For 4-Year-Olds: January Crafts! A Collection of Fun Ideas with Winter and New Year Themes

[Origami] Dragon Daruma

[New Year’s Origami] How to Make the Zodiac Dragon ☆ Dragon Daruma [Origami]

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!

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Making karuta (traditional Japanese playing cards)

Do childcare workers just watch!? A craft activity where children teach each other: January/Winter Craft Book “Let’s do our best at the Karuta Tournament!” — For 4- and 5-year-olds [Nursery School/Kindergarten]

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.

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hanauta obasan

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Ema with fun stamps

[New Year Craft for Kids] For preschoolers to elementary schoolers: New Year decorations, stamping, tissue-paper flowers, fun crafting—make an ema (votive plaque). Nurtures fine motor skills and expressive abilities. #PreschoolCrafts

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

Making Kagami Mochi: Introducing New Year’s crafts you can use at daycare!

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!

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hanauta obasan

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Let’s play with a handmade Fukuwarai

[For 4-year-olds] Laugh together! Let’s make and play Fukuwarai!

Let’s play fukuwarai with family and friends over the New Year.

First, stick a piece of construction paper cut into a face shape onto a backing sheet, and draw the hair freely with crayons or pens.

Next, draw the facial features on a separate sheet and cut them out.

For small parts like the eyes, it’s recommended to outline them with a border first, which makes them easier to cut with scissors.

It’s fun to see how the expression of the face you drew changes depending on how you place the parts.

If you mix and match your friends’ pieces, you can play again and again and really liven things up!

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hanauta obasan

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