[April Crafts] Useful for childcare! Spring craft ideas for 1-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 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.
9 years of experience as a nursery school teacherShibata Risa
I am an active nursery school teacher with 9 years of experience. After graduating from university, I worked at a daycare center. The time I spent happily with children—playing piano, singing songs, and doing finger-play—are priceless memories to me. Currently, while raising three children of my own, I work at an after-school day service, engaging with children and providing individualized developmental support. Drawing on my diverse experiences as a childcare worker and as a mother, I hope to express and convey my thoughts through writing.

Warm spring is a fun season for children, too! Here, we’re sharing craft ideas you can enjoy together with one-year-olds.

Tearing and sticking to make colorful flowers helps develop fine motor skills! For parts that are hard for one-year-olds, have an adult join in and get creative.

If you decorate with lots of colors, you’re sure to see big smiles from the kids! While exploring colors and shapes, they can really feel the spring season.

Let’s all make things together and create lots of wonderful pieces! Get excited and make new spring memories.

[April Crafts] Useful for childcare! Spring craft ideas for 1-year-olds (1–10)

Dandelions in a wet-on-wet painting

Let’s use the wet-on-wet (bleeding) technique to create a familiar spring flower: the dandelion.

This technique uses water-based pens and water-resistant paper.

Shoji paper or coffee filters are recommended.

Cut the paper into a circle and draw patterns on it with pens in any colors you like.

When you’re done, mist it with water; the colors will gently bleed and spread.

Even if you scribble so the colors mix messily, the way they bleed and blend is beautiful and fun.

Attach a base for the dandelion flower and a stem, and you’re done.

Raise the rankinglower

utatane

Report a problem

Cherry blossom petals made with hearts and crumpled tissue paper

How about “tissue-paper cherry blossom petals” as a craft idea to try with childcare workers or kindergarten teachers? First, let’s get prepared.

Cut construction paper into rectangles, roll each into a heart shape, and secure it with glue.

Next, arrange them on a clear file so they look like petals, and glue them down.

Once they’re dry, you’re ready.

Hand it over to the kids from here—have them stuff tissue paper into the paper hearts, and it’s done.

If you prepare tissue paper in multiple colors, it will turn out even cuter.

Raise the rankinglower

yamamoto

Report a problem

A caterpillar made by rolling up origami

Let’s make a caterpillar out of origami inspired by the beloved picture book “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”! The method is super simple: roll up pieces of origami paper and stick them onto a leaf-shaped base.

You can put double-sided tape on the base in advance and attach the origami to it, or, if the children can pinch and handle tape, cut the tape into small pieces and let them stick it onto the rolled parts themselves.

Feel free to add your own touches—draw the eyes, antennae, legs, and mouth, or fill the area around the caterpillar with flowers.

Raise the rankinglower

yuri

Report a problem

[April Crafts] Useful for Childcare! Spring Craft Ideas for 1-Year-Olds (11–20)

Strawberries made with fingerprint and handprint

Getting super excited seeing their hands dyed green! This is a strawberry wall decoration made with handprints.

Paint children’s palms with paint to make handprints, then cut out the strawberry stem pieces.

Let the kids handle the strawberry seeds too! Dab paint on their fingers or palms and add patterns to strawberry-shaped pieces of colored paper.

Once everything is fully dry, glue the parts together and it’s done.

Even children who can’t grip crayons or pens well can enjoy coloring, so it’s a great idea for a wide range of ages.

Raise the rankinglower

yuri

Report a problem

Pom-pom stamping with newspaper

Let’s make a cherry tree by dabbing color with crumpled newspaper.

Crumple up newspaper or scrap paper, dip it in paint, and gently dab it like a stamp onto white construction paper cut into cherry blossom shapes.

Even children who have trouble gripping pens or crayons can try this easily, so why not let them handle the coloring? Once everything is completely dry, attach the blossoms to a backing sheet along with parts like a tree trunk and little birds made from construction paper.

The soft, airy coloring is a perfect match for the image of cherry blossoms!

Raise the rankinglower

yuri

Report a problem

Butterflies with stickers and handprints

This is a craft idea where you decorate butterfly wings made from construction paper by sticking on stickers and stamping handprints.

The main parts to cut out are the butterfly’s wings, body, and head.

The cutting should be done by teachers or guardians.

Let the children handle the stickers and handprint stamping.

However, they will need support with painting their hands and helping the handprints transfer neatly onto the paper.

For the handprint section, it’s recommended to stamp first and then cut it into the shape of wings.

If you also make tulips to go with the butterflies and paste them onto a backing sheet, you can enjoy a springtime scene.

Raise the rankinglower

sasashina

Report a problem

Sparkling butterfly with decoupage (decalcomania)

Here’s a craft idea for making butterflies using the transfer technique called decalcomania.

After cutting the butterfly’s face, wings, and hat parts out of construction paper, fold the wing pieces in half.

Apply small amounts of several paint colors to just one side, then close the fold.

When you open it, the paint will have transferred to the other side, creating a pattern.

Next, add eyes, a nose, and a mouth to the face piece, and glue the three parts together to finish! Have teachers or guardians handle the cutting, and let the children enjoy choosing their favorite paints and folding the paper to make the transfer.

Raise the rankinglower

sasashina

Report a problem