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 (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

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A Christmas tree made by sticking pieces together

Here’s an idea for making a large Christmas tree by piecing parts together.

As the name suggests, this involves combining individual works to create one big Christmas tree.

First, give each person one triangular piece of construction paper to represent a Christmas tree, and let them decorate it freely.

Once they’re done, stick the triangles onto the wall, arranging them to form a large triangle, and it’s complete.

Be sure to plan ahead and calculate how many pieces you’ll need.

Beads and stickers are also great for decorating.

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yamamoto

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Santa Claus and reindeer made with handprints

Introducing ornaments of Santa and reindeer made using children’s handprints! Pressing painted hands onto construction paper is a fun way to enjoy the feel of paint.

It’s also interesting how the look changes depending on how the paint is applied and how much pressure is used.

After making the handprints, add antlers to the reindeer.

You can also glue on noses made from construction paper or origami, and draw eyes and mouths to give each one personality.

Made with small hands, these become lovely ornaments that capture their growth!

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hanauta obasan