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 play ideas (111–120)

Make a butterfly net and play pretend

[For 3-year-olds] We played pretend bug catching!

Make a butterfly net and play pretend

How about making original butterfly nets and enjoying indoor bug-catching pretend play as a July activity? Teachers can prepare the base of the nets in advance, and then let the children decorate them by putting on stickers and drawing pictures.

Letting them decorate freely will nurture their creativity! Also, prepare insects like ladybugs, cicadas, and rhinoceros beetles, and stick them around the classroom or facility.

Then have the children catch them with their nets and get everyone excited! It can be hard to enjoy bug catching outdoors, but with pretend play, you can do it indoors and still make great summer memories.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Wax-resist painting with crayons

[Drawing] Crayon-resist art that appears when you paint over it with colors♪ Wax-resist painting with candles

Wax-resist painting with crayons

Here’s a wax-resist crayon rubbing art idea that sparks children’s curiosity.

First, prepare some drawing paper and a candle.

Use the candle like a pen to draw your picture.

The lines will be hard to see, but that’s part of the fun—enjoy the surprise.

Next, gently brush on watercolor paint diluted with water.

The wax will repel the water, and the drawing you made will appear.

For extra originality, change the paint colors in different areas.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Paper-cutting play

[For 3-year-olds] Fascinated by blossoming flowers!! “Kirigami Play”

Paper-cutting play

This is a craft activity inspired by kirigami, where you create various patterns and shapes by cutting paper.

When you unfold origami or construction paper with lines drawn on it, pictures of flowers, animals, and more appear.

By cutting along the lines, children naturally practice using scissors while they play.

Adding patterns with pens or stickers to the finished cutouts makes them even more vibrant.

You can also enjoy watching the cutouts move in water, almost like living creatures.

It’s a versatile craft idea: set a theme and have everyone make the same thing, or encourage kids to try their own unique kirigami ideas.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Pop-up Rocket

[Preschool Teacher] A Pop-Up Rocket Craft Kids Can Enjoy from Age 3! 🚀 [Daycare & Kindergarten]

Pop-up Rocket

Rockets are hugely popular with kids, aren’t they? You can easily make this rocket with a newspaper, chopsticks, rubber bands, and a toilet paper roll.

Wrap the toilet paper roll with origami paper, then make the rocket’s nose cone and fins out of construction paper and attach them to the roll.

For the launch pad, roll the newspaper tightly to make it sturdy.

Cut the chopsticks to match the length of the rounded tip of the launch pad, tie a rubber band to the chopsticks, and secure it firmly to the tip of the launch pad so it doesn’t come off—and you’re done.

If you want it to travel farther, we recommend using a longer tube.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Osakana Maru Uchiwa

[Summer Craft] Clear and refreshing! Fish Round Fan

Osakana Maru Uchiwa

How about making a round fish uchiwa fan that feels like summer? First, cut a circle about 20 cm in diameter out of thick paper, and cut out a finger hole and a fish shape.

Next, cut a clear file to a size that will cover the fish opening and attach it to the thick paper.

Any work using a craft knife should be done by the caregiver/teacher.

Then, cut colorful cellophane and stick it on like fish scales.

Finally, layer and glue another sheet of thick paper on the back, add a round sticker for the fish’s eye, and draw freely around the edges.

When light passes through, the sparkling cellophane looks beautiful and brings a pleasant sense of coolness.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

In conclusion

We introduced recommended craft activity ideas for three-year-olds. There were lots of exciting and fun ideas! At this age, children’s desire to “try doing everything by myself!” grows significantly. It would be great if, while valuing that curiosity and motivation, we can let them freely and wholeheartedly enjoy making crafts.