For 2-year-olds! Fun craft activities and indoor play ideas

9 years of experience as a nursery school teacherShibata Risa
I am an active nursery school teacher with 9 years of experience. After graduating from university, I worked at a daycare center. The time I spent happily with children—playing piano, singing songs, and doing finger-play—are priceless memories to me. Currently, while raising three children of my own, I work at an after-school day service, engaging with children and providing individualized developmental support. Drawing on my diverse experiences as a childcare worker and as a mother, I hope to express and convey my thoughts through writing.

As children reach the age of two, a sense of independence—“I want to do it myself!”—begins to emerge.

You’ll start to see them eagerly taking on new challenges and acting with confidence and initiative.

As their fine motor skills improve, the range of crafts they can make using tools and techniques expands significantly.

In this article, we’re introducing craft activity ideas that are just right for two-year-olds’ development.

From season- and event-themed projects to activities that lead into pretend play and ones that use unique techniques, we’ve gathered fun ideas that will boost children’s motivation to create.

Through these activities, we hope children can experience the joy and sense of accomplishment that comes from doing things on their own.

We hope you find these ideas helpful.

For 2-year-olds! Fun craft activities and indoor play ideas (21–30)

Soramame-kun’s Bed

Here’s an introduction to making a fava bean bed craft that’s perfect for May.

Gather paint, sponge stampers (tanpo), construction paper, cotton, colored pens, and glue, and let’s get started.

Stamp paint onto construction paper cut into the shape of a pod to create the fava bean’s bed.

Use colored pens to freely draw grass on the base sheet of construction paper.

Glue the pod onto the base, add the cotton, and the fava bean bed is complete.

Kids can enjoy the feel of the cotton and the color variations created by dabbing with the sponge stampers.

Give it a try!

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Magnet and fabric sticking play

@nagoya_kodomo
Sticky play made with magnets and fabric 🫧🫰🏼Childcare Translation Handmade #Childcare Crafts Aspiring childcare worker Vocational college student Childcare goods Childcare student #GoodLuck
Sachi Are – Naniwa Danshi

It’s fun how they stick with a snap! Here are some ideas for magnet-and-fabric sticking play.

Let’s make fabric toys that even infants can enjoy! You’ll need fabric or felt, magnets, fabric adhesive, needles, and thread.

If you create popular characters or illustrations from picture books with fabric or felt, children will be captivated! Sew magnets into each piece, and they’ll snap together so kids can play over and over.

Please be very careful to prevent accidental swallowing of magnets.

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For 2-year-olds! Fun craft and indoor play ideas (31–40)

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!

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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!

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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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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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Polar Bear’s Underpants

Let’s create a picture-book character! Here are some ideas for the polar bear’s underpants.

The polar bear in the beloved baby book “Shirokuma no Pantsu” (Polar Bear’s Underpants) is popular with children for his cute expressions and humorous underwear.

This time, let’s make your very own pair using a crayon-and-paint resist technique! When kids stick on the polar bear’s face parts themselves, their individuality will really shine through! Give it a try!

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