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.
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[For 4-year-olds] January Crafts! A collection of fun ideas with winter and New Year themes (121–130)
Handmade kadomatsu (traditional Japanese New Year pine decoration)
Let’s celebrate the New Year with a kadomatsu decoration brimming with vitality.
It’s great that it can be easily made using scrap materials.
For the pine, fold green construction paper in half, make fine slits, then wrap it around a bamboo skewer with the tip trimmed off and secure it with tape.
For the bamboo, glue light green construction paper onto a toilet paper roll and cut it diagonally.
For the center piece, overlap the top using double-sided tape so it sticks out, and you’re done.
Wrapping construction paper around the bamboo—decorated with Japanese-pattern origami—will make it look even more festive!
A spinning top made from a milk carton
A classic New Year’s game is the spinning top.
Here’s an easy way to make one using a milk carton.
First, cut the four corners straight with scissors.
Next, cut it into shorter pieces of about the same length.
It’s safer if you trim the corners.
You can also do this step in advance.
Draw any design you like, then tape a plastic bottle cap to the center on both sides, and you’re done.
It’s fun to see how the patterns the children drew look when spinning.
You can also have the kids compete to see who can spin theirs the longest—it really livens things up!
Milk carton battledore
For the New Year, let’s play with a hagoita (traditional paddle) that you can easily make from a milk carton.
Open the milk carton and fold both sides diagonally.
It’s a good idea to use a ruler to make crisp creases.
Attach chopsticks to the handle area with duct tape or similar.
If you also tape chopsticks along the sides for reinforcement, it will be sturdier—highly recommended.
Finish by taping the edge of the paddle and the handle with vinyl tape.
Make the shuttlecock by wrapping tape around a ball of aluminum foil.
Decorate your paddle with Japanese-patterned origami or draw New Year-themed pictures to create your very own hagoita!
Daruma made from construction paper
Daruma dolls are lucky decorations for the New Year.
This time, I’ll show you an easy way to make one using a paper plate.
If the children don’t know what a daruma is, it’s good to explain it first before starting.
First, fold a small, round-cut paper plate in half.
Next, glue together two red construction paper circles.
Draw the face on the upper half of a white paper circle, then cut out patterns from origami paper and stick them on.
Using gold gives it a festive New Year’s feel.
Display the cute, wobbly daruma and enjoy a fun New Year!
A hagoita with my own face
Here’s how to make a decorative hagoita (traditional paddle) using construction paper and origami.
The hagoita features a woman in a kimono.
This time, you’ll draw the children’s faces, which will make the piece feel more personal.
It’s a good idea to pre-cut the construction paper for the paddle.
The folding steps for the shuttlecock and the kimono include some tricky parts, so it’s best to go slowly.
Once you’ve drawn the face and glued everything onto the backing paper, it’s complete.
If you cut gold origami paper into flower shapes and add them, it will look even more festive!