Get kids excited in winter childcare! A collection of fun game and craft ideas for children

Daruma-otoshi with a bottle cap

No.091 “Cap de Daruma-Otoshi” [Handmade Toy by a Nursery Teacher]

Here’s a handmade daruma-otoshi idea that cleverly uses plastic bottle caps.

If you have lots of caps at home, give it a try and have fun playing with it.

For the basic method, make a hole in the center of a plastic bottle cap, thread a string through, shape it into a circle, and tie it to create the daruma.

Make four in different sizes, and on the front and back of each circular cap piece, glue thick paper covered with construction paper in the same color as the cap.

You can also make the mallet using a pair of disposable chopsticks and a bottle cap, but since a utility knife is required, an adult should handle that part.

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sasashina

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New Year’s fun with traditional games! A milk carton bamboo-copter (taketombo)

[Handmade Toys] Let’s enjoy New Year’s with traditional games 🎍 Let’s make an easy bamboo-copter (taketombo) using a milk carton ^_^

A bamboo-copter is tricky to fly at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s lots of fun.

Here’s an idea for making one using a milk carton and a straw.

First, cut out one side of the milk carton, then cut it into a strip that’s about one-third the width.

Next, fold the strip in half, and about 5 mm from the valley fold, make mountain folds on both sides.

This completes the wing.

Then, cut a slit into one end of the straw and attach it to the wing as a handle.

If you color the white side of the milk carton with markers, it will look pretty when you fly it.

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sasashina

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A picture-matching card game playable from age 3

This is a “picture matching card” game that even small children can enjoy.

Beforehand, prepare several pairs of cards by drawing the same picture on two sheets of paper and mounting them onto colored cardstock.

It’s nice to use New Year’s motifs for the designs—for example, kadomatsu, spinning tops, lion dance, Mt.

Fuji, osechi cuisine, and mochi.

Place all the cards face down and turn one card face up.

Players take turns choosing one card to flip over; if it matches the revealed picture, they win that round; if not, it’s the next player’s turn.

It’s a fun way to build observation skills, memory, and communication!

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hiyori

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Handmade milk carton battledore

@silk_haru3mama

I tried making a battledore out of a milk carton.New YearworkNew Year's craftNew Year’s craft#AtHomePlayHandmadeBattledore

Animal Baby – Akari Ueno

When it comes to New Year’s games, hanetsuki comes to mind.

Let’s try making this hagoita using a milk carton.

Open the carton and remove the bottom section.

After removing it, turn it inside out and fold it in half.

If you fold the spout area, it will resemble the shape of a hagoita.

Put a wooden chopstick inside some newspaper, fold the newspaper, and it will become the handle of the hagoita.

Set that into the milk carton and secure it with tape.

Once secured, tape the top and bottom as well as the seam of the carton.

You can also glue some cute patterned origami paper on the outside.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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New Year’s games that even 0-year-olds can enjoy

New Year’s Play for 0- and 1-Year-Olds

It’s fun to play basketball indoors, isn’t it? For balls, inflate balloons and prepare plenty of them.

If you add vinyl tape to the surface to mimic a basketball design, it will really boost the atmosphere.

For the hoop, take a pool noodle from a 100-yen shop, cut it lengthwise in half, form it into a circle, secure it with masking tape, and stick it to the wall.

You can adjust the height to match the players’ level, so once everyone gets used to it, raise the difficulty and enjoy making it more game-like.

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hiyori

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From infants and toddlers! Traditional games everyone can enjoy together

We all tried New Year’s games and traditional pastimes [This Week at Potofu, Hiratsuka]

Since it’s the New Year, a traditional Japanese holiday, it’s a great time to try out various classic games.

Kagome Kagome remains a popular game even today.

It’s fun to sing the song with its unique atmosphere, and guessing who is sitting directly behind you is thrilling and exciting.

Hanai-chimonme is also enjoyable, with the hand-holding, leg-lifting poses and the song.

And with soap bubbles, take your time to watch them gently float and drift far away.

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hiyori

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Three homemade kites!

[Craft] Introducing Recommended Homemade Kites for the New Year [Nursery/Kindergarten]

Let’s make kites that are perfect for New Year’s.

It’s also a lot of fun to go out and fly the ones you’ve made.

I’ll introduce three types of kites.

The first is a twirly, spiral kite.

It’s great because you can practice cutting curves while making it.

The next kite is made by stapling construction paper into a paper-airplane-like shape.

You only need a stapler and a hole punch for this one.

The third kite uses a plastic shopping bag.

First, fold an A4 sheet of paper and draw lines to make a template.

Then cut the plastic bag based on that template.

If you draw a picture on it before assembling, you can create a one-of-a-kind kite.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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