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 (41–50)

Musical Instrument Crafting: Guitar

[Instrument Craft] How to Make a Simple Guitar (Rubber Bands, Paper Cups) [Handmade Instrument, Playable Toy, Playable Craft] Upcycling Play – For Preschoolers and Lower Elementary Students

Musical Instrument Crafting: Guitar

We’d like to introduce a DIY musical-instrument craft: a guitar you can play once it’s finished.

Prepare four paper cups, three rubber bands, a felt-tip pen, tape, and scissors.

First, place the bottoms of two paper cups together and secure them with tape so they don’t shift.

Next, make three slits in the rim of each of the remaining two paper cups.

Insert these slit cups onto the taped-together cups, and hook the three rubber bands onto the slits so they don’t cross over like an X.

Finally, pluck the rubber bands to check that they make sound—that’s it! The steps are simple, so give it a try!

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Lantern shade made with orizome (fold-dyeing)

At-Home Kids’ Atelier: “Orizome (2) – Let’s Make a Milk Carton Lantern!” [Yagawa Children’s Center]

Lantern shade made with orizome (fold-dyeing)

Here, we introduce how to make a lovely lantern using origami-dyed paper and a milk carton.

It’s convenient to light it from the inside with a flashlight.

First, make a slit partway down the milk carton and cut it with scissors.

Use the top half and peel off the printed layer from the body.

After peeling, glue the spout of the carton closed.

Next, tear the dyed paper into pieces and stick them onto the carton.

Once the paper is attached, brush a layer of diluted glue over the entire carton to finish.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Magnet and pipe cleaner toy

No.108 “Magnet and Pipe Cleaner Toy” [Handmade Toy by a Nursery Teacher]

Magnet and pipe cleaner toy

Let me introduce a toy using magnets and pipe cleaners.

Prepare an empty 6-piece cheese box, bottle caps, pipe cleaners, a plastic sheet, drawing paper, string, clear tape, vinyl tape, and glue, and let’s make it.

Line the inside of the empty cheese box with drawing paper to create the base.

Cut the plastic sheet into a circle to make a window.

Choose the colors of the pipe cleaners, cut them to length, and place them inside the cheese box to get ready.

Put a magnet inside a bottle cap, and tape two caps together with vinyl tape so the magnet won’t fall out.

Make a hole in the cap, thread the string through, and create the magnetic part that will move the pipe cleaners.

By holding the magnet against the outside of the cheese box, the pipe cleaners inside gather and move, making it a fun toy to play with!

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hydropower boat

[025] Hydraulic Boat – It moves using the power of water flowing from a straw!

hydropower boat

A “hydro-powered boat” that moves using the force of water flowing through a straw.

It’s fascinating and fun to watch the boat glide forward on the water as if by itself! Use a milk carton as the boat by cutting it lengthwise in half, and make a hole at the very back to pass a straw through.

Make a similar hole in a short dessert cup.

Fix the cup onto the boat, then thread the straw through both holes—that’s it! When you float the boat on water and pour water into the cup, the water passing through the straw generates thrust, propelling the boat forward.

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Snow globe made from a plastic bottle

How to make a snow globe

Snow globe made from a plastic bottle

Here’s how to make a snow globe using a plastic bottle.

Prepare an empty bottle from a lactic acid bacteria drink, decorative pom-poms, beads, glitter, liquid glue, and a hot glue gun.

Put the beads and decorative pom-poms into the empty drink bottle.

Fill the bottle about halfway with liquid glue, then add water.

Color a piece of paper with colored pens, place it into the bottle, and let it tint the liquid.

Mix everything together, then top up with water to push out any air, and you’re done.

Close the cap tightly and secure it with a hot glue gun so it won’t open.

Wrap vinyl tape around the top to finish.

Decorating with washi tape might make it even cuter!

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