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 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.
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)

basket

[One Sheet of Drawing Paper] Small Item Basket - Easter [Easy Craft] Cute Project

basket

Why not try making a basket out of construction paper? First, make a loop from a strip of construction paper.

Then prepare eight strips that are half the length of the paper used for the loop.

Cross two strips to form a plus sign and attach their ends to the outside of the loop.

Cross another two strips and attach them to fill the gaps.

Attach the remaining four strips in the same way, but this time, attach them to the inside of the loop.

Prepare two long strips and weave them through the gaps between the papers attached to the loop, alternating over, under, over.

Finally, add a handle and you’re done!

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Button practice toy

[Anpanman] Handmade Toy Button Practice (Tetsu Craft, Occupational Therapy, Fine Motor Training)

Button practice toy

Here’s a toy idea that lets kids practice buttoning using Anpanman’s facial parts.

It’s made with felt.

First, stack two circular felt pieces to create the base of Anpanman’s face.

Embroider the eyebrows, nose, cheeks, and mouth outline on it, then sew buttons onto the eyes, nose, and cheeks.

After that, sew the corresponding attachable parts that fasten onto the buttons, and you’re done! You can use either snap buttons or regular buttons with holes—choose whichever seems more fun for your child.

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Perfect for button practice! Onigiri

[Buttoning Practice] Handmade Felt Rice Balls (With Fillings, Bonus Included) [Easy DIY Toy]

Perfect for button practice! Onigiri

Here’s an idea for felt rice balls that help kids practice buttoning! First, cut a rectangle from white felt and fold it.

Keeping the middle of the folded edge intact, cut it into a rice ball shape.

Make fillings like pickled plum or salmon and sew on snap buttons.

Sew matching snap buttons to the center of the rice ball’s inside as well.

Sew a two-hole button to the upper inside part of the rice ball, and make a slit on the opposite side.

Finally, glue a strip of seaweed cut from black felt to the outside, and you’re done! Attach your favorite filling and close the rice ball with the buttons to enjoy making onigiri.

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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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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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