Lovely childcare

[For Toddlers] A Big Roundup of Craft Ideas to Enjoy at Christmas

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.

Speaking of December, Christmas—the holiday children look forward to every year—finally arrives.

Getting presents is exciting, of course, but the sparkling trees and lights, and the reindeer and Santa Claus that create a thrilling atmosphere are also part of the fun.

So this time, we’ve gathered plenty of craft ideas for preschoolers that make the most of those festive motifs.

If your Christmas craft ideas are starting to feel stale, or you’re looking for something new, please use these as inspiration.

Because the things children make are regarded as works of art, we use the term “制作 (seisaku),” meaning “production/creation,” in the text.

[For Toddlers] A Big Roundup of Craft Ideas to Enjoy at Christmas (61–70)

Let’s make a snowman with a single sheet of origami!

[Origami] Winter Origami | Easy one-sheet snowman folding tutorial! With a hat for December Christmas decorations

Let's make a snowman with a single sheet of origami!

Many kids want to make snowmen in winter, don’t they? Here’s an idea for an origami snowman.

First, fold the top corner of the origami paper into a small triangle and fold it down about 1 cm.

This will be the pom-pom on top of the hat.

Next, tightly roll-fold the right corner twice to create the hat’s white brim.

Fold the paper in half by matching the left and right edges, then fold the brim section back outward to match the width of the rolled folds.

Align the top and bottom to make the paper a square, then lift the top-left corner (two layers) and fold it to the opposite corner.

With the pom-pom at the top, turn the paper over, and fold the lower left and right edges toward the center line.

Open the pocket on the right side and squash-fold it, shaping it into a snowman.

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How to fold a cute Tomte

[Origami] How to fold a cute Christmas ornament (Tomte) – easy method, kid-friendly instructions – December origami [Origami]

How to fold a cute Tomte

Also popular as Christmas decorations! The Nordic gnome “Tomte.” Let’s make the hat with 15 cm origami paper, and the face and body with 7.5 cm origami paper.

First, fold the hat paper into a triangle to make a crease.

Next, fold the bottom corner up so it aligns slightly below the crease.

Fold it up again along the center crease to form a triangle, then turn it over and fold the left and right corners up to meet the top corner.

Fold the lower left and right edges inward so they meet at the center, and the hat is done.

Next, fold the face paper into a triangle to make a crease, then fold the two top edges down to meet the crease.

Open up the overlapped center and squash it to form the nose.

Fold the tip of the nose slightly to round it, then turn the paper over and fold the corner above the nose slightly inward to make a crease.

Insert the part under the hat, aligning the crease with the bottom edge of the hat, and fold both sides of the face to match the sides of the hat.

The white part left showing is the beard.

Fold the left, right, and bottom corners of the body paper inward, then attach it to the face to finish.

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Colon and a cute reindeer

[One Sheet of Origami] Christmas Cute Round Reindeer Folding Method (Relaxed/Slow Tutorial)

Colon and a cute reindeer

Watch “Colon and a cute reindeer” on YouTube

Turn the origami paper to the back and crease it in half.

Fold the bottom edge up to meet the crease.

Shift the crease by folding the edge to align with the fold line.

Fold the left and right sides to meet the center line.

Fold the white section down to the edge.

After folding up both bottom corners of the white section, pull them upward.

Next, squash-fold so that the creases land on the corners.

Fold the edges with the image of reindeer antlers in mind.

Finally, fold the left and right sides diagonally so they cross slightly at the center, letting the “horns” peek out a bit, to form the body—and you’re done! Use round stickers or a pen to draw a cute face.

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A three-dimensional tree made with tissue paper

As an idea for December wall decorations, I recommend a three-dimensional Christmas tree made with tissue paper flowers! It would be fun to make together with the children, so why not include it in your December craft activities? Arrange the tissue-paper flowers in the shape of a tree and display them on the wall.

Adding origami Santas, bells, and stockings will make it even more festive.

If you have the children try the origami themselves, you’ll likely end up with unique pieces that are fun to look at all on their own.

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A torn-paper collage wreath and an origami Santa

As children grow into the preschool years, they can start thinking for themselves about how to arrange colors and patterns, even with simple tearing-and-pasting activities.

Why not make a wreath that puts that thinking power to use? For preparation, lightly mark a wreath shape on white construction paper with a pencil.

Let the children freely tear origami paper and paste the pieces with glue, using the penciled outline as a guide.

To create a lively wreath, it’s best to provide patterned origami paper.

Finally, glue a ribbon on top of the wreath and add a Santa made from origami to finish it off.

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Stained-glass-style tree made with aluminum foil

Even stained glass, which might seem challenging, can be a fun project for kids if you use aluminum foil! In this article, we’ll show you a beautiful, shiny stained glass-style tree.

First, place crumpled, textured aluminum foil inside a clear file and cut it into a triangle.

Next, put masking tape around the edges of the file, add your favorite stickers, and you’re done! You can also draw a stained glass-style frame on the clear file with a black permanent marker and color it in, then place aluminum foil behind it to create a piece with a different vibe.

Try making it to suit your children’s ages and interests.

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Christmas sweater

How about making Christmas sweaters that spark children’s creativity? Prepare sweater-shaped cutouts from construction paper, and have the kids glue on Christmas-themed motifs or paint patterns on the sweaters! Recommended colors are classic Christmas hues like red, green, and white.

For the motifs, you can either provide templates in advance or let the children cut them out of construction paper themselves—either way works! You can also add materials like felt pom-poms and sequins to make the pieces even more festive, so try out lots of different ideas.

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