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[Childcare] Fun February craft ideas you’ll want to make with 2-year-olds!

[Childcare] Fun February craft ideas you’ll want to make with 2-year-olds!

Last updated:2026/1/22

[Childcare] Fun February craft ideas you’ll want to make with 2-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.

Here are some perfect craft ideas for two-year-olds in February.

This is the season to enjoy motifs full of seasonal charm, like Setsubun ogres, Valentine’s chocolates, and snowmen.

Tearing origami, crumpling tissue paper, and making finger stamps—these activities let children move their hands while experiencing the textures of different materials.

Finished pieces can be displayed on the wall or used for pretend play, offering many ways to enjoy them.

Be sure to have fun making February-themed creations together with the children! Since we emphasize ideas that foster children’s free creativity, we use the term “制作 (seisaku: creation/making)” rather than “製作 (seisaku: craft/production)” in the main text.

[Childcare] Fun February craft ideas to make with 2‑year‑olds (1–10)

Heart-shaped message card

Heart Message Card [February / Valentine’s Craft]

Heart-shaped message card

How about a heart-shaped message card that would make anyone happy to receive? It’s a creation that will delight someone special, like a dad or a nursery school teacher.

Prepare two sheets of construction paper, and cut a heart-shaped window out of one sheet.

Put paint into a clear plastic bag and mix it.

A zippered storage bag from a 100-yen shop works just fine! Attach the bag to the other sheet of construction paper, then glue the heart-cut sheet on top.

Finish by decorating with paper hearts and bunnies, lace, or crayons! It’s fun to create gradients by mixing paint colors and to think about what new colors will appear as you work.

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A snowman with tissues as the star

https://www.tiktok.com/@levwell_hoikushi/video/7569469587587140884

It’s a fun idea that lets you enjoy the process of shaping while moving your hands.

Stuff a transparent plastic bag with crumpled tissues.

Once it’s about half full, secure it tightly with a rubber band, then fill the remaining half with more tissues.

Close the bag firmly and tape it so nothing comes out.

Tape the corners as well to give it the rounded look characteristic of a snowman.

Twist two different-colored pipe cleaners together and wrap them around the spot where you secured the rubber band.

Use round stickers to make the face, and finish by adding a construction paper hat.

Let your child choose their favorite colors for the paper and pipe cleaners to create their very own snowman!

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Chocolate decoration that rolls marbles

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFYw2aRhwdI/

February makes you think of Valentine’s Day, doesn’t it? For crafts during this season, we recommend chocolate-themed decorations that you can enjoy like a game.

Prepare a container you don’t mind getting dirty, such as an empty tin or a box lid.

Place a heart-shaped piece of construction paper inside, then add marbles coated with paint.

Roll the marbles around to create patterns.

Use your wrists and upper body to move them so you don’t drop the marbles.

It’s a good idea to let your child choose the color of the paper and the paint.

Enjoy watching the patterns take shape and the process of completing the craft while moving your body.

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Wobbling snowman made from a paper plate

https://www.tiktok.com/@hoiku.labo/video/7197703990828715265

February still brings plenty of cold weather, and some areas even see snowfall.

Let’s make the most of the season with a snowman-themed craft! All you need are a paper plate and construction paper—both available at 100-yen shops, so it’s easy to get started.

Fold the paper plate in half to make the body, and cut out a head shape from white construction paper.

Attach the head to the body, then make a hat from construction paper in your favorite color.

Use different colored paper to create mitten shapes and add patterns, then draw the face and body.

This craft looks cute displayed in a room, and it’s also fun to play with by gently rocking it.

The charm of this idea is that you can enjoy not only the making process but also the finished piece afterward.

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Fluffy creation with colors that rub off

http://www.lemon8-app.com

This is a project that lets kids enjoy making art while playing with the fluffy feel of cotton.

First, scribble on aluminum foil with crayons, then rub cotton over the scribbles.

Like magic, the crayon color transfers onto the cotton.

Attach the colored cotton to construction paper to make the snowman’s body.

Add eyes, a nose, and a hat, then draw the arms and falling snow to complete a cute snowman.

Scribbling with crayons, the surprising way white cotton picks up color, the tactile finger sensations, and watching the snowman come together—all are delightful ideas kids will love engaging with!

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Handmade toys you can play with during the New Year

[Production] Handmade toys you can play with at New Year (spinning tops/kite flying/hanetsuki)

Handmade toys you can play with during the New Year

Try making New Year’s crafts that you can enjoy and play with even after they’re finished, together as a parent-child activity.

You’ll make a spinning top, a kite, and a hanetsuki set (paddle and shuttlecock).

For the top, draw pictures on the sides of a paper cup, cut four evenly spaced slits and flare them open, then attach a plastic bottle cap as the handle.

For the kite, slightly offset and layer two sheets of origami paper and glue them together; attach sparkly tape as the tails to complete the body, then add a lactic-acid drink bottle as the handle and tie on kite string.

For the hanetsuki paddle, use cardboard and disposable chopsticks: cut two paddle-shaped pieces from cardboard, sandwich the chopsticks between them, and glue.

For the shuttlecock, tie a knot in the middle of some raffia (suzuran) tape, press a small ball of tissue onto the knot, and wrap it with origami paper.

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How to make a fun Fukuwarai

Fukuwarai Craft Full of Stimuli for Growth☆ January/Winter Craft Book: “We Made Funny Faces” ~For 2- and 3-Year-Olds~ [Nursery School/Kindergarten]

How to make a fun Fukuwarai

Here’s a craft idea for “Fukuwarai,” a traditional New Year’s game.

This version uses a daruma motif, letting you enjoy the game while you make it.

First, glue a daruma body—cut from construction paper—onto a backing sheet.

Then cut out the parts for the eyes, nose, mouth, eyebrows, and cheeks.

Put on a blindfold and enjoy playing Fukuwarai by placing the parts on the face.

Glue the parts where they land, and decorate the empty areas of the backing sheet with flowers.

Finally, use crayons to draw the flower centers and the daruma’s patterns to complete your craft.

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