Lovely childcare

Childcare: Fun February craft ideas to make with 1-year-olds

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.

Many teachers are likely looking for ideas for February crafts to enjoy with one-year-olds.

Seasonal motifs like oni for Setsubun and Valentine’s themes really capture children’s interest at this time of year.

There are plenty of activities that let them fully use their fingers and enjoy the feel of paint and changes in color, such as hand painting, stamping, and marble rolling.

Another appeal is letting them fully enjoy the texture of materials by crumpling tissue paper into balls or tearing paper.

Please use these ideas as a reference and enjoy seasonal creations with the children! Because we emphasize ideas that foster children’s free creativity, we use the term “seisaku” (制作, creation) rather than “seisaku” (製作, craftwork) in the main text.

[Childcare] Crafts to make with 1-year-olds! February craft ideas (21–30)

Strawberries with chocolate coating that are fun to make

Let’s enjoy the textures as we create! Here are some fun chocolate-dipped strawberry craft ideas.

Prepare strawberry-shaped cut construction paper, paint, a zip-top plastic bag, a backing sheet of construction paper, and brown paper for the chocolate.

First, put paint onto the strawberry-shaped cutout.

Next, place the strawberry cutout into the zip-top bag and spread the paint by pressing with your fingers over the bag.

Finally, glue on the chocolate-colored paper to finish.

Enjoy the unique feel of working with paint!

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Topping Chocolate Stick

Let’s make original decorations! Here are some ideas for toppings that look like chocolate sticks.

What you’ll need: straws, construction paper cut into heart shapes, tissue paper, double-sided tape, ribbon, pipe cleaners, yarn, craft glue, and decorative materials.

How about decorating heart-shaped “chocolates” made from construction paper together with kids who are increasingly eager to do things on their own? It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day crafts, too! Give it a try!

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[Childcare] Crafts to make with 1-year-olds! February craft ideas (31–40)

Perfectly Round Oni Made with a Marble Rolling Game

https://www.tiktok.com/@yuna_hoiku_seisaku/video/7454320816499608865

We’ll introduce a marbled marble art project perfect for Setsubun: making an oni (ogre).

You’ll need a tray, yellow construction paper cut to fit the tray, a round piece of construction paper for the oni base, marbles, black paint, and face parts for the oni.

First, place the yellow construction paper in the tray.

Dip the marbles in black paint and roll them around inside the tray.

Next, cut the yellow paper into a half-circle to resemble the oni’s pants, matching the size of the base.

An adult should handle this step.

Finally, glue on the oni’s face parts, and it’s complete!

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[Finger Paint] Snow Bunny

Here’s a fun fingertip activity featuring a snow bunny.

First, make a base snow bunny out of construction paper, then let the children add color with finger painting.

I want them to enjoy the squishy feel of the paint and the way the colors appear as they touch it.

Regular paints are fine, but I also recommend preparing pastel colors.

Their soft hues evoke the winter atmosphere and the delicate charm of a snow bunny.

You can even find what you need at 100-yen shops, so give it a try.

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Tear and Stick! Making Oni (Demon) Crafts

Speaking of February, Setsubun season is here.

This oni-themed craft is perfect for getting into the Setsubun spirit.

Adults should handle the advance cutting of parts and the steps to assemble the oni.

What we’d like the children to do is tear construction paper into long thin strips and stick them onto the base.

They’ll make the oni’s pants by gluing long, thin black strips onto a light yellow backing.

The key is to leave small gaps and stick them in the same direction.

Once the pants are done, next have them place round stickers that match the oni’s color onto the hair pieces.

If you prepare multiple oni in red, blue, yellow, and so on, kids can enjoy placing stickers while recognizing colors—highly recommended.

Finally, attach the oni to the base and you’re done! Once finished, hang them on the room wall and enjoy the Setsubun atmosphere.

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Warm gloves made with decals (decalcomania)

https://www.tiktok.com/@hoiku.labo/video/7307518921660189953

How about making recommended February gloves using decalcomania? All you need is construction paper, paint, and yarn.

Open a sheet of construction paper folded in half, place paint freely on one side, then close it.

Press from above and open it—lovely symmetrical patterns will have appeared! It’s fun how the shapes change depending on how you place and press the paint.

Finally, cut it into glove shapes, connect them with yarn, and you’re done! If you use warm-colored paints, the gloves will look cozy and warm.

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Clothes and hats made with decalcomania

[Technique] Making with Decalcomania! Winter/February Craft Journal: “I Tried Designing Clothes” — For 2- and 3-Year-Olds — [Nursery/Kindergarten]

Clothes and hats made with decalcomania

This project uses the decalcomania technique, where paint is pressed between sheets of paper to create a transfer.

This time, we’re going with a winter theme: mittens and knit caps! Place paint freely on one half of a drawing paper with a preliminary sketch, then fold it in half to press.

After it dries well, cut it out to match the sketch and paste the pieces onto a backing sheet along with the facial and body parts.

Observe your friends’ faces, touch and check the placement, and then have the teacher and children draw in the facial features together to finish.

Teachers handle the cutting of the drawing paper, while children can take the lead in creating patterns, pasting, and drawing the faces so they can fully enjoy the process.

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