Lovely childcare

[Childcare] Recommended for April activities! A collection of helpful ideas for events and festivities

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.
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.

April marks the start of the new school year!

Preschools and kindergartens are full of exciting events.

There are opportunities to meet new friends, as well as entrance ceremonies and nature walks to help children get used to school life.

It’s cherry blossom season, so going on a “hanami” walk to observe spring nature is also lots of fun.

As Golden Week approaches, try incorporating carp streamers and spring crafts to spark the children’s creativity.

Enjoy those moments when the children’s hearts come together through fun activities!

[Childcare] Recommended for April activities! A collection of useful ideas for events and occasions (11–20)

[Craft Play] Where the Dinosaurs Are

[Practical Guide] Where the Dinosaurs Are (Younger Class, May – Classroom Environment)

[Craft Play] Where the Dinosaurs Are

April 17 is known as Dinosaur Day, commemorating the date when American zoologist Roy Chapman Andrews, who helped spark dinosaur research, set out for the Gobi Desert.

To celebrate Dinosaur Day, here’s a craft project that lets you enjoy dinosaur motifs using cardboard, paper, and paint.

Imagine creating a space where dinosaurs live: make the dinosaurs three-dimensional out of cardboard, and paint their backgrounds on paper.

Use picture books and other references to imagine and build a place where your cardboard dinosaurs can live happily.

It’s also fun to have each person think about how to create the background and which dinosaurs to arrange.

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What we can learn about the global environment from picking up litter

– Happiness 0–3 Montessori nursery – litter picking

What we can learn about the global environment from picking up litter

April 22 is International Earth Day, a time to think about our planet and take action.

Many events are held across Japan, and litter-picking is a great option that’s easy for children to join! As you pick up trash along your usual walking route, you’ll start to see the familiar path in a new light.

Using picture books or panel theater to explain concretely how trash affects the Earth can also give children a chance to think about the environment.

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Let’s try becoming a librarian!

April 30 is Library Memorial Day: Children take on the challenge of being librarians [Imari City] (21/04/30 11:51)

Let's try becoming a librarian!

The Library Act was promulgated on April 30, 1950, and Library Memorial Day was established in 1971.

Various events are held on April 30 to convey the importance of libraries’ roles.

One recommended event lets children visit a library and experience working as librarians by actually checking out books and helping to organize them.

Looking at and reading picture books nurtures language and imagination and enriches emotions, doesn’t it?

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Spring snack making

[Kindergarten/Preschool] Spring Craft / Easy / How to Make a Strawberry Cake ♡

Spring snack making

Here’s a spring snack-making craft activity.

Prepare construction paper, paint, tissue paper, pastel crayons, and paper cups to make a delicious-looking strawberry cake.

Paint the paper cup to use it as the cake base.

Tear, crumple, and glue the tissue paper to look like cream.

Add strawberries made from construction paper to finish! Gluing the tissue paper with some volume gives it a three-dimensional look, making it resemble a real cake.

Cutting and gluing can also be good practice for using glue and scissors!

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Let’s make postcards from elephant dung

Making postcards from elephant dung: Hitachi Kamine Zoo

Let's make postcards from elephant dung

April 28 is Elephant Day.

It is said to originate from the occasion in 1729 when an elephant sent from Vietnam to Japan was presented to Emperor Nakamikado.

Elephants are among the largest land animals—truly enormous creatures! Let’s try making postcards using elephant dung from these big animals.

Put on gloves, then wash the elephant dung to extract the dietary fibers.

Using a blender, combine pulp from a milk carton with water and form it into postcard shapes.

Once it’s dry, it’s done.

Please be mindful of hygiene as you make them!

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Rag-wiping race

Wiping cloth duty 2/12 (2)

Rag-wiping race

The Osaka Towel Wholesale Trade Association designated April 29 as Towel Day.

It’s said that people use towels most frequently from early spring to early summer.

Children are very familiar with towels too, using them for wiping floors and tables, but wringing them out by hand after washing can take a lot of strength for kids.

When wringing a towel, the vertical wring is recommended.

By keeping the elbows close to the body and rotating the wrists, you can use the strength of your arms and wring more tightly.

Wringing towels also helps build grip strength, so try practicing it with your children!

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[Childcare] Recommended for April activities! A collection of helpful ideas for events and festivities (21–30)

A Little Stroll

Let’s enjoy a special little walk! Here are some ideas for short strolls.

Don’t many preschools usually make use of parks, plazas, and their own playgrounds for outdoor activities? This time, let’s try taking a brief walk to nearby preschools or public facilities! Interactions among the children, as well as with the people at these facilities, are valuable opportunities to nurture their social skills.

Even as their hearts race with excitement, seeing them reach out their hands and call out to one another really lets us feel their growth.

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