Lovely childcare

[For 5-year-olds] Let's make it in April! A collection of craft ideas using recycled and natural materials

20 years of experience as a nursery teacher / kindergarten teacherhiyoko sensei
I’m Hiyoko-sensei, a former nursery school teacher from Hyogo Prefecture. Ever since I was five, my dream was to become a childcare worker, and before I knew it, 20 years had passed since I achieved that dream. Through singing and playing with the children, I kept working with the spirit of someone in their twenties, even as I increasingly felt my physical limits year by year (haha). From here on, I’d like to share helpful information carefully and thoughtfully, drawing on my on-site experience.
Nursery Teacher Mom Writertsukada moe
After working for five years at an after-school childcare club and three years at a nursery school, I began working as a freelance writer. I’m a mother of two children. Inspired by playing the flute in the school wind ensemble in elementary school, I joined a jazz club at university. I’ve also incorporated ukulele and piano performance into childcare. Playing, laughing, feeling sad, feeling frustrated—through all kinds of experiences, I want children to grow.

In April, the children move up a grade and spend their days as the oldest five-year-olds.

I imagine their hearts are pounding every day with both anxiety and excitement.

Five-year-olds’ thinking and imagination grow rapidly, so we’d love for them to try crafts that let them be inventive.

Here we’re sharing spring-themed craft ideas perfect for April.

These ideas are packed with activities that make the process of creating fun and let children play with what they’ve made.

Be sure to enjoy making them together with your class.

子どもたちの制作物は作品（ピース）として扱われるため、本文中では「制作」と表記します。

[Age 5] Make it in April! A collection of craft ideas using recycled materials and natural items (21–30)

Scrap-Material Racing Car

Smoothly Zooming! Handmade Racing Car — A Toy Car That Runs on Recycled Materials [Craft]

Scrap-Material Racing Car

It zips along and looks so cool! Let me share an idea for a racing car made from scrap materials.

Have you heard the word “scrap materials” before? It refers to materials or items that are thrown away as unnecessary.

Common examples include toilet paper rolls and plastic bottles.

This time, let’s try making a racing car using scrap materials.

You’ll need items like a toilet paper roll, plastic bottle caps, straws, bamboo skewers, colored paper, round stickers, and scissors.

It could be fun to race them with your family or friends, too.

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Artworks created using natural materials

Middle Nursery Class April Activities: “Spring Nature Items” (with subtitles)

Artworks created using natural materials

April has just the right climate and is the perfect season for walks and playing in the playground.

Here’s an activity for creating artworks using natural materials like leaves and branches found outdoors.

Prepare a container to collect fallen leaves and other items.

If children decorate their own container with stickers or markers, they’ll feel more attached to it and enjoy the activity even more.

Use cotton swabs to apply glue to the collected leaves and flowers, then stick them onto construction paper.

When placing the items, it’s important to value the child’s sensibilities and let them lead the process.

Once finished, display the pieces and enjoy the artwork!

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Dandelions made with stamps

Get a head start on spring ✨ Creative play with recycled materials 🎨 #shorts #childcare #paints

Dandelions made with stamps

Easy yet so eye-catching! Let’s make dandelion flowers with a stamp! The process is super simple.

Prepare a toilet paper roll and make lots of slits on one end.

Add many fine cuts while imagining dandelion petals.

Fold the cut sections outward and your stamp is ready! Draw the dandelion stems and leaves on a sheet of construction paper as the base, then dip the toilet paper roll stamp in yellow paint and start stamping over it.

The toilet paper roll stamp is large and easy to grip, so even toddlers can enjoy it.

You can make it using familiar recycled materials, so give it a try for inspiration!

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Cherry Blossoms Made with Paper Quilling

Cherry blossom petals made with paper quilling

Cherry Blossoms Made with Paper Quilling

It’s fun to twirl with your fingertips! Here are some cherry blossom ideas you can make with paper quilling.

You’ll need pink construction paper, a toothpick, scissors, and glue.

First, cut the paper into 1-centimeter-wide strips to make long, thin quilling paper.

Next, use the toothpick to roll the quilling paper into tight coils.

Finally, pinch and shape the coils to form petals, and your parts are complete! Keep making more parts and assemble them to finish your cherry blossoms.

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Let’s look for spring! Making a magnifying glass

'Craft: Magnifying Glass' — Let’s make our own original magnifying glasses and go explore lots of springtime nature!

Let’s look for spring! Making a magnifying glass

Here’s how to make a magnifying glass that’s perfect for spring walks and bug hunting.

Prepare two pieces of thick paper with circular cutouts, construction paper, clear cellophane, tape, and colored pens.

Fold a rectangular piece of construction paper to add strength and make the handle of the magnifying glass.

Attach the handle firmly to the bottom of the circular cutout so it won’t come off.

Stick the cellophane over the cutout opening and trim any excess with scissors.

Finally, glue the second circular cutout on top to finish the magnifying glass.

Use colored pens to decorate it and create your own original magnifying glass!

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[Punch Art] Colorful Easter Egg

Production: Do you know about punch art? [Easter 🥚]

[Punch Art] Colorful Easter Egg

When you use a hole punch on construction paper, you end up with lots of tiny round pieces, right? This craft, “Colorful Easter Eggs,” uses those bits.

Prepare a hole punch and colorful construction paper, then punch out lots of holes.

If you have many children, you’ll need quite a lot, so it might be good for an adult to prepare some in advance.

Next, use construction paper and a compass to draw an egg shape.

After cutting out the egg with scissors, draw patterns with glue and sprinkle the punched-out paper on top.

Shake off the excess pieces, and your Colorful Easter Egg is complete! Try making them with all sorts of patterns.

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[Origami] Clover

[Easy] Four Spring Origami Crafts [April Project]

[Origami] Clover

Here’s an idea for making clovers out of origami that can be used as wall decorations or craft accents! For this, cut a standard sheet of origami paper into four pieces.

Start by using one of the cut pieces to make a single clover leaf.

Basically, you can make it by folding along the crease lines, but there’s a step where you need to squash a pocket, so if it’s hard to understand, an adult should demonstrate.

Once all four pieces are folded the same way, insert the origami pieces into each other so that the heart shapes gather in the center, and your clover is complete!

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