[For 3-year-olds] Perfect January Winter & New Year Crafts! A Collection of Fun, Hands-On Ideas
Do you find yourself wondering every year what to make with the children in January’s childcare activities? It can be surprisingly hard to find crafts that three-year-olds will enjoy while taking in New Year’s motifs and the feeling of winter.
In this guide, we’ll share ideas you can enjoy together with three-year-olds—from New Year-perfect projects like paper plate spinning tops, kagami mochi, and shishimai (lion dance), to wintery crafts like fluffy sheep and snowmen.
Activities that use hands and fingertips, such as finger stamping, finger painting, and origami, will spark children’s curiosity.
Some of the things you make can also be played with afterward, so please use these ideas for inspiration! Because the children’s creations are treated as artworks, we use the term “seisaku” (production/artwork) in the text.
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[Age 3] Perfect Winter and New Year Crafts for January! A Collection of Fun-to-Make Ideas (21–30)
A cute paper-clay snowman
@chii_1514m [Making a Snowman] We spread paper clay on construction paper and made a snowman ⛄️ We enjoyed the sensory play, and at the end we pressed in sparkly beads—just looking at it makes you excited ✨ Give it a try! 💓ProductionWall decorationWinter ProductionChildcare#Snowman Making
♪ Original song – Chi☺︎ – Chi☺︎
Here’s a craft idea for making a three-dimensional snowman.
On a base made by attaching black construction paper to thick cardstock, shape a snowman out of clay.
Once the snowman is formed, decorate its body with any beads you like and add eyes, a nose, and a mouth.
Next, attach paper mittens to pipe cleaners and stick them into the snowman.
Finally, decorate the base with snowflake stickers and more, and you’re done! You can also put a hat on the snowman if you like.
If you prepare a variety of beads and pipe cleaners, each child will be able to create a snowman full of their own personality.
How to make a fluffy, fuzzy snowman
Stick double-sided tape onto a strip-cut piece of white construction paper, then place cotton on top.
Roll it into a ring and secure it! Connect two of these, add a hat and facial features, and you’ll have a fluffy snowman! Since attaching the hat on top of the cotton is tricky, it’s best to glue it to the paper base before adding the cotton.
For the facial features, bend and twist pipe cleaners to make them.
Depending on the child who makes it, each snowman will have a different expression, resulting in a set of unique, characterful creations.
Let’s make oden toppings!
It looks just like the real thing! This is a heartwarming craft project we recommend.
You’ll need origami paper, tissue paper, paint, double-sided tape, scissors, paper plates, pipe cleaners, and more.
Cold winter days make you crave oden, don’t they? Before starting, try asking the kids which oden ingredients they like—you might catch a glimpse of each family’s unique preferences.
You can pack in each child’s favorite ingredients, or have everyone make the same ones.
Add your own twists and enjoy creating in a fun, cheerful atmosphere!
Gloves made with origami
You can fold mittens with origami! Here’s an origami craft recommended for 3-year-olds.
You’ll need origami paper, colored construction paper, crayons, glue, cellophane tape, masking tape, and yarn.
First, fold the paper in half to make a crease.
Fold one side edge in to meet the center line.
With the folded side on the left, fold the bottom edge up to meet the top edge.
With the folded edge facing you, round off the two top corners by folding them to create the mitten shape—done! Decorate with masking tape and add yarn or other embellishments, and it’ll be perfect for a winter wall display.
Perfect for February! Easy snowman
@shokaaijien We’ll be making snowmen in February. ⛄️ You can use your favorite colors to make your own snowman, so be sure to give it a try!TsunashimaShohana Nursery School#Nursery schoolNursery teacher / Childcare worker#IWantToConnectWithChildcareWorkersAspiring childcare worker#NurseryTeacherInTrainingNursery school teacherProductiontranslation#Production VideoMade in FebruaryFebruarySnowman3 years oldWinterWinter ProductionThe cutest ever#SuperTokimekiPromotionClub
The most supremely cute! – Cho Tokimeki♡Sendenbu
This is a fun snowman craft where the paint bleeds into patterns! Brush water onto the surface of a snowman-shaped piece of construction paper, then dab on your favorite colors of paint.
Once the paint dries, draw the snowman’s face and glue on a paper bucket to finish.
Prepare paints and construction paper in various colors so children can enjoy choosing their colors.
The way the paint bleeds changes depending on how much water you mix with it, so be sure to observe the differences.
Mittens made by threading yarn
Gloves are familiar, everyday items for three-year-olds that keep their hands warm on cold days.
They’re often told, “Let’s put them on before we go outside,” so they easily evoke a winter image.
In this activity, we make playful gloves using construction paper and yarn.
Threading yarn through holes is simple, and even just choosing colors is satisfying.
You can clearly see the pattern forming bit by bit, and if you line up everyone’s gloves and put them on the wall, the display becomes lively.
It’s a perfect winter wall decoration idea that sparks conversations like, “Whose is this?” as children look at the gloves lined up together.
Origami snow rabbit
This is a craft for making a snow bunny with a cute, rounded white shape and tiny leaves.
You’ll need one sheet of white origami paper, two small pieces of green origami paper, a red dot sticker, and a crayon.
Fold the white origami into a triangle, then tuck the corners inward to form the snow bunny’s round body.
The shape becomes clear quickly, so even three-year-olds can feel, “It’s coming together!” Add a little touch of color to the wintry look by attaching small folded green-paper leaves to the head.
Use the sticker for the eyes and draw the mouth with a crayon.
It’s also fun to talk together about what kind of face to make.
With only a few steps, this idea lets kids fully enjoy the fun of creating.