Lovely childcare

[Childcare] Recommended for 3-year-olds! Craft activity ideas

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.
Keyboard playerSAKI
I’ve been playing the Electone since I was six, mainly performing Disney music, anime songs, and music from dramas and films. I post performance videos on YouTube and social media, and I also give concerts. Building on my Electone experience, I took up synthesizer and piano during my student years and performed at school-sponsored events. As a writer, I’ve covered not only music-related topics but a wide range of genres, so I hope to draw on my experience to deliver articles that make readers think, “I want to try that!” or “I want to listen to that!”

Around the age of three, children develop a sense of self, their imaginative world expands, their vocabulary increases, and their fine motor skills improve—there are so many signs of growth.

We hope they continue to grow significantly as they receive plenty of stimulation in their daily lives.

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

We’ve gathered fun ideas that will spark the curiosity of three-year-olds: perfect for wall displays, toys they can make and play with, projects that use unique techniques, and activities that can be used for pretend play!

There are also ideas ideal for practicing with scissors and glue, so choose activities that match the children’s developmental stage and give them a try!

[Childcare] Recommended for 3-year-olds! Craft activity ideas (61–70)

Shape play

[For 3-year-olds] Let's spark imagination! Shape play

Shape play

When it comes to ideas for creating illustrations that make the most of children’s free imagination, shape play is a great choice.

Using papers cut into various shapes—circles, triangles, squares, and more—children can make illustrations of things like food or vehicles.

First, let the children choose papers placed around the room.

It’s also recommended to set a theme, such as “houses” or “seasonal fruits.” Next, have them combine the papers and add details with colored pencils or paint to finish.

Try this craft idea that taps into the rich imagination of three-year-olds.

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Made with sponge stamps! Fun oden

[Crafts for ages 0–5] Winter foods with sponge stamps 🥢 #childcarecrafts #nursery #kindergarten #kodomoen #nurseryteacher #kindergartenteacher #childcareideas #easycrafts #crafts #stamps #walldisplay #infantcrafts #constructionpaper

Made with sponge stamps! Fun oden

Using sponge stamps, we’ll create patterns for oden ingredients.

For example, for konnyaku, if you press a coarse-textured sponge or a sponge with raised bumps onto a triangle-cut piece of gray construction paper like a stamp, you can make the konnyaku’s speckled texture.

In the same way, using a sponge with carved grooves will make the daikon’s striations, and a sponge with fine cuts can create the wavy, mottled pattern of fish cakes.

Once your oden ingredients are ready, paste them onto construction paper cut into the shape of a pot to complete your oden hot pot!

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3D grapes made from toilet paper

Glue purple origami paper onto a toilet paper roll and cut it into 1 cm-wide rings.

On the base, arrange and glue them in four tiers of 4, 3, 2, and 1.

Paint the insides with purple paint.

Attach a stem and leaves cut from construction paper, and your grape cluster is complete.

When attaching the origami paper to the toilet paper roll, be sure to apply glue across the entire sheet so it adheres firmly.

If it’s not well attached, it may peel off when you cut it.

Grapes are typically purple, but it’s fine for children to paint them in whatever color they imagine grapes to be.

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[Ages 3 and up] Hedgehog Snip-Snip Craft

Using everyday paper plates to make hedgehogs is a great craft for 3-year-olds who are starting to enjoy expressing themselves.

Get paper plates, scissors, construction paper, and glue ready.

Prepare the hedgehog bodies in advance, and have the children make cuts around the edge of the paper plate, snipping from the outside toward the inside.

It’s also a good idea to draw guide lines so they can cut along them.

By drawing the hedgehog’s face themselves, each child can create their own original hedgehog.

Giving the hedgehogs names and using them in play can make the activity even more fun.

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It’s fun to blow, cock-a-doodle-doo!

@welbe.co.jp
Simple Craft Series: Blow and “Cock-a-doodle-doo” — Mr. Clucky#NeurodevelopmentalDisorders Parenting # developmental support (ryōiku)Habi Shizuka Midorikawa
♬ Dino Song – Mr. Popolo

On the fingertips of a disposable glove, draw feathers with a pen, and put a beak, eyes, and comb on the thumb area.

Next, make a hole near the bottom of a paper cup and secure the glove over the cup.

Thread a straw through the hole, and when you blow, it looks as if a bird is inflating and taking off from inside the cup! It’s also cute to draw a beak and wings on the cup.

Using mouth strength helps practice breathing and vocalization, and it gives a sense of accomplishment.

The materials are easy to find, so preparation is simple.

Children can participate at their own pace.

Be sure to make it together with the kids and have fun!

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Tips for using scissors for the first time

Let’s do a simple craft — For children using scissors for the first time — [Teach me! Tips for using scissors!]

Tips for using scissors for the first time

Perfect for kids just starting to use scissors! This is a simple craft game where children use scissors vertically to make their own toys and play with them.

First, cut construction paper into long, thin vertical strips with scissors to make a ball.

Next, use another sheet of construction paper to make a goal.

It’s great for developing wrist and fingertip movements! Since you only need to stand the paper upright and cut straight down, you can apply this method to all kinds of crafts.

While having fun, kids naturally learn how to control their strength and movements.

It’s a quiet, focused activity that works well indoors and gives a real sense of accomplishment.

Grown-ups can enjoy it together, too!

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Handmade triangle puzzle

[1-Minute Therapy] [Handmade Learning Toy] Triangle Puzzle – Autism Support, After-School Day Service (Therapy A-3-2)

Handmade triangle puzzle

This is an indoor activity where you use colorful construction paper to make triangles of various sizes and combine them to complete pictures and shapes.

Children can work at their own pace and freely, which helps them enjoyably develop concentration, spatial awareness, and creativity.

Because there are few chances to fail and it’s easy to experience success, it’s also effective for boosting self-esteem.

The materials are simple and you can start right away, which is a big plus.

With a little ingenuity, kids can create their favorite animals, vehicles, or even story worlds—so adults, too, should dive in and enjoy it together!

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