[Childcare] Let’s make things with various materials! A collection of recommended craft ideas for April

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.

April is the season for starting nursery and moving up a grade.

It’s an exciting time with new classes, but it can also feel a bit unsettled.

Here are some craft ideas that children can enjoy in April.

We’ve gathered everything from activities they can really focus on to ideas they can make and then play with.

When we draw out children’s sense of fun, crafting becomes an exciting time.

We’re sharing a variety of ideas so you can choose based on children’s interests and curiosities—please find projects you can incorporate.

Because children’s creations are treated as works, we use the term “制作” (seisaku: production/work) in the text.

[Childcare] Let’s make things with a variety of materials! Recommended craft ideas for April (71–80)

Cherry tree made of felt

@hoikushi_bank
Let's make the cherry blossoms bloom with a button 🌸#Nursery school #Kindergarten Production Nursery School Practicum #Indoor Play Nursery teacher / Childcare worker Childcare student #CherryBlossom Admission Entrance Ceremony
♬ Cutlery (self cover) – uki3

So soft and touchable! Here’s a felt cherry blossom tree you can make.

You’ll need pink felt, brown felt, buttons, thread, a needle, craft glue, and scissors.

Making it is a great chance to explore different materials! The charm of this craft is that the felt cherry blossoms with sewn-on buttons let you attach and remove petals as you play, which is sure to capture the interest of infants—highly recommended! It’s best for teachers or caregivers to handle the steps that use needles and thread.

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A flower field made with fork stamping

Let’s make a colorful, cute spring flower field using fork stamps.

Prepare paint, a fork, green-toned tissue paper, construction paper, and glue.

Tear the tissue paper vertically by hand to create stems and leaves.

Tissue paper is delicate, so tear it gently.

Once you’ve glued the tissue paper onto the construction paper to represent stems, start stamping with paint applied to the fork.

If you load the fork with plenty of paint, the flowers’ shapes and colors will stand out clearly.

The softness of the tissue paper will help express the movement of the stems and leaves, too!

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Puchi-puchi butterfly

As spring arrives, we start seeing butterflies more often, don’t we? Let’s make a springtime butterfly using bubble wrap as a cushioning material! We’ll use bubble wrap to create the butterfly’s wings.

Cut the bubble wrap into a rectangle and draw the butterfly’s patterns on it with a permanent marker.

It could be fun to draw on the bumpy side or on the smooth, flat back—either works.

Tie the center tightly with a pipe cleaner, then make the butterfly’s body and face from colored construction paper and stick them on to finish.

You can also use a pipe cleaner to create the antennae.

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Pencil holder as a preschool graduation gift

Many kindergartens may prepare gifts from current pupils to those who are graduating.

How about incorporating the making of a pencil holder, which is perfect as a graduation present? Use paper tubes, empty snack containers, or paper cups, and decorate the surface with torn-paper collage to create a colorful pencil holder.

Using various types of paper—construction paper, origami paper, wrapping paper, tissue paper, or chiyogami—makes the tearing sensations enjoyable in different ways.

Add a border of felt balls and attach a message card as a finishing touch.

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Colorful Tulips Made from Scrap Materials

Let me introduce colorful tulips made from upcycled materials using toilet paper rolls.

Prepare toilet paper rolls, paint, brushes, and colored pens.

Draw the shape of a tulip on the toilet paper roll with a pen and cut it out.

If you flatten the roll first, it’s easier to draw the design.

Once you’ve painted the tulips with paint, they’re done! Adding patterns inside the tulips can make them feel even more spring-like.

It’s also a great idea to display them in your room to enjoy the spring atmosphere.

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Stamp Cherry Blossoms Made from Scrap Materials

Here’s how to make cherry blossoms using recycled materials.

Prepare construction paper, scissors, glue, a toilet paper roll, and paint.

First, create the base of the cherry tree on the construction paper.

Shape the toilet paper roll into a heart, dip it in paint, and stamp it onto the tree.

The stamped shapes look like cherry blossom petals, giving the artwork a springtime feel.

Since children’s hands are small, it’s recommended to cut the toilet paper roll in half to make a stamp that’s easier for them to hold firmly.

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Tulips made with sensory play

Introducing a tulip craft made with sensory play that 2-year-olds will love and that both kids and adults can enjoy together.

Prepare paint, construction paper, and a zip-top bag.

Drip your favorite paints onto the construction paper, place it inside the bag, and seal it.

Spread the paint by pressing and sliding it from outside the bag.

Children can experience the cool temperature of the paint and how the colors mix.

Take the paper out, let the paint dry, and then cut it into the shape of tulips.

Finally, glue the cut-out tulip flowers onto another sheet where you’ve drawn the stems and leaves—and it’s complete!

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