Lovely childcare

[Childcare] Playful craft ideas to enjoy with 5-year-olds

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.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

I want to enjoy crafts with a five-year-old, but they get bored with flat, two-dimensional projects…

Does that sound familiar?

Here are some craft ideas perfect for five-year-olds, whose thinking skills and ability to work on tasks are really blossoming—plus, they double as toys you can play with.

Enjoy the crafting process, and then try playing with the toys you made, both indoors and outdoors.

It’s also fine to lend and borrow toys with friends.

Kids tend to cherish toys they made themselves, so they’ll likely play with them carefully.

Teachers, why not make and play together too?

[Childcare] Playful craft ideas to enjoy with 5-year-olds (91–100)

felt ball

[Handmade Toy] How to Make Anpanman Felt Balls

felt ball

Felt balls, which can be played with in many ways, are also recommended.

First, download a pentagon template from the internet and use it to cut cardboard.

Next, cut felt to match the pentagons you’ve made and embroider the characters on them.

Once you have 12 pieces, assemble them, stuff them with filling, and you’re done.

I hope you’ll play freely—roll it to see which character shows up or toss it in the air.

You can also put a bell inside to enjoy the sound.

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playmat

[Using 100-yen shop felt] How to make a car play mat (100-yen handmade toy) / 100-yen DIY / Making toys to play with at home

playmat

Here’s an idea for a road play mat that you’ll want to make for a child who loves toy cars.

Sew roads made from gray felt onto a base of felt in your favorite color.

Then, add and sew on whatever you like—houses, trees, a police box, a hospital, bus stops, and more.

If you don’t have a sewing machine, you can skip the stitching and use glue to attach everything instead.

With a little creativity, you can make all kinds of play mats, so let your imagination run wild as you create.

Making a construction site where kids can play with work vehicles sounds fun, too!

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[Childcare] Craft ideas you can play with and enjoy together with 5-year-olds (101–110)

Dreamland with a magnet

Easy Craft: How to Make 'Dreamland with Magnets'

Dreamland with a magnet

Learn about magnets while having fun crafting! Here’s a magnetic Dreamland idea.

The charm of this project is that you can make a mysterious, entertaining toy that moves using capsules and magnets.

You’ll need origami paper, a white board, construction paper, magnets, empty gashapon capsules, poster paper, a color wave sheet, glue, scissors, and pens.

Draw roads on the board and decorate with construction paper and the color wave sheet.

Put a car illustration on an empty capsule and place a magnet inside—then it’s done! Move the capsule with the car illustration by guiding a magnet from the back of the board!

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Twisting Soap Bubbles

[Preschool Teacher] Easy Handmade Toy! How to Make a Spinning Bubble Wand [Daycare/Kindergarten]

Twisting Soap Bubbles

A big hit at festivals and more! Here’s how to make a Twirling Bubble Toy.

You’ll need holographic origami paper, scissors (or anything to cut origami), pack stickers, a straw, hole reinforcement stickers, and a bamboo skewer.

The steps are super simple! First, cut the holographic origami into thin strips and stick them onto the pack sticker in eight directions.

Then cut the straw, use the reinforcement stickers to assemble everything, and you’re done.

There’s no glue needed, so even a five-year-old can make it easily.

Spin it slowly or quickly—the colors and shapes change, making it look just like real soap bubbles.

Give it a try and have fun!

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In conclusion

We introduced craft ideas you can play with that are great to do with five-year-olds. At this age, children are developing their thinking skills and dexterity, and they can use their imaginations to tackle a variety of activities. With play-friendly crafts, kids can keep enjoying them with friends even after they’re finished. Try out different projects and let them experience the joy of making things.