For 4-Year-Olds: January Crafts! A Collection of Fun Ideas with Winter and New Year Themes
When it comes to crafts for four-year-olds in January, it’s all about New Year’s and winter-themed motifs! So this time, we’re sharing craft ideas perfect for the season.
From paper-cutting with scissors and a three-dimensional kagami mochi made with whipped paint, to a shishimai (lion dance) you can make and play with, these projects are full of elements that spark children’s curiosity.
As they use their hands and engage with seasonal events, their interest in Japan’s traditional culture will naturally grow as well.
Children also feel a special attachment to creations they’ve made themselves.
Be sure to incorporate these into your childcare activities! Because the children’s creations are treated as works, the term “制作” (seisaku, creation/production) is used in the text.
- [For 4-year-olds] Winter craft ideas to enjoy at daycare and kindergarten
- [Nursery/Kindergarten] New Year Craft Ideas: A Collection of Projects You Can Enjoy Even After Making Them
- Craft activity ideas for 4-year-olds
- Origami to Enjoy January and Winter! A Collection of Simple Ideas to Use in Childcare
- Perfect for January bulletin boards! A collection of Daruma craft ideas kids will love in childcare settings
- [Childcare] Ideas for January wall decorations
- 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
- [For Age 4] Must-Read in January! Picture Books to Enjoy Winter
- Brighten up your winter daycare room! A collection of recommended wall decoration ideas
- [Nursery/Kindergarten] New Year’s wall decorations! A collection of craft ideas to enjoy with children
- From New Year’s games to winter crafts! A roundup of January recreation activities to enjoy in childcare
- Ideas for Winter-Themed Crafts and Bulletin Board Projects for 5-Year-Olds
[For 4-year-olds] January Crafts! A collection of fun ideas with winter and New Year themes (111–120)
Octopus made from a plastic bag
Here’s how to make a plastic bag kite using a supermarket bag you have at home.
Draw your favorite illustrations on the bag with a permanent marker, then tie cut strings to the bag’s handles and knot the two free ends together.
Attach colored raffia tape or packing string to the bottom of the bag to represent the kite’s tails.
Finish by adding stickers.
If tying the strings to the bag is tricky, try doing it together with a friend! It’s a fun item you can enjoy flying even indoors.
Handmade omikuji (fortune slips)
@kids_worker Let's make a handmade omikuji♪Parent-child timeHow to spend the New YearNew Year’s holidaychild#HandmadeToysOmikuji
♬ Katakoto – sloppy dim
I wonder what today’s fortune will be! This time, I’ll introduce an idea for a handmade omikuji (fortune stick).
Here’s what you’ll need: a cylindrical snack box, six ice cream sticks, colored construction paper, glue, craft adhesive, and a utility knife.
First, cover the cylindrical snack box with the colored paper.
Next, use the utility knife to make a hole in the lid.
It should be big enough for the ice cream stick to come out.
Finally, write the fortunes on the ice cream sticks, and you’re done! You can also customize what you write on the sticks to make the activity even more fun.
roly-poly doll
How about making a lucky Daruma for a New Year’s craft? Here’s a fun wobbling “roly-poly” Daruma made with a paper plate.
To make it, fold a paper plate in half, attach the Daruma body and face—cut from colored construction paper—then draw the face with crayons and finish by adding origami paper or stickers.
As an extra touch, you can color the construction paper with crayons or paint before cutting out the Daruma to make each piece more unique.
Feel free to adapt the activity to suit the children’s ages!
[Origami] Dragon Daruma
![[Origami] Dragon Daruma](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zRaOxL4PEt0/sddefault.jpg)
Perfect for the Year of the Dragon! Here’s an idea for making a “dragon daruma” with origami.
This one is on the more difficult side, so we recommend forming small groups and taking your time to work through each step slowly.
The horn section in particular can be fiddly and hard to understand from verbal instructions alone, so it’s best to fold along with a sample.
The key to a neat finish is to make firm creases at the start and align the corners precisely as you fold.
Once you’ve folded the daruma, use stickers or pens to draw the face and give it a cute finish!
Making karuta (traditional Japanese playing cards)
Many children play karuta during the New Year holidays.
If you make a karuta set with illustrations you draw freely, you’ll grow attached to it.
Once you decide on a theme, you can also challenge yourself to carefully write the characters in the circle area.
If you’re decorating a wall, making and attaching origami pieces like a shishimai (lion dance figure) or mikan (mandarin orange) onto a backing sheet will create a lovely New Year atmosphere.
You can also assign letters according to the Japanese syllabary order, have everyone write their part, and enjoy playing together with friends—it’s sure to be lively.
Using thick paper as the backing will make the cards sturdy, so it’s recommended.
Ema with fun stamps
Fun to make! Here’s an idea for ema plaques with enjoyable stamping.
You’ll need colored construction paper, cardboard, paint, white paper, and a pen.
First, roll or fold the cardboard into a triangle to make stamp shapes.
Dip your cardboard stamps in paint, then dab them onto colored paper cut into an ema shape.
Next, twist two colors of tissue paper into thin ropes to make a cord.
Finally, write your wish on white paper cut into an ema shape, glue it on, and you’re done!
Kagami mochi made from toilet paper rolls
Decorate with an easy-to-make, lucky kagami mochi and welcome the New Year.
Prepare two toilet paper tubes, and shorten one of them.
Make a slit from the edge, then cut all the way around.
For the base decoration, fold small squares from gold or silver origami paper and cut them with scissors.
Take your time with this part to match the child’s pace.
Cut out a mandarin orange, glue it onto the backing, and you’re done.
You often see kagami mochi with two tiers, but in some regions there are three, so you can add another tube if you like!