[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 feel like winter and the New Year (41–50)
Let’s roll and make a snowman!
Crumpling tissue paper and sticking on stickers is so much fun! How about making a snowman craft that’s perfect for winter? First, have the children crumple white tissue paper into balls in whatever size they like.
You’ll also use tissue paper torn into strips; if that step is tricky, an adult can prepare it in advance.
Put the crumpled tissue paper and the torn strips together into a clear plastic bag, then shape it into an oval.
Tie the middle with a chenille stem (pipe cleaner) to form a snowman shape.
Use round stickers for the face, make a bucket hat from construction paper, and attach it with double-sided tape.
If you want to hang it, punch a hole in the bucket, and thread a string through.
Newspaper Rip-Rip! Eurhythmics with a Snow Song
Here’s a eurhythmics activity that starts with a newspaper play element.
Give each child a sheet of newspaper and, at the cue of “1, 2, 3,” have them tear it into pieces.
Once it’s torn into small bits, pretend they’re snow and have fun letting it fall from above to the tune of the children’s song “Yuki” (Snow).
After the eurhythmics session, pack the used newspaper pieces into a clear bag to make a snowman.
It’s a winter-themed idea from start to finish, so please enjoy it with the children.
Let’s make a Fukuwarai and play!
How about enjoying a classic New Year’s game, fukuwarai? Have the children draw and make the base sheet and facial parts however they like using construction paper and crayons.
By creating them themselves, the kids can grasp what the finished face should look like, and after playing fukuwarai they won’t be able to stop laughing! It might be even funnier if you make it as a self-portrait.
It’s perfectly fine if the fukuwarai face doesn’t turn out “well,” so why not encourage the kids by saying, “Make a funny face on purpose!”
Make it with paper plates! Cute snowman
This is a snowman craft idea that also lets kids enjoy sticking stickers.
Stack and glue two paper plates vertically to make the base, then finish the snowman using round stickers and parts cut from construction paper.
If infants are doing this activity, it may help to put double-sided tape on the back of the parts to turn them into stickers.
Also, pre-cut the pipe cleaners to use as arms and assist with attaching them using tape.
Changing the colors of the construction paper and stickers will change the snowman’s look, so let the children choose the ones they like.
Easy to make! 3 New Year decorations
Here are three New Year decoration ideas: “Shishimai (lion dance),” “Daruma,” and “Ema (votive plaque).” For the shishimai, cut out parts from construction paper, glue them together, and use a toilet paper roll as a stamp to create the body’s pattern.
For the daruma, draw a face on a paper plate and stick torn pieces of red and yellow origami paper around it.
Use yellow for the decorative patterns, tearing it into long, thin strips.
Lastly, for the ema, first cut cardboard into the shape of an ema to make the base, then cover the surface with gold origami paper.
Glue a slightly smaller piece of white construction paper on top, write your wish, and add patterns with stickers or pens to finish it off brightly.
When you want to display them, attach a ribbon or string to each one.
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.
Cute wobbly daruma doll
Let’s make a cute daruma that wobbles when you poke it.
You’ll need a paper plate, construction paper, and a pen.
Please prepare construction paper in four colors for the body, face, eyes, and decorations.
First, cut the body piece of construction paper into a circle to match the size of the paper plate.
Next, cut an oval from the face-colored paper, and cut two small circles from the eye-colored paper.
Glue them in order—body, face, then eyes—and draw the pupils with the pen.
Then cut three ovals from the decorative paper and stick them below the face.
Fold the paper plate in half and attach the daruma to one side—that’s it! If you’re making this with small children, adults should prepare the parts in advance.