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 as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is 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)

Cake-style cardboard tree

We’d like to introduce a cake-style cardboard Christmas tree that boosts the festive mood with its lively, cheerful atmosphere! It’s a recommended activity you can enjoy making together with children.

First, glue torn pieces of green paper onto cardboard boxes, then stack and assemble them into a wedding-cake shape! Decorate with ribbons, sparkly tinsel, and cotton, and it would be wonderful to add paper plate crafts made by the kids.

A Christmas tree that everyone works hard to create will surely become an unforgettable memory for the children!

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miyabi

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Tree with stencil and cotton-swab stamps

Introducing a fun, stamp-and-press tree ornament! First, cut a tree shape out of construction paper.

Next, attach a sponge to a plastic bottle cap to make a dauber.

Dip the dauber in paint and have the children press it onto the paper.

The color intensity changes depending on how hard they press, which makes it interesting.

Also, combining colors—like green and light green—can create a beautiful gradient, so experimenting with color is recommended.

Have them glue circle-shaped origami pieces wherever they like.

And that’s it—an ornament that gets kids using their hands a lot is complete!

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hanauta obasan

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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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