Craft activity ideas for 4-year-olds
By the time children are four, their fine motor skills become more refined—they can use scissors and glue more smoothly—and as their language develops, their imaginative world expands, greatly broadening the range of crafts they can do.
Let’s actively incorporate a variety of craft activities using different materials in daily childcare to stimulate their five senses more and more!
This time, we’re introducing craft play ideas recommended for four-year-olds.
We’ve gathered a wide range of ideas—from event-themed crafts like Halloween and Christmas, to toys they can make and play with, to wall decorations that reflect the seasons.
Use these as a reference and, while drawing on the children’s free ideas, try creating wonderful, personality-filled works together.
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- Exciting September crafts for 4-year-olds! A special collection of fun ideas with autumn-themed motifs
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- [For 4-year-olds] Winter craft ideas to enjoy at daycare and kindergarten
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[4-year-olds] Craft play ideas (1–10)
kite
This is a small, quick-to-make kite you can play with indoors.
Fold an A4 sheet of copy paper and transfer the designed template onto plastic, then cut it out.
For the kite’s frame, simply use straws or toothpicks.
An adult should help with any parts that require making holes with an awl.
Encourage children to draw bold, free designs on the plastic.
Because it’s a kite they made themselves, kids will be thrilled even if it flies just a little.
Have fun running around with it not only indoors, but also in the playground or outside the school.
spinning top
Spinning tops have always been a popular pastime.
Why not enjoy making colorful tops with paper plates? It’s very simple: draw your favorite designs on a paper plate with crayons, then tape plastic bottle caps to the exact center on both the top and bottom.
Once you’re done, spin them together and have fun! You can even get everyone excited with challenges like “Whose top spins the longest?” Another great point is that you can experiment—adjust where you attach the caps, tweak the shape, and enjoy coming up with your own improvements.
Valentine sun catcher
It sparkles in the light and looks so cute! Let’s make a sun catcher with a Valentine’s theme.
First, cut your favorite color of construction paper into a heart shape.
Cut out the inside the same way to create a heart-shaped frame.
Next, fold a piece of parchment (or baking) paper in half, and on just one side, glue small pieces of transparent origami paper.
Once you’ve covered enough to fill the inside of the heart, place the paper frame on top of the origami pieces, apply glue to the remaining side of the folded parchment paper, and sandwich them together to adhere.
Trim off any excess sticking out from the frame, and you’re done!
[4-Year-Olds] Craft Activity Ideas (11–20)
Heart mobile
Perfect for Valentine’s decorations! Let’s make a heart mobile using construction paper and twine.
We’ll create two types of parts, so please prepare four heart-shaped pieces of construction paper and two red and two brown strips of construction paper.
First, take the heart pieces: fold all four in half, stack them, and glue them together.
Place the twine in the center, then glue the final edges together so it forms a sphere.
For the paper strips, overlap and glue the ends of the red and brown strips at a right angle.
Then bend the remaining ends to the back and attach them in the same way.
This creates a lattice pattern at the base of the heart.
Make two of these parts, and attach them back-to-back on the same twine as the first heart.
Rocket
This is a handmade rocket that pops up with a fun little boing just by pressing paper cups together.
First, make four slits in a paper cup and cut them.
Next, link two rubber bands together and wedge them into the slits.
Stack another cup on top, and your rocket is ready.
Decorate the paper cup with any drawings you like.
You can also stick on cut-out construction paper or stickers.
It’s easy enough for a 4-year-old to make on their own, and kids will love the colorful rocket.
It’s also great that it’s safe, with little risk even when you launch and play with it!
windmill
Pinwheels that spin round and round in the wind are perfect for 4-year-olds who love moving toys.
You can also expand their interests by chatting as you play: “Have you seen something like this somewhere?” “It looks like a fan.” “What makes it move?” It’s great practice for using scissors and glue, too—cutting round blades from construction paper, sticking them on with glue, and snipping the straw.
Take them along on walks outside the preschool or hold them while running races—there are lots of ways to play and make new variations!
carp streamer
These colorful, charming carp streamers are made using paper cups.
Of course you can display them as decorations, but kids will also love holding the straw-made stick and running around, watching the carps sway back and forth.
During the making process, it’s handy to prepare lots of thinly cut strips of origami paper—they work well for both the scales and the tail.
Round stickers are also convenient, as they can be used for eyes and scales.
Have fun while being careful—let adults help with tasks like making holes!