Lovely childcare

[For 5-year-olds] Let’s Make It! A Collection of Recommended Craft Ideas for February

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 for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: 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.

February is packed with exciting events like Setsubun and Valentine’s Day! For projects with five-year-olds, there are plenty of ideas that make clever use of fine motor skills, such as making oni horns by wrapping yarn and creating items with scratch-card-style surprises.

It’s wonderful to nurture that special “I want to make it myself!” spirit unique to senior kindergarteners, while also giving them time to show their creations to friends and play with their finished works.

Here, we introduce craft ideas perfect for February’s seasonal events.

Enjoy the season together with the children as you create! Note: In this article, we use the term “seisaku (制作)” to refer to children’s creations as works (artworks).

[For 5-year-olds] Let’s make it! A collection of recommended craft ideas for February (1–10)

Oni horns made from yarn

@rin_hoiku_idea
Wrap with yarn ♪ Easy! Making Oni Horns (for 4- and 5-year-olds)Crafts for 4-year-olds Crafts for 5-year-olds Enjoy with children Nursery teacher / Childcare worker #NurseryTeacherMom #DaycareMom #KindergartenMom Childcare #Childcare topic Early childhood education Production ideas Craft Play production activities Seasonal craft Made in February wall surface #Wall Creation Setsubun Setsubun Setsubun craft Setsubun craft Setsubun Craft Ideas Ogre Demon mask Oni Horns Bean-throwing (Setsubun)
♬ เสียงต้นฉบับ – พิ้งกี้แม่ค้าสกุชชี่ – พิ้งกี้แม่ค้าสกุชชี่

Let’s make and wear it! We’re introducing demon horns made with yarn.

What you’ll need: a milk carton, scissors, yellow construction paper, a black crayon, red yarn, cardboard or thick paper, craft glue, a hole punch, and elastic or string.

How about trying a costume made by wrapping yarn around thick paper? As you create your own demon afro and horns, you’ll start to feel excited and look forward to the event, right? You can customize the yarn with any color and thickness you like, so try making it with your favorites!

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Ice rink made with paint

@yuru.seisaku7
The pattern is available on Instagram!#Nursery School Craft Production ideas
♬ Let It Go – From “Frozen”/Soundtrack Version – Idina Menzel

Fun to paint and create with paints! Here’s how to make an ice rink artwork.

First, lightly paint light blue watercolor over drawing paper.

Crumple a piece of plastic wrap, open it up, and place it on the paper.

Once it dries, peel off the wrap and you’ll see an icy pattern.

Next, make little figures to place on the ice rink using drawing paper or similar materials.

If you use a swiping technique for the clothing patterns, each figure will have its own unique character.

Gluing embroidery thread onto the rink is recommended—it looks just like the trails left after skating.

Attach the finished pieces to the rink, and if you mount it on a larger sheet of paper, it can become a wall display.

Give it a try!

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Oni Roly-Poly Doll

[Handmade for Setsubun] Okiagari-Koboshi Oni 👹

Oni Roly-Poly Doll

The rounded shape is so cute! Let me introduce an ogre roly-poly toy (okiagari-koboshi).

Here’s what you’ll need: water balloons, shoji paper, yellow tissue paper, red tissue paper, craft glue, a brush, a toilet paper roll, scissors, white round stickers, a black pen, yarn, yellow construction paper, black origami paper, and a toothpick.

This is a great idea for older preschoolers who feel that flat crafts aren’t enough.

When you press it with your finger, the little ogre wobbles adorably! Be sure to give it a try.

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[5-Year-Olds] Let’s Make It! A Collection of Recommended February Craft Ideas (11–20)

A heart ornament that’s fun to make

@rinmama_handmade
Will this boost your child’s concentration!? A heart-shaped objet that’s addictive to make ♥ Perfect for Valentine’s photos! Materials and tools • Flower paper (tissue paper) about 3 cm × 3 cm • Smooth, soft clay 1/4 pack (using DAISO) • For decoration: chenille stems (pipe cleaners) or ribbon • Clear file folder • Clay tool set or a tool you can poke with, like chopsticks that aren’t too sharp What kids can help with ✔ Kneading the paper clay and shaping it ✔ Inserting fabric or flower paper ⚠ Please work carefully to avoid injuries My 4-year-old son loves this series! My 1-year-old daughter could help a bit too, and we enjoyed it together! Once it dries, some tissue paper might come off, so if that bothers you, glue it back on with paste or craft glue after drying 😊 Also, after it dries, if you stick flower paper cut into a heart shape on the back, it’ll look even cuter! ✼••┈┈┈┈┈┈••✼✼••┈┈┈┈┈┈••✼ I want to preserve my kids’ memories in a cute way! I love making things! ✂ I’m a late-20s/early-30s mom with a 4-year-old and a 1-year-old 🙋🏻‍♀️ I’d be so happy if you support me with likes ♥ and follows! ✼••┈┈┈┈┈┈••✼✼••┈┈┈┈┈┈••✼#ParentingMom Parenting #100-yen-shop #100-yen shop DIY #diy work Educational Handmade
♪ Original Song – Rin Mama: Enjoy with your child through parent-child handmade crafts – Rin Mama: Preserve baby memories cutely with 100-yen store DIY

The texture of tissue paper is so fun! Here’s how to make a papier-mâché clay and tissue paper objet that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day.

First, cut the tissue paper into 3 cm × 3 cm squares.

Using a cookie cutter heart or similar, shape the air-dry clay into a heart.

Press down from above with a clear case or similar to neaten the heart’s shape.

Next, cover the heart shape completely with the tissue paper.

Use a pointed stick to press the pieces in.

Once it’s dry, your objet is complete! It’s adorable as a decoration, but if you poke a hole at the top of the heart before it dries, you can thread a string through and turn it into an ornament.

Be sure to try making it with kids!

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Heart lattice knitting & papercutting

How about making a heart card using a lattice weave—paper weaving that alternates long, narrow strips of colored paper up and down, like yarn? The idea is to combine a heart-shaped cutout card with a piece of lattice weaving attached from the back.

You can write a message on the heart-shaped cutout, or use cardboard or a paper tube as a stamp for a cute touch.

Using just two colors for the lattice-weave strips works fine, but the more colors you add, the more colorful and charming it will turn out.

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Cupcakes made of yarn

@info_habataki
It’s Habataki here 👼🏻‎🪽‎🫧 This time, we’re making a Valentine’s craft! We’ll be introducing how to make a cupcake 🧁 ————————— Materials: ・Plastic bottle cap ・Tissue ・Glue ・Washi tape of your choice ・Decorations (beads, pom-poms) ————————— Let’s make it look just like the real thing and surprise everyone 🦄Chiba City Child Development Support After-school day service Nursery teacher / Childcare worker work #100-yen-shop Handmade
♬ 3 minutes cooking song(863632) – furufuru

Easy to make with a plastic bottle cap! Here’s how to create a super cute cupcake.

First, wrap your favorite patterned washi tape around the bottle cap.

Apply white craft glue to the inside bottom of the cap and stuff in some tissue paper to look like cream.

Add more white glue around the tissue and wrap yarn around and around the outside.

Finally, decorate the “cream” with beads, pom-poms, or other embellishments—and you’re done! If you use fluffy yarn, it will look even more like real cream.

Wrap it up as a gift for an extra-cute touch, and definitely give it a try!

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Setsubun kendama

@chooobo2
Setsubun kendama craft 👹Made in February Setsubun craft Nursery teacher / Childcare worker #Nursery school #Nursery School Craft #Childcare Crafting #HandmadeToys #Kendama paper cup Paper cup craft
♬ Find you in the dark feat. Nenashi – Ovall

Here’s how to make an oni-themed cup-and-ball toy that’s perfect for Setsubun! First, trace the shape of a colored paper cup onto construction paper.

Cut it out about 1 cm inside the traced line, then make small vertical slits along the inner edge.

Fold the slits and attach the paper to the cup with double-sided tape.

Secure it well with tape so it doesn’t come off.

Add the oni face parts made from colored construction paper.

Next, cut a toilet paper roll to a size that fits inside the paper cup.

Stuff some flyers or scrap paper inside.

Attach the parts to make an ehomaki (lucky sushi roll), and finally tape the paper cup oni and the ehomaki together.

You’re done!

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