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[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 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.
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 (1–10)

Castanet Frogs (made with paper plates)

[Daycare/Kindergarten] 5 DIY Frog Toys You Can Make and Play With – How-To Roundup [June Rainy-Season Crafts]

Castanet Frogs (made with paper plates)

These are castanets made from paper plates that make sounds by opening and closing a frog’s mouth.

Tear colored origami paper while imagining a frog and glue the pieces onto a paper plate.

You can also color it with pens or paints or add stickers for a cute finish.

Fold the plate in half with the decorated side facing out, and attach eye parts made from construction paper.

Prepare two sound-making items—such as glass game pieces or plastic bottle caps—and glue them to the inside, one on the top and one on the bottom, to complete it! It’s also fun to use different materials and enjoy the variations in sound.

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[Upcycled] Toilet Paper Roll Rocket

[Upcycled Crafts] 5 Fun Indoor Activities Using Toilet Paper Rolls for Preschool and Kindergarten

[Upcycled] Toilet Paper Roll Rocket

This is a toilet paper roll rocket that shoots out with force the moment you let go.

Cut slits in four places around the edge of the roll and fold them outward.

Hook a rubber band on one side and staple it so it won’t come off.

Twist the rubber band once, hook it on the opposite side, and staple it there as well.

Cover the stapled areas with tape to prevent injuries when touched.

Use origami paper, stickers, or markers to finish shaping it like a rocket, then make the launch pad.

Cut two notches at the top of a plastic wrap core to catch the rubber band inside the rocket, and decorate it with origami paper just like the rocket to complete it!

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Plastic bag parachute

How to Make a Parachute with a Handled Plastic Bag (Shopping Bag) · Easy · Handmade Toy ❤︎ DIY/Tutorial/Plastic Bag Parachute ❤︎ #655

Plastic bag parachute

This is a parachute made from a plastic bag with handles.

Draw a curved line on the plastic bag and cut along it with scissors.

Prepare another bag, cut off the bottom, open it up, and then cut it into a circle.

Draw pictures or patterns on each piece with a permanent marker, and attach kite string around the edges.

Gather the strings, tie them together, and attach a light weight at the end, such as a crumpled piece of paper, to complete the parachute! It’s fun to watch it gently drift down from a slightly elevated spot, but be sure to stay safe and never lean out from anywhere while playing.

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[Childcare] Crafting ideas to play and enjoy with 5-year-olds (11–20)

[Scrap Material] Ice cream with toilet paper rolls

[Nursery craft] [Made from recycled materials] Ice cream

[Scrap Material] Ice cream with toilet paper rolls

Let’s make ice cream using a toilet paper roll core! Cut along the side of the core and open it up, then draw a cone pattern with a pen.

Roll it diagonally into a cone shape and secure it from the inside with tape.

If you crumple up some scrap paper and stuff it inside, the cone part is done! Next, crumple more leftover paper, tape it into a ball, and decorate it with stickers, patterned origami paper, or washi tape to make a cute ice cream scoop.

It would be fun to make lots of them and play ice cream shop!

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Paper cup Tyrannosaurus

Mouth opens and closes! Paper cup Tyrannosaurus

Paper cup Tyrannosaurus

Pull the tail and the mouth snaps open! This is an irresistibly cute paper-cup Tyrannosaurus! Cut the rim of a paper cup and make two slits on the side; when you open it up, it becomes the T.

rex’s wide-opening mouth.

Use an awl to make a hole in the bottom, and thread a string through.

Make holes in the bottom and side of another paper cup for the body, then thread the same string from the bottom to the side—mechanism complete.

Finish it as a dinosaur using construction paper and markers, and cover the pulling section to look like a tail with construction paper, etc.

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An ogre mask made with torn-paper collage

Setsubun Craft: A Torn-Paper Oni (Demon) Mask! [For Ages 1 and Up] (ASMR-Style Video)

An ogre mask made with torn-paper collage

Let’s create a project packed with personal touches! You’ll need construction paper oni parts, origami paper in your favorite colors, scissors, glue, thick cardstock, rubber bands, and a stapler.

The simple step of tearing origami paper for the oni’s hair and gluing it on is great even for infant classes, but since this is for a class of five-year-olds, it might be nice to set a theme of finishing their work with careful attention to detail.

They can have fun arranging the hair in rainbow colors or decorating with craft punches.

Give it a try and incorporate it into your activities!

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twisty snake

[Playable Crafts] Easy, no prep needed! Fun crafts and toy-making! For preschools and kindergartens (suitable for 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children)

twisty snake

This is a whirling snake that spins energetically when you run holding the end of a string! Draw a spiral-shaped snake on construction paper, poke a hole in the center, and add the snake’s patterns.

If you color it vibrantly, it will look even prettier when it spins.

Once the coloring is done, cut along the lines.

Finally, thread fishing line or another string through the hole you made—done! If you hold the string and run full speed, the snake will spin around as if it’s dancing.

Leave the patterns and colors up to the kids! It’ll be so much fun to see what unique snakes they create.

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