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 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 (41–50)

Handmade maracas

[Handmade Instruments] Make Maracas with Things at Home: A Fun Activity to Do with Your Kids

Handmade maracas

Here’s an introduction to easy, handmade maracas you can make with everyday materials.

Gather a capsule toy case, a toilet paper roll, a plastic bottle, beads or buttons, and vinyl tape, and let’s get started.

Cut off the neck portion of the plastic bottle, roll the toilet paper core to make a sturdy handle, and attach it securely with vinyl tape.

Put the buttons or beads inside the capsule toy case, fasten it firmly with vinyl tape, and close the lid.

Once it’s finished, shake your maracas, sing along, and have fun!

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[Childcare] Playful craft ideas to enjoy with 5-year-olds (51–60)

ruffous horseshoe bat

[3,000,000 views ✨] Easy Flapping Bat Made with Origami

ruffous horseshoe bat

Just like a real bat! Here’s an idea for a flapping bat.

Bats are nocturnal and often rest during the day in caves, gaps in trees, or attics, but many children are familiar with them from Halloween illustrations and picture books.

This time, let’s make a flapping bat with origami.

All you need is origami paper cut to half size.

The steps are simple and easy to follow, so once kids learn the folds, they’ll likely be able to make one on their own!

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Snap Frog

[Upcycling Crafts] Snap Frog with a Milk Carton (Easy, Playable Craft) [Jumping Frog] A Handmade Toy You Can Make Right Now

Snap Frog

A common piece of scrap material you’ll find in most households is a milk carton.

A snap frog made from a milk carton is really fun.

Remove the bottom of the milk carton, cut it into a ring 7 cm wide, make a 5 mm slit, and hook a rubber band into the slit—that’s all you need for the basic mechanism.

Draw and stick on the frog’s eyes, and it’s done.

You can enjoy lots of variations by keeping the basic mechanism the same and just changing what you stick on top, so try getting creative.

It might be fun to try other animals, too.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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ball

A round and cute ball made by weaving paper – DIY How to Make a Paper Ball / Paper Weaving

ball

Here’s an idea for making a ball out of paper.

First, prepare six strips of paper, each 1 cm by 20 cm.

Connect one of the strips into a loop.

Next, layer the remaining five strips one by one to form a star shape.

If you overlap them so that the center forms a pentagon, you’ll get a neat star.

Once layered, temporarily clip the ends of the strips upright, then pass the loop you made earlier through them.

At this point, only thread the strips that were on the bottom during the layering.

Swap the top and bottom positions of the overlapped strips, connect strips of the same color, and you’re done!

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Cube puzzle made from a milk carton

[Easy Handmade Puzzle] Let’s Make a Puzzle with a Milk Carton ♪ [Also Great for a Stamp Rally ♪]

Cube puzzle made from a milk carton

Let’s try making a cube puzzle using a milk carton! First, open up the carton and cut it horizontally to make three strips, each 6.5 cm wide.

Next, use double-sided tape to stick two different colors of construction paper onto the cut carton pieces.

Tape two of the strips into loops, and then thread the remaining strip through those two loops before taping it into a loop as well.

Finally, decorate with your favorite stickers or drawings, and you’re done.

You can enjoy looking at the different designs on each face and repeatedly fitting pieces together—there are lots of ways to play.

It’s sure to positively support children’s fine motor skills and brain development!

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Voice changer with a paper cup

Let's make a voice changer with a paper cup!

Voice changer with a paper cup

Let’s make a voice changer that tickles kids’ curiosity.

It’s super simple to build! Stick aluminum foil on one side of a paper cup and cut out the bottom—done in no time.

Put the bottom side to your mouth and speak, and like magic, your voice will sound different from usual.

You can almost see the kids bursting into laughter at their own transformed voices.

It’s a toy that could spark new ways of communicating with friends and teachers! This voice changer will make everyday chatter several times more fun—be sure to make one together and play with it!

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paper cup airplane

Angel Land Fukui: Let's Make Paper Cup Airplanes

paper cup airplane

It’s a paper-cup airplane that spins as it flies! Tape two paper cups together bottom to bottom, then decorate the sides with pens, stickers, and more.

Next, tie five rubber bands together in a chain and you’re ready to go! Wrap the rubber band chain snugly around the center of the cups, hook the end loop on your finger, pull it back at an upward angle, and release the cups—your airplane will shoot off with a whirl.

It’s a breezy toy you can make easily with just a few materials and tools.

Let’s all make one and fly them together in the schoolyard or at the park!

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