Lovely childcare

[For toddlers] Simple but amazing craft ideas — including toys they can play with

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.
Keyboard playerSAKI
I’ve been playing the Electone since I was six, mainly performing Disney music, anime songs, and music from dramas and films. I post performance videos on YouTube and social media, and I also give concerts. Building on my Electone experience, I took up synthesizer and piano during my student years and performed at school-sponsored events. As a writer, I’ve covered not only music-related topics but a wide range of genres, so I hope to draw on my experience to deliver articles that make readers think, “I want to try that!” or “I want to listen to that!”

There are so many opportunities to do crafts at daycare and kindergarten, aren’t there?

Crafts help develop fine motor skills, nurture imagination and concentration, and offer plenty of great benefits for children’s development.

But are there teachers and parents out there thinking, “What should we make?” and running out of ideas?

In this article, we’ll introduce simple yet impressive craft ideas.

Many of them can be played with after making them, so the kids are sure to have a great time!

They’re all easy to make with materials that are simple to gather, so please use these as a reference.

[For toddlers] Simple but amazing craft ideas. Playable toys too (61–70)

A hula hoop made from empty lactic acid bacteria drink containers

A handmade hula hoop for the daycare—we made it using Yakult bottles.

A hula hoop made from empty lactic acid bacteria drink containers

Here’s a hula hoop you can make using empty lactic acid bacteria drink containers.

Gather empty containers from a lactic acid drink, double-sided tape, ribbon tape (suzuran tape), scissors, and clear tape.

First, cut out the bottoms of the containers with a utility knife.

Fit the mouth of one container into the bottom opening of the next, and apply double-sided tape over each joint to secure it firmly as you form a hoop shape.

Once the entire ring is connected, peel off the backing from the double-sided tape and wrap ribbon tape over the surface so there are no gaps.

Reinforce it with clear tape on top, and you’re done! By changing the color of the ribbon tape, you can make a colorful hula hoop.

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Making houses out of thick paper (cardstock)

100-yen store DIY: A cardboard dollhouse — Princess Castle. How to make a dollhouse

Making houses out of thick paper (cardstock)

Here’s a guide to making an adorable cardboard house.

Use a ruler to sketch the house’s dimensions on the cardboard.

Carefully cut along the guidelines with scissors or a craft knife.

Add color to the cardboard using construction paper.

Cutting the construction paper with scissors is recommended, but tearing and pasting pieces might add a charming, handmade feel to the work as well.

Use glue to attach the parts and assemble them so they don’t fall apart.

Once you add the final decorations, your cute dollhouse is complete.

If you like, adding sparkly stickers or beads can make it even more charming!

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Handmade microphone

[4-year-olds] Looks just like the real thing?! Handmade microphone!

Handmade microphone

Let me introduce a cute original microphone craft.

Prepare a plastic wrap tube, a capsule toy container, origami paper, and yarn, and let’s make it.

Wrap the origami paper around the plastic wrap tube so that a bit of the paper sticks out on either the left or right side.

On the side where the paper sticks out, tape on the yarn, crumple the extra paper to make it small, and tuck it into the center of the wrap tube—this completes the microphone handle.

Next, place the capsule toy container on top of the wrap tube and tape it so it won’t fall off, and your microphone is complete! Draw a switch on the handle, and add illustrations or stickers as you like to create your very own original microphone.

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A hula hoop made from newspaper

Improve motor skills with handmade hoops!! [Hoop Jump] [Hoop Crawl]

A hula hoop made from newspaper

Here’s how to make a hula hoop out of newspaper.

Gather newspaper and tape, and let’s get started.

Spread out a sheet of newspaper and roll it tightly lengthwise.

Rolling the newspaper firmly will strengthen the base of the hula hoop and make it more durable.

Secure the roll with tape so it doesn’t loosen, and fix it in place.

Connect the rolled newspapers into a circle, and you’re done! Wrapping the finished hula hoop with vinyl tape will make it even stronger, so it lasts longer and is even more fun to play with.

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picture book

Made with 100-yen shop items! Felt picture book! Let’s play with a pop-up/interactive book♪ Use it as design inspiration!

picture book

How about making a cloth picture book for babies out of felt? You can find colorful felt at 100-yen shops and craft stores, so try cutting, pasting, and sewing it to match your vision.

You can recreate a picture book your child loves, or add interactive elements they can play with.

There are many kinds of mechanisms: for example, motifs that can be peeled off with hook-and-loop tape, parts that fasten with buttons, and classics like puzzles or matching games.

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Running Rabbit

@naughtyboytoybylily
Used disposable paper cups can be turned into running rabbits🐰 #handmadecraft #creativeideas #kindergartenhandicraft #recycledpaper #papercupcraft #rabbittoys #runningrabbit #toyforkids #momkidsfun #gift #fyp #educationaltoy
♬ See Tình (Speed Up Version) – Hoàng Thùy Linh

Let me introduce a running rabbit made with a paper cup.

Prepare a paper cup, construction paper, two plastic bottle caps, a rubber band, and some tape, then let’s make it.

Cut two vertical slits on opposite sides at the bottom of the paper cup so they’re evenly spaced.

Glue the two bottle caps together.

Wrap tape around the outside of the joined caps with a rubber band to secure it.

Hook the rubber band onto the slits you made in the paper cup and fix it in place—that’s it! Twist the caps to wind it up and let go, and the rabbit will start to run.

The caps inside act as a weight that balances the whole thing, making the movement fun to watch!

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straw flute

[Straw Craft] How to Make a Whistle

straw flute

Instruments that make sounds always fascinate kids! If real instruments still feel like a high hurdle, how about a handmade flute? Believe it or not, you can make a flute by cutting straws! Cut eight straws to different lengths to create a scale.

Seal one end of each cut straw with cellophane tape, then tape them together—and you’re done! It’s so simple that children can make it right away.

It’s said that holding the flute downward and blowing a bit strongly makes it easier to produce sound, so be sure to give it a try.

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