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.
- Age 4: Simple and Fun! Handmade Toy Ideas
- [For 4-Year-Olds] Recommended in November! Autumn-Themed Craft Activities
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- [Childcare] Fun for October! Craft ideas recommended for 4-year-olds
- [Childcare] Let’s make things with various materials! A collection of recommended craft ideas for April
- [Nursery/Kindergarten] Crafts you can play with after making them
- [For 4-Year-Olds] Fun to Make! A Collection of Halloween Craft Ideas
- Exciting September crafts for 4-year-olds! A special collection of fun ideas with autumn-themed motifs
- Fun crafts using straws
- [For 4-year-olds] Winter craft ideas to enjoy at daycare and kindergarten
- Let's make toys with paper cups! Simple and fun handmade toys
- [For toddlers] Simple but amazing craft ideas — including toys they can play with
- Simple Origami Ideas to Enjoy in Autumn (For 4-Year-Olds)
[4-Year-Olds] Craft Activity Ideas (11–20)
ogre mask
Tulips are spring flowers with large petals and vivid colors that children love.
Why not use origami with cute patterns or colorful paper to make an adorable room decoration? The three-dimensional flower part may look difficult at first glance, but tasks like cutting with scissors and gluing are fun even for four-year-olds, and it comes together in no time.
It would also make a delightful gift to take home for occasions like Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
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!
Easy! Origami Snowman
This is an origami snowman you can make with simple steps.
Choose the color of your origami paper based on the hat you want the snowman to wear.
Once you’ve decided, place the paper with the colored side facing up and fold it in half by bringing the left and right edges together.
Next, fold it again by matching the top and bottom edges.
Then, using the second crease, make a step fold (accordion fold), and fold the two ends of the stepped section inward, opening them into triangles.
This creates a waist, giving you a two-tiered snowman.
Finally, tuck the remaining corners at the top and bottom inward to round the shape, and you’re done.
One corner will become the hat, so fold only one layer inward so that a triangle of the colored side appears on the snowman’s surface.
Heart-shaped woven basket
Let’s make a heart-shaped basket using soft, textured reversible crepe paper.
It’s a fun idea that lets you experience a bit of weaving! First, cut the parts from the reversible crepe paper: two pieces measuring 24 cm × 9 cm for the basket, one piece measuring 24 cm × 2 cm for the handle, and one piece measuring 24 cm × 1 cm for the decorative ribbon.
Fold each 24 cm × 9 cm piece in half so the two sides show different colors, then make cuts from the fold at widths of 3 cm and 1 cm, respectively.
Leave the top 3 cm uncut.
Weave the slits over and under alternately, layering them to create a lattice pattern and form the basket.
Once woven, round off the corners to shape it into a heart, attach the handle and ribbon, and you’re done.
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.
A cute kotatsu you can make with 100-yen shop items!
The kotatsu makes its appearance when winter comes and temperatures drop.
The only downside is that once you get in, it’s hard to get out—but that gentle, enveloping warmth makes you feel so happy, doesn’t it? A kotatsu also makes a perfect motif for winter craft ideas.
Here, two ideas are introduced: one kotatsu made by placing a circular piece of fabric over a doll-sized table, and another made by cutting and shaping a square box.
There’s also a tutorial for making mandarins using decorative pom-poms and pipe cleaners, so feel free to use it as a reference and give it a try.
[4-Year-Olds] Craft Activity Ideas (21–30)
A fun igloo with stamp play
@hekimen_25 [Building a Kamakura with Stamp Play ☃️] Using a sponge to stamp—pop! pop! A stamping craft that kids can enjoy with total fascination 😆✨ In snowy regions, their imaginations might expand even more, making it even more fun… 🤭#Childcare Crafting#Production VideoNursery teacher / Childcare worker#Nursery school ProductionKamakura Stamp #paint
Tomodachi Collection – Love
Let’s try a fun winter craft with stamping.
First, apply white paint to a square sponge and stamp it all over a sheet of blue construction paper.
After the paint dries, cut the paper into the shape of an igloo.
Cut out the entrance of the igloo, a kotatsu, and the face and hands from construction paper, then glue them onto the igloo to finish.
Draw expressions on the face parts with crayons, and add any pattern you like to the kotatsu.
You can also use stamps or stickers to add patterns.