December craft ideas! A collection of childcare activities to enjoy with Christmas and winter themes
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.
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December craft ideas! A collection of preschool/childcare activities to enjoy with Christmas and winter themes (61–70)
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.
Snow Fairy! How to Fold a Long-tailed Tit (Shima-enaga)
Let’s make a long-tailed tit using a single sheet of origami paper.
Fold the paper into a triangle, then fold both corners up to meet the top corner.
Fold the left and right corners inward to form a triangle, then rotate the paper to swap top and bottom.
Align with the top corners of the left and right triangles, and fold the two bottom corners outward to open them—these will be the wings.
Turn the paper over, squash-fold the triangular wings into squares, then fold the bottom corner up to meet the top corner and change the wings to black.
Tuck in the left and right corners of the black section to refine the shape, and flip the paper over.
Round out the remaining white area in the center, and you’re done.
Draw the face to finish it cutely.
Snowflake paper ornament
Here’s an idea for making a papercut design with origami.
First, fold the paper into a triangle by bringing the top and bottom corners together.
Then rotate the paper and flip the top and bottom.
Cross the two triangle corners inward and fold where they overlap neatly.
Draw a crystal-like pattern and cut it with scissors.
Open the paper to reveal your design.
The crystal’s look changes depending on how you make the cuts, so try different variations.
The moment you open it and wonder, “What pattern will it be?” is so exciting and fun.
jelly cup tree
This is a Christmas tree made by repurposing empty jelly cups.
Why not try making a handmade, palm-sized tree that you can carry around? Fill the cup with cut pieces of yarn, then secure around the rim with glue and cover it with construction paper.
Finally, decorate the cup with a star and line tape, and your Christmas tree is complete! You can enjoy many variations just by changing the colors of the yarn and stickers.
It’s a fun craft where you can stuff the yarn and stick on stickers—give it a try with the kids.
Stamp lease
Let’s make a stamp wreath whose patterns change every time you create it! First, fold a sheet of origami paper to make Santa and draw his facial features with pens or stickers.
Next, dip a brush made by cutting the tip of a straw into paint, and stamp in circular motions.
Using about three colors will make your wreath more vibrant.
You can also use crumpled newspaper or a tampo (dauber), which are recommended alternatives.
Finally, add decorations by dabbing paint with your fingers, place Santa on the wreath, and you’re done! Give this craft a try—it’s a great way to let children’s creativity shine.