[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 in childcare! Spring craft ideas for 1-year-olds (41–50)

Tulips made with sensory play

Here’s a fun sensory play idea using paint to make tulips! You’ll need light blue construction paper, white construction paper, crayons, watercolor paints, a zip-top plastic bag or plastic wrap, scissors, and glue.

Squeeze the paint straight from the tube onto the white paper, then place it inside the zip-top bag.

Spread the paint with your fingers over the bag; the paint will squish and stretch nicely.

Kids will love the cool, smooth feel and watching the colors blend together! Once the painted white paper is dry, cut it into tulip shapes and glue them onto the light blue paper.

Finish by drawing stems and leaves with crayons!

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Tulips made with handprints

We’d like to introduce a tulip wall display made with handprints that will be a lovely keepsake of children’s growth.

Prepare construction paper, green paint, brushes, and a palette.

Cut out the flower and stem parts from construction paper, then glue them onto a background sheet.

Apply paint thinned with a little water to the children’s palms and press their handprints onto the stem area of the tulips.

The key is to press quickly when making the handprints.

Make sure to prepare everything thoroughly in advance so the activity goes smoothly.

The tulip leaves will turn into adorable handprints.

If you like, add paper cutouts shaped like butterflies for a charming, springtime wall display.

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mayumi

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Handprint butterfly

@hoiku_ratty
Fluttering little hands—handprint butterfly 🦋 [Aim] Enjoy the feel of paint and have fun turning handprints into butterfly wings [Age] 1–2 years old [Materials] Construction paper, paint, chenille stems (pipe cleaners), clear tape, scissors, glue, pen Everyone, give it a try! Thanks for reading to the end. I’d be happy if you like and follow! Feel free to leave comments with your thoughts or questions♪ ┈ This account shares: ✏️ Crafts / weekly & monthly plans / event prep / solutions to common concerns We collect easy-to-copy ideas, so save time planning crafts and make your personal life more fulfilling🪄 “I’m not getting along with someone at work…” “My salary doesn’t match the workload!” For those in that situation, we also offer free job-change support and consultations 🙆🏻‍♀️ (Even just “I want to know what kind of centers are out there” is OK!) ★ Consultations via the URL in the profile ★ @hoiku_ratty ┈Production ideas Production ideas Craft PlayChildcare craftsWork/Project Idea Nursery teacher / Childcare worker #Nursery School Craft March #March production April #April Production #Spring crafts ⁣Bill of Exchange Handprint Craft Butterfly craft
♪ Original Song – Easy Nursery Crafts | Ratty 🐨 by Hoiku R – Easy Nursery Crafts | Ratty 🐨 by Hoiku R

Let’s create crafts using children’s handprints! Here are some handprint butterfly ideas.

Art made with children’s handprints turns into wonderful keepsakes.

The charm is that by taking their handprints, you can preserve their growth and a moment in time as a record! Use your child’s favorite paint colors and enjoy making it in a fun atmosphere.

What you’ll need: construction paper, paint, pipe cleaners, tape, scissors, glue, and a pen.

It would also be fun to display butterflies made with teachers’ or guardians’ handprints side by side with the children’s.

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Tulip made by gluing origami pieces

Here’s how to make a tulip by tearing and pasting origami paper.

Gather origami paper, construction paper, crayons, glue, and scissors.

Tear the origami paper by hand or cut it with scissors to create small shapes.

Glue the pieces onto the construction paper, trying to place them so there are as few gaps as possible.

Arrange and glue together pieces with similar patterns and colors so they are close to each other, then cut them into the shape of a tulip and paste it onto the backing paper.

Finish by drawing the stem, leaves, and other details around it with crayons.

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mayumi

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Spring Stroll Bag

Introducing a handmade walk bag for storing the treasures you find on your strolls.

Prepare a zippered storage bag, round stickers and washi tape, raffia tape (suzuran tape), felt-tip pens, and cloth duct tape.

Stick a strip of duct tape with the child’s name on the front of the storage bag in a visible spot.

Decorate the surface of the bag freely with round stickers and washi tape.

Reinforce the upper left and right edges of the bag by sandwiching them with duct tape, then use a hole punch to make holes.

Braid the raffia tape to a length that fits over the children’s shoulders, thread it through the holes in the bag, and you’re done.

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Spring laundry

Let’s have fun playing with colors! Here are some spring laundry-themed craft ideas.

Using paint for art projects is great for one-year-olds because it stimulates their senses and creativity.

By freely applying and mixing paint, they can develop self-expression and curiosity.

Making art with their hands and fingers also supports sensory growth by letting them enjoy different textures.

If you’d like to enjoy paint with children who are interested in it, here’s what you’ll need for the spring laundry craft: drawing paper, scissors, paint, origami paper, jute twine, paper towels, and craft glue.

Give it a try!

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