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 crafting ideas! A collection of childcare activities to enjoy with Christmas and winter themes (111–120)
A Christmas tree made using dropper paints
By rolling a paper plate, you can give your Christmas tree a three-dimensional look.
For this craft, cut a paper plate in half, roll each half into a cone shape, and secure it with double-sided tape.
Then dilute some paint with water and use a dropper to drip it onto the paper plate.
It’s fun to watch how the colors blend, and kids can also practice controlling the pressure on the dropper, so it’s highly recommended.
Once it’s dry, decorate it with stickers and glitter tape to finish.
It’s a great activity for a Christmas party, too.
Try making your very own one-of-a-kind Christmas tree!
Salt paint
Snowflakes are such a romantic winter motif, aren’t they? How about making snowflakes using salt? It could be a great hands-on activity for kids, who don’t often get to touch salt.
Line a plastic tray with construction paper and draw snowflake shapes with glue.
If freehand drawing makes you nervous, sketch a draft first.
Sprinkle salt over the glue so it sticks evenly.
Next, paint with your favorite colors—and you’re done! It’s perfect for cozy winter days at home, so give it a try.
Decalcomania Christmas Tree
Decalcomania is a transfer technique that’s hugely popular in early childhood settings.
Dab paint onto drawing paper, fold it in half, and when you open it, you’ll get an unexpectedly beautiful, symmetrical design.
Let’s use this to make a Christmas tree! After placing paint and folding the paper in half, lightly sketch half of a tree and cut along the outline.
Open it up to reveal a perfectly symmetrical Christmas tree! It’s an easy way to create a lovely piece, so try incorporating it into your daycare or kindergarten Christmas crafts.
Paku-Paku Santa & Reindeer
Some preschools and kindergartens put on performances at Christmas, don’t they? But many of you might be wondering what to do.
My suggestion is to make “Chompy Santa & Reindeer.” These are made from paper cups cut halfway and opened up so the mouths can move like a hand puppet.
If you use them to put on a puppet show, the children will be thrilled and watch with great excitement.
Of course, it’s also recommended for anyone looking for cute crafting ideas.
Paper core ornament
How about making cute ornaments using toilet paper rolls? By changing the color of the origami you use, you can create various motifs like Santa Claus, reindeer, and snowmen.
Adjust your preparations to the children’s ages—pre-wrap the rolls with origami or pre-cut the small parts as needed.
If you attach a string, you can hang them up, which makes them great for decorating around the facility.
And if the children take them home, their parents will surely enjoy admiring the creations together with them.
