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).

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

Setsubun wreath

@buchiko_hoiku
🐶 @buchiko_hoiku ◂◂◂◂ Check out my other posts, too 🌼 Thank you so much for all the likes 🩷 This time! A Setsubun craft for toddlers 👹 Isn’t this tiger-pattern wreath so cute? 🫶🏻 I keep making wreath crafts 😂 I guess I really like making wreaths 🤭 lol The wreath doesn’t have to be yellow—make it unique with your favorite colors like pink or blue 🙆🏻‍♀️ Cutting out the oni and the god of fortune uses scissors, so it’s great practice for continuous cutting ✌🏻 At the end, think about the “oni” inside yourself that you want to chase away and write it on a strip of paper. It helps kids understand the meaning of Setsubun and join in without being scared of the oni ✊🏻 And!! This craft is also available as a kit for purchase 🌟 Craft kits saved me when I was actively teaching, so now I want to help teachers who are struggling! I make each one with that in mind ✂️ Links to Mercari and BASE are in my profile! I sell other crafts too, so I’d be happy if you take a look 👀 A follow would make me even happier 🥴💕 lol Please try making it yourself 🌈 I’d love to hear your “I made it!” reports—they really motivate me 🥹❤️‍🔥 Thank you for reading to the end 🐶 I share ideas you can easily copy from introduction to crafting ♬︎ Likes ♥, saves 𖤘, and follows 𖤐 would make me cry with joy 😂 lol Comments are also very welcome 🤍🤍Nursery teacher / Childcare worker Kindergarten Teacher Winter Craft #Wall Creation Toddler Crafts Play that expands from picture books Setsubun craft
♬ FUNICULI FUNICULA – Nonochan(Nonoka Murakata)

Cute for Setsubun decorations! Here’s how to make a Setsubun wreath that’s perfect for the wall.

First, cut out the center of a paper plate and paint the remaining ring yellow with paint.

Next, tear black origami paper into pieces inspired by an oni (demon) pants pattern and glue them on.

Make parts like the oni using colored construction paper; for the face, you can use stickers or draw it yourself for fun.

Stick the parts wherever you like on the paper plate.

Create a tanzaku (slip of paper) where you write about the “oni” inside yourself, sizing it to fit the opening in the center of the plate.

Attach a chenille stem (pipe cleaner) to the tanzaku, fasten it from the back of the paper plate, and you’re done!

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Sheer and cute demon bean container

@haruharo_made
Setsubun Craft / Cute Transparent [Oni Bean Holder][Materials]- Construction paper- Clear plastic cup- Scissors- Glue- Pen- Chenille stem (pipe cleaner)- Round stickers- Tissue paper- Color filmCrafts for 4-year-olds　Crafts for 5-year-olds #3-year-old crafts #2-year-old's craft Crafts for 1-year-olds Crafts for 0-year-olds Production #Nursery school Wall decoration #StayHomeTime #AtHomePlay Production ideas #Nursery School Craft Winter Craft #Kindergarten Kindergarten craft Nursery teacher / Childcare worker Kindergarten Teacher wall surface　Production for children under age (infants and toddlers)　Simple craft 　# January production Made in February　#March production #paint　Sticker application　Round sticker Sticker-pasting craft　　　　　Paper cup production paper cup　Setsubun craft　Bean container　transparent cup drawing paper　#ConstructionPaperArt　Demon-Made Paint making　　
♬ You Make Me Happy – My Sun and Stars

The sheer look is so cute! Here’s how to make an oni (demon) bean holder that’s perfect for Setsubun.

First, apply glue to a clear plastic cup.

Next, stick on pieces of cut colored film, then nest another clear cup over it.

Attach double-sided tape around the top of the cup and add tissue paper to create the oni’s hair.

Put double-sided tape around the bottom of the cup as well, and add tissue paper or construction paper to make the oni’s pants.

Use a pen to draw a pattern on the pants.

Finally, attach the face and horn pieces, and add a pipe-cleaner handle to finish!

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[Cardboard] Oni Den-den Daiko (Hand Drum)

[Setsubun/Craft] How to Make an Oni Den-Den Daiko? Easy with Cardboard!

[Cardboard] Oni Den-den Daiko (Hand Drum)

Let’s use cardboard to make unique oni (demon) pellet drums.

For this craft, use cardboard for the oni’s face and horns, a pair of disposable chopsticks for the handle, and button-tipped twine for the parts that strike the drum.

The step of cutting parts from the cardboard should be done in advance by a teacher or another adult.

Cut red or blue colored paper to the same size as the face, then decorate with construction paper or yarn to add features like eyes, mouth, and hair.

Children can show their creativity by changing facial expressions, the oni’s color, and the yarn color to give each piece its own personality.

On Setsubun, why not play with the drum and make some noise?

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[Construction paper] Oni bean-holding bag

Demons out! Good fortune in! Oni Bean-Holder Bag [Setsubun] [Craft]

[Construction paper] Oni bean-holding bag

When it comes to Setsubun, we think of bean throwing.

How about making a bag to hold those beans? Instead of a masu box, let’s make an oni (ogre) face bean bag out of colored construction paper.

Create two oni faces: one for the front and another for the back view that will serve as the reverse side.

Cut out the trademark shaggy hair and horns from colored paper and paste them on.

You can use round stickers for the facial features, or draw them in with crayons, whichever you like.

Finish by attaching the side gussets with double-sided tape and adding ribbon handles, and it’s ready to go.

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Heart mobile

[Craft Play] Let's make a heart mobile you can use for Valentine's Day decorations

Heart mobile

These heart mobiles are perfect for Valentine’s Day decorations.

Make them with the kids and get everyone in the spirit! The main steps involve cutting and pasting construction paper, so it’s an ideal craft for five-year-olds who can use scissors.

For the slightly more complex steps, it’s best if the teacher demonstrates with a sample—works great.

You can also adapt the heart-shaped mobiles into other shapes like stars or diamonds and combine them to add variety and create a livelier display.

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Oni Made with Paper Cups

Easy Craft: “Oni Paper Cup” [Preschool Activity / Setsubun Craft]

Oni Made with Paper Cups

Let’s defeat the ogre inside you! Here’s how to make an ogre toy using paper cups.

First, mark four evenly spaced points—top, bottom, left, and right—on one paper cup.

Make small slits about 1 centimeter at each mark.

Next, hook rubber bands into the slits so they cross in a plus sign.

Draw an ogre’s face on construction paper with crayons, attach it to the paper cup with the rubber bands, and then stack another paper cup over it—that’s it! It’s also cute to draw a body on the second cup.

Press the head to launch it and try defeating the ogre inside yourself!

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[For 5-year-olds] Let’s Make It! A Collection of Recommended February Craft Ideas (21–30)

Valentine sun catcher

http://www.lemon8-app.com

It sparkles in the light and looks so cute! Let’s make a sun catcher with a Valentine’s theme.

First, cut your favorite color of construction paper into a heart shape.

Cut out the inside the same way to create a heart-shaped frame.

Next, fold a piece of parchment (or baking) paper in half, and on just one side, glue small pieces of transparent origami paper.

Once you’ve covered enough to fill the inside of the heart, place the paper frame on top of the origami pieces, apply glue to the remaining side of the folded parchment paper, and sandwich them together to adhere.

Trim off any excess sticking out from the frame, and you’re done!

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