ocean.

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tsukada moe

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Fireworks with toilet paper rolls

Let’s use toilet paper rolls to create fireworks pictures that will captivate one-year-olds.

Cut slits into the end of a toilet paper roll and spread them out to form petal shapes.

Dip the roll in paint and stamp it onto paper—cute little fireworks will appear.

Layer different colors, or add origami paper and stickers to make more dynamic fireworks.

The process itself is exciting, so it will be fun to see how the children react.

Prepare plenty of stampers so the children can enjoy stamping freely.

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tsukada moe

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Balloons made of felt

This is a project for making balloons with the fun texture of felt.

Felt fabric has a different feel from paper, and I think children will like its touch.

It’s often used for handmade toys, so it might be a familiar material.

Simply cut the felt into various shapes and stick them onto a balloon template to finish.

You can use wood glue when attaching the pieces, but double-sided tape also works.

Many 100-yen shops sell adhesive felt sheets, so using those can make the process even smoother.

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Strawberries made with sensory play

Let’s try making something while enjoying the feel of paint! Here are some strawberry craft ideas using sensory play.

These ideas are perfect for anyone who wants to do a strawberry-themed project in spring.

You’ll need: bees, strawberries, hearts, caps (leaf tops), and a backing made from construction paper; paint; zipper-seal bags; round stickers; crayons; glue; and scissors.

As the children touch the paint inside the zipper-seal bags, we want to observe and support them while watching how they react.

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Tulips made with sensory play

Introducing a tulip craft made with sensory play that 2-year-olds will love and that both kids and adults can enjoy together.

Prepare paint, construction paper, and a zip-top bag.

Drip your favorite paints onto the construction paper, place it inside the bag, and seal it.

Spread the paint by pressing and sliding it from outside the bag.

Children can experience the cool temperature of the paint and how the colors mix.

Take the paper out, let the paint dry, and then cut it into the shape of tulips.

Finally, glue the cut-out tulip flowers onto another sheet where you’ve drawn the stems and leaves—and it’s complete!

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Spring laundry

Let’s have fun playing with colors! Here are some spring laundry-themed craft ideas.

Using paint for art projects is great for one-year-olds because it stimulates their senses and creativity.

By freely applying and mixing paint, they can develop self-expression and curiosity.

Making art with their hands and fingers also supports sensory growth by letting them enjoy different textures.

If you’d like to enjoy paint with children who are interested in it, here’s what you’ll need for the spring laundry craft: drawing paper, scissors, paint, origami paper, jute twine, paper towels, and craft glue.

Give it a try!

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