[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.
- From New Year’s games to winter crafts! A roundup of January recreation activities to enjoy in childcare
- [For 2-year-olds] A collection of craft ideas useful for winter childcare
- [Childcare] Fun February craft ideas you’ll want to make with 2-year-olds!
- Have fun with one-year-olds! A collection of craft ideas featuring recommended January motifs
- [January Crafts] Fun DIY Ideas for Kids: Perfect for Use in Childcare
- Origami to Enjoy January and Winter! A Collection of Simple Ideas to Use in Childcare
- Ideas for Easy Winter Origami Crafts That Even 2-Year-Olds Will Love
- For 4-Year-Olds: January Crafts! A Collection of Fun Ideas with Winter and New Year Themes
- Childcare: Fun February craft ideas to make with 1-year-olds
- Ideas for indoor play, physical activities, and games suited to the development of 2-year-olds
- [For 3-year-olds] Perfect January Winter & New Year Crafts! A Collection of Fun, Hands-On Ideas
- [Childcare] Fun to Make! February Craft Ideas Collection
- Fun January Crafts! A Collection of Ideas You Can Make and Play With for 5-Year-Olds
[January] Enjoy with 2-year-olds! A collection of craft ideas that capture winter and New Year (1–10)
steaming hot oden
When winter comes, you can’t help but crave warm oden, right? What kind of pot should we simmer it in? How about making an oden pot yourself? First, fill a sheet of drawing paper with any colors, pictures, or patterns you like.
Cut that paper into the shape of a pot and paste it onto a backing sheet.
Then paste colored paper for the inside of the pot as well.
Once that’s on, choose your favorite items from the pre-made oden ingredients and stick them on.
It’s handy to put double-sided tape on the back beforehand.
And there you have it—oden complete with your favorite ingredients!
Daruma wall art project
Perfect for New Year’s! Here’s a guide to making a Daruma wall decoration.
You’ll need colored construction paper, thick cardstock, origami paper, glue, a pencil, and scissors.
First, decide the size of the backing sheet where you’ll attach the Daruma.
Once the size is set, create templates for the Daruma’s face and body using the cardstock.
After the templates are ready, trace them onto the colored paper, cut them out, and prepare the parts.
Glue the body parts onto the backing sheet, then attach the base for the face and add the eyes, nose, mouth, eyebrows, and other facial pieces.
After finishing the face, decorate the body area by gluing torn pieces of colored paper in a collage style, and you’re done.
Each one will show unique personality, just like “fukuwarai,” so making them together and showing them off to each other will make the time even more fun!
Collage-style hagoita (decorative battledore)
Hagoita (battledores) are famous as a New Year’s tradition, but haven’t the opportunities to handle them been decreasing in recent years? This time, we’ll introduce an easy collage project using a hagoita motif.
You will need construction paper, origami paper, washi paper, ribbon, stickers, a ruler, and a pencil.
Draw the outline of a hagoita on the construction paper, then cut and paste pieces of origami and washi onto it.
Prepare three ribbon loops and overlap them, securing them with stickers to create a three-dimensional shuttlecock.
Use leftover paper to decorate the empty spaces on the construction paper, and you’re done.
As you make it, talk with your child about what a hagoita is and how the game is played; it can be a great opportunity to engage with traditional Japanese culture.
[January] Enjoy with 2-year-olds! A collection of craft ideas that capture winter and New Year’s (11–20)
rabbit daruma
One of the perfect decorations for the New Year is the daruma doll.
The daruma represents Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, and is cherished in Japan as a lucky charm believed to bring good fortune, household safety, and business prosperity.
How about making a rabbit daruma that combines a daruma with a cute rabbit? If you cut out the daruma and rabbit parts in advance, you can easily assemble it by just pasting them.
Even using the same parts, the placement can give each one a distinct personality.
Daruma made with balloon stamps
https://www.tiktok.com/@genekihoikusi_lucky/video/7452218375251545351We’d like to introduce a fun craft: making a Daruma using balloon stamping.
You will need a balloon, paint, colored construction paper, scissors, stickers, and glue.
First, dip an inflated balloon into red paint and stamp it onto the paper to color it.
Cut the painted paper into the shape of a Daruma to make the body.
Next, prepare a face base from construction paper and attach the eyebrows, eyes, and beard, then glue it onto the body.
You can decorate the torso with shiny origami paper or stickers to create your very own unique Daruma.
It’s a perfect activity to enjoy with your child during the New Year holidays.
Simple kite flying
You can make a kite to enjoy during the New Year using a plastic bag and vinyl tape.
You will need a plastic bag, cellophane tape, vinyl tape, round stickers, string, and scissors.
First, stick vinyl tape along the edge of the plastic bag.
Next, put round stickers on the bag and add any patterns you like.
Attach a string to the section where you placed the vinyl tape.
That’s it! When you hold the string and run, the kite will catch the wind and rise.
If the round stickers alone feel a bit plain, you can also add shiny stickers or tape.
Snowman with a straw stamp
Why not try making a snowman wall hanging by stamping lots of snow-like shapes using a straw? First, prepare colored construction paper in navy, black, or other dark colors.
Cut and spread the tip of a straw to make a stamp, dip it in paint, and stamp freely all over the paper.
Once it dries, paste a paper snowman on top.
Your wall hanging will look like a snowman eagerly awaiting the falling snow—complete! Changing the background color or the stamp color can create a unique look, too.
Give it a try!