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 as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is 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 Play Ideas (71–80)

Snow globe made from a plastic bottle

How to make a snow globe

Snow globe made from a plastic bottle

Here’s how to make a snow globe using a plastic bottle.

Prepare an empty bottle from a lactic acid bacteria drink, decorative pom-poms, beads, glitter, liquid glue, and a hot glue gun.

Put the beads and decorative pom-poms into the empty drink bottle.

Fill the bottle about halfway with liquid glue, then add water.

Color a piece of paper with colored pens, place it into the bottle, and let it tint the liquid.

Mix everything together, then top up with water to push out any air, and you’re done.

Close the cap tightly and secure it with a hot glue gun so it won’t open.

Wrap vinyl tape around the top to finish.

Decorating with washi tape might make it even cuter!

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Cozy Penguin

Origami [Cozy Penguin] Origami Penguin

Cozy Penguin

Here’s how to fold an origami penguin that can also wear a hat and scarf.

First, fold it into a triangle twice, then open it once.

With a corner pointing down, fold up the top layer so about 2 centimeters stick out, then fold it down along the edge.

Fold the edge you just made in half to make a crease, then fold the bottom corner up to that crease to set a guideline.

Next, fold the other corner up toward the front crease.

Fold the tip of the corner down just a little.

Fold up along the crease you made earlier, align the edges, and fold the whole piece in half.

Finally, adjust the shape to look like a penguin and draw the eyes with a pen to finish.

Try making a hat and scarf for it, too!

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Peekaboo Penguin

[Origami] How to fold a Peekaboo Penguin (it can stand on its own) – How to make it [Sea Series]

Peekaboo Penguin

Here’s a super cute way to fold a penguin that’s perfect to attach to letters or cards! First, place the origami paper with the back side facing up and fold it into a triangle twice to make crease lines.

Lift one corner up to just slightly before the center line, then fold both edges of the lifted section upward at a slight diagonal.

Fold both corners of that folded section inward.

Turn it over so the white side is facing you, and fold along the center line twice to shape the face.

Next, use a 2.5 cm piece of origami paper to make the hands.

Start with a basic “zabuton” fold, then fold both corners diagonally to shape the hands.

Make two of these.

Finally, glue the hands on, and add eyes and a mouth with round stickers or similar—done!

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a round and laid-back penguin

[Cute Origami] Easy Penguin Folding Instructions (Origami no Jikan) | Origami Penguin (Easy)

a round and laid-back penguin

This is an easy and cute origami penguin.

First, turn the paper over and make two creases by folding it in half both ways into a square.

Fold one edge down to align with the center crease.

Flip it over, then fold the left and right edges to the center line.

Open the colored corner and squash-fold it.

Fold the bottom edge up to the center to make a crease, open it once, then fold the bottom tip inward along that crease.

Fold the corners to form the feet.

Fold the protruding colored corner to suggest the hands.

Finally, round off the colored tip to finish! Decorate it cutely with round stickers or a pen.

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A penguin that’s perfect for decorations

[1 sheet of origami] Penguin — How to fold an origami penguin.

A penguin that's perfect for decorations

Let’s make a penguin out of origami—perfect as a seasonal decoration for fans or other ornaments.

Fold the paper into a triangle twice, then gently squash-fold it by inserting your finger into the pocket and pressing down softly from the top to puff it open.

Keep folding along the creases to form the penguin’s shape.

Be careful when using scissors to make the cuts—don’t cut the wrong spots.

As you continue, the paper will get thicker, but sharpening your creases will make it easier to proceed.

Once you fold the wings and feet while checking the balance, you’re done.

Give it a try!

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