[January] Enjoy with 2-year-olds! A collection of craft ideas that capture winter and the New Year
January in early childhood education is a season to enjoy traditional New Year’s games and decorations.
For two-year-olds, creating crafts inspired by Japanese culture—such as kites, daruma dolls, and kagamimochi—turns into an experience full of new discoveries.
Hands-on activities like stamping and collage, which let children freely express themselves through textures, expand their imagination and deepen their interest in seasonal events.
Here, we introduce January craft ideas you can enjoy together with two-year-olds.
Savor the joy of making things together while feeling the spirit of January! Because the children’s creations are treated as works of art, we use the term “seisaku” (artwork/production) in the text.
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[January] Enjoy with 2-year-olds! A collection of craft ideas that capture winter and New Year (71–80)
Kagami mochi made with tissue paper
As a New Year’s craft that two-year-olds can enjoy, I recommend making a kagami mochi using tissue paper! It includes steps like tearing and crumpling the tissue paper, which are great for developing children’s fine motor skills.
To make it, glue a card-paper sanpō (offering stand) onto a backing sheet, then roll up strips of tissue paper torn lengthwise and glue them on top of the stand.
Finish by adding a daidai (orange) and decorating it cutely—that’s it! You can also freely decorate the sanpō to make it even more festive.
If you’re looking for a January craft, please use this as a reference.
lion dance
Here’s a cute shishimai (lion dance) craft idea that’s perfect for January wall decorations.
You can also enjoy making stamps using toilet paper rolls, so try it with your two-year-olds! First, cut open a paper roll, curl it, and secure it with a rubber band to make a stamp.
Next, create the shishimai’s body with green construction paper, dip the paper-roll stamp in paint, and add patterns.
Also, make the shishimai’s face by cutting colored construction paper, then combine it with the body to finish! If you’re decorating a wall, tearing gold and silver origami paper and placing it around the piece will give it a festive touch.
Daruma made with torn-paper collage
These daruma dolls made with torn-paper collage are perfect for New Year crafts! First, have a teacher or guardian draw the daruma’s face on a paper plate in advance.
Next, let the children tear origami paper into pieces of suitable size.
Finally, decorate the paper plate in a collage style using the small torn pieces.
It might be a bit challenging, but encourage them to try creating the daruma’s patterns by tearing the origami into thin strips.
Once finished, you can attach a string and hang up the artwork!
[January] Enjoy with 2-year-olds! A collection of craft ideas that capture winter and the New Year (81–90)
Henshin Mitten
How about making a “transforming mitten” craft in January to feel warm and cozy during the cold winter? Because it’s a highly flexible project, it’s also great for nurturing children’s imagination.
First, stack two sheets of colored construction paper, cut out a mitten shape, and glue them together.
Next, prepare origami with various patterns, cut out your favorite shapes, and stick them onto the mitten! You can freely arrange different patterns on each side, or add animals and characters.
It might be easier to make if you prepare larger mittens in advance so children can put their hands inside.
Octopus made from a plastic bag
Here’s a simple kite-making activity using plastic bags that even two-year-olds can enjoy.
To make it, tie kite string to both handles on the sides of a plastic bag, then secure another piece of kite string at the center.
Wind the remaining string around a piece of thick paper or cardboard, and you’re done! Children can have fun decorating the bag by drawing on it or adding stickers.
Because plastic is light, the kite will fly even in a light breeze, so two-year-olds are likely to be captivated.
Kite flying also involves lots of running and provides a full-body workout, so give it a try as an outdoor activity during the cold winter months!
Origami Oden
An origami activity that helps develop children’s fine motor skills.
For January, when we crave warm winter foods, how about making oden out of origami? It’s simple origami, so it’s perfect for two-year-olds! Fold gray paper into a triangle to make konnyaku, crumple brown paper to make chikuwa, and you’ll have a delicious-looking oden set.
Adding patterns to the ingredients with colored pencils makes it look even more realistic.
Let kids arrange their favorite oden ingredients freely—their imaginations will grow, so it’s highly recommended.
Spinning top made from a paper plate
Why not try making a traditional New Year’s spinning top using paper plates? It’s an easy craft and a great way for children to experience a classic tradition, so be sure to include it in your January projects! First, cut a paper plate in half and attach a piece of colored construction paper cut into a rectangle.
Next, decorate with round stickers and draw patterns with crayons.
To finish, glue a thin strip of construction paper to the back—and it’s done! This idea also works perfectly as a New Year’s wall decoration.