December craft ideas! A collection of childcare activities to enjoy with Christmas and winter themes

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 for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: spinning-top tricks.
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.

December is the perfect time to enjoy cozy, seasonally inspired crafts.

Here, we introduce wonderful ideas that nurture children’s imagination—from creations that evoke winter warmth, like oden, cream stew, and a snug duvet, to seasonal projects such as Christmas wreaths, snow globes, and snowmen.

Using familiar materials, why not enjoy winter-only crafting with children while exploring light, color, and shape? We also provide detailed explanations of key points and creative tips for each project, so please use them as a reference.

Because the items children make are treated as artworks, we use the term “制作 (seisaku)” in the text to mean “production/creation” in the artistic sense.

December craft ideas! A collection of childcare activities to enjoy with Christmas and winter themes (71–80)

Snowman made with a toilet paper roll core and finger stamps

By using a toilet paper roll, you can create a snowman while having fun.

First, make small cuts in the roll and flare them outward.

Dip it in white paint and stamp it onto drawing paper.

Choose paper in colors like navy or black that will make the white paint stand out.

Stamp twice for the snowman’s head and body, then let the paint dry.

Next, prepare the face parts, hat, and mittens out of construction paper and glue them on.

It’s great if teachers and children can work on this together.

Finally, use fingertip stamping to add falling snow to the background, and your cute snowman craft is complete!

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tsukada moe

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Ornaments made from plastic cup lids

Why not use plastic cup lids to make Christmas ornaments? Enjoy creating dreamy ornaments with kids using familiar materials! First, make a snowflake out of quarter-size origami paper and stick it on the back of the plastic cup lid.

Next, cut transparent origami into a circle and stick it on the back as well.

Finally, decorate the edges with roll stickers in your favorite designs, add a ribbon, and you’re done! If the child is around five and can use scissors, let them try making the snowflake.

Since the materials are translucent, we recommend displaying the ornaments where they catch the light!

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miyabi

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Socks with a pudding cup stamp

Turn store-bought pudding cups into adorable stamps! Use them as tools for your craft.

First, prepare boot shapes out of construction paper.

If you have several colors, the children can choose their favorites.

Next, use the rims of empty pudding cups or lactic-acid drink containers to stamp patterns onto the paper.

Let the children stamp as much as they like until they’re satisfied.

Once the paint dries, write each child’s name on a mini snowman made from construction paper and stick it onto the boot.

You’ll end up with creations that showcase each child’s individuality through their stamping.

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tsukada moe

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December craft ideas! A collection of childcare activities to enjoy with Christmas and winter themes (81–90)

Christmas ornaments made with foil art

@ponchan_asobi
Also posting on Instagram and YouTube❣️ 🌲What you need🎄 • Cardboard • Aluminum foil • Rubber bands (kite string or yarn works too) • Scissors • Permanent marker _____________________________🌱_____ Kids will love it because it’s shiny and sparkly❣️ It’s easy to make, so definitely give it a try❣️ *･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･* Sharing quick at-home play ideas you can do in spare moments 😍 Follow to bring out your child’s “I want to try! This is fun!”‼️ → @ponchan_asobi Thank you for the likes and comments ❤️ *･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*#AtHomePlay #StayHomeTime　 #Making Play　Ideas for at-home play　Christmas crafts　December Crafts　#FoilArt　Stained foil
♬ All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey

Let us introduce foil art that sparkles brilliantly when it catches the light.

Once you decide on the base shape, start by cutting the cardboard.

Make small slits around the edges with scissors and randomly hook rubber bands over it—this step is key for when you add color later.

Cover everything with aluminum foil, then gently smooth it down so the shapes of the rubber bands stand out as you wrap.

Various forms will emerge.

Color along the shapes with colored pens, and you’re done! It’s a fun project that nurtures children’s creativity, so give it a try.

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mayumi

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Sparkly ornaments made with pipe cleaners and glue

How about making some sparkling ornaments to get into the Christmas spirit? You can create them using everyday materials like pipe cleaners and wood glue! First, shape a pipe cleaner into a triangle and apply wood glue around it.

Flip the pipe cleaner over and place it on parchment paper, then fill the inside with glue.

Next, dip a toothpick or similar tool into paint to draw patterns, and decorate with beads.

Once the glue is completely dry, slowly peel it off the parchment paper—and you’re done! You can also try shaping the pipe cleaner into a star or a boot, or switch up the paint colors for more fun.

Wouldn’t it be lovely to decorate your Christmas tree with handmade ornaments together with the kids?

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miyabi

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Triangular tree

This is an origami Christmas tree idea where you fold origami paper into triangles, layer them step by step, and glue them onto colored construction paper, then decorate with round stickers and torn pieces of origami.

It’s okay if the triangles are a little misaligned, and for children practicing with scissors, it’s also great to cut out triangles first and then glue them onto the paper.

As they decorate, each child’s unique personality will shine through in their Christmas tree.

Comparing decorations cut with scissors to those torn by hand is fun too—the shapes turn out completely different.

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utatane