Lovely childcare

[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 various materials! Recommended craft ideas for April (41–50)

Stained glass-style Easter egg

Let’s finish it with colorful paints! Here’s a stained-glass-style Easter egg idea.

If you’re making Easter eggs and want them bright and colorful, this is a great idea.

You’ll need white drawing paper, a roll-type sticky note or low-tack masking tape, scissors, crayons, and watercolor paints.

Cut the paper into an egg shape and divide it using the roll sticky notes.

Add colorful colors and patterns with paint or crayons, and you’re done!

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Easter eggs made with a stamp

Here’s how to make colorful Easter eggs using a pom-pom stamper.

Gather paint, a pom-pom stamper, white drawing paper, paper cut into egg shapes, and round stickers.

Dip the stamper in paint and stamp it onto the paper to add color.

The key is to choose bright, spring-like colors.

Cut one sheet of paper into a bunny base, and cut the painted paper into a cracked-egg shape, then glue them together.

Finally, attach the eyes and ears to finish! Drawing the face with crayons is also a great option.

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Tulip Train

Let me introduce the Tulip Train, where spring tulips transform into a train.

Get construction paper, origami paper, crayons, scissors, and glue, and let’s get crafting.

First, cut the construction paper into tulip shapes to make the base.

Then glue pieces of origami paper onto the tulips.

Cut out leaves, wheels, and animals, and attach each part to the tulip.

When you connect the tulip trains the children made, you might see each one showing a different expression of the train.

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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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Drawing transforms into tulips!

[Crafts for 1-year-olds] Doodles transform into tulips! We’ll also introduce the materials!

Drawing transforms into tulips!

Introducing an original wall display where kids’ drawings transform into tulips.

Gather construction paper, crayons, glue, and scissors, and let’s get started.

Have the children draw freely on the construction paper.

Then cut the drawn paper into tulip flower and leaf pieces.

It’s also recommended to first cut the paper into flower and leaf shapes and then have the children draw on them.

Glue the tulip flowers onto a sheet where the stem and soil have already been attached, and it’s complete.

For children aged three and up, try letting them make the stem and soil parts too, according to their developmental stage.

Finish it off by drawing clouds and butterflies with crayons or making them from construction paper and gluing them on!

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Easter egg wall decoration

[Easter Egg Wall Decoration] Cute Bunny Easter Ornament ♪ [Saturday Atelier]

Easter egg wall decoration

A three-dimensional bunny is so cute! Here are some ideas for Easter egg wall decorations.

It’s a great idea that lets each child freely decorate their own! You’ll need pink and yellow construction paper, one sheet of chiyogami (Japanese patterned paper), ribbon, foam board, washi tape, scissors, a ruler, a utility knife, craft glue, and tape.

Let’s decorate the Easter eggs with washi tape.

You can make borders or stripes, and crossing the tape could be fun too!

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Climbing ladybug

Easy magnet craft! A climbing ladybug! Recycle plastic wrap and toilet paper cores! #crafts #handmadeToys #summerVacationCrafts #recycledCrafts

Climbing ladybug

Climbing up! Sliding down! A freely moving ladybug is so much fun! Here’s an idea for a climbing ladybug.

For children, ladybugs are familiar insects they see in picture books or on walks, right? This unique idea makes it look like the ladybug is playfully roaming around.

What you’ll need: round magnets, a toilet paper tube, a plastic wrap tube, a half-sphere of Styrofoam, wooden sticks or chopsticks, construction paper, pens, scissors, and double-sided tape.

Give it a try!

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