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

A lion dance with a chattering mouth

Chomping Fun! How to Make a Paper-Cup Shishimai (Lion Dance) | DIY New Year’s Toy [Craft]

Make and play! Here’s a fun idea for a lion dance puppet with a chomping mouth.

You’ll need: a paper cup, red and green construction paper, yarn, crayons or colored pencils, double-sided tape, a pencil, and scissors.

First, cut vertical slits on both sides of the paper cup and open it up.

Attach red construction paper to the upper part and green construction paper with a karakusa (arabesque) pattern to the lower part.

Next, trim the red section to match the lion dance face outline and attach the facial features.

Finally, hold the paper cup from the back with your hand, and you can make the lion dance puppet chomp open and closed! Give it a try.

Kagami mochi made from paper clay

New Year’s Craft: Easy-to-make Kagami Mochi for preschoolers aged 3–4

A lucky charm that brings double happiness! Here’s an idea for making a kagami mochi out of paper clay.

You’ll need 100 grams of paper clay, a clay board, a spatula, a brush, and orange and green paint.

First, knead the paper clay into one mass.

Next, divide it into large, medium, and small portions.

The large piece will be the first (bottom) layer of the kagami mochi, the medium piece will be the second layer, and the small piece will be the daidai (bitter orange) and its leaf that go on top.

Mix paint into the small piece to add color.

Finally, let the paper clay dry in a well-ventilated place to finish.

When displaying it, placing it on origami paper will add a nice festive touch!

Pop-up Shishimai (lion dance)

New Year’s games and Setsubun fun! A pop-up Shishimai (lion dance) toy [craft] [handmade toy]

Let’s make one with a paper cup! Here’s an idea for a popping shishimai (lion dance) craft.

You’ll need a paper cup, disposable chopsticks, a green plastic bag, construction paper in red, white, orange, black, and green, yellow yarn, green vinyl tape, clear tape, double-sided tape, a black pen, a white pen, a craft knife, and scissors.

First, use the paper cup and plastic bag to create the main body.

Next, make the shishimai’s face with construction paper and attach it to the body.

Finally, draw the shishimai’s expression and patterns with the pens—and you’re done! The way the shishimai pops out is super cute.

3D snow globe sun catcher

[Winter Craft☃️] Sparkly 3D Snow Globe Suncatcher Made with Paper Plates / How to Make a 3D Snow Globe Suncatcher

Three-dimensional and adorable! Here’s an idea for a 3D snow globe sun catcher.

You will need two paper plates, a clear protective sheet, a transparent bag large enough to fit a paper plate, transparent materials such as colored cellophane, cotton, ribbon, snow-pattern stickers or rhinestones, a craft knife and cutting mat, scissors, craft glue, a compass, and pens or paint.

Some steps can be a bit complex, so it’s best to make it together with a parent or teacher.

It’s a lovely idea you can enjoy displaying on sunny days—and really, in any kind of weather!

Let’s make it with cardboard stamps! Cute shishimai (lion dance)

@chooobo2

Shishimai making 🎍#Childcare Crafting#Nursery School Craft# January productionNew Year’s craft

♬ NEW LOOK – MISAMO

If you roll a strip of cardboard into a spiral and dab it in paint, then press it onto paper, it makes the pattern for a shishimai (lion dance) costume! Using that pattern, let’s make a hanging shishimai decoration.

First, take a green sheet of construction paper cut into a rectangle and stamp any pattern you like.

Next, sprinkle on small pieces of gold origami paper to add a festive touch.

Finally, attach a shishimai face made from construction paper to one corner, add a string to the back, and you’re done! A plain backing works fine, but if you stick washi masking tape along the top and bottom, it will look like a hanging scroll and be extra lovely.

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sasashina

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Crayon Shimenawa

@sakurakusako_a

I made a shimenawa with crayons for New Year! It's pretty fast, so you might want to save it.#oilpastel#OilPastelcrayonNew Year#NewYearDecorations

♬ NEW KAWAII – So, shall we update? ver. – FRUITS ZIPPER

Let’s make a New Year’s decoration using a drawn shimenawa rope and ornaments! All the parts are flat, but by incorporating shading into the drawings, they’ll look three-dimensional.

First, draw the base shimenawa on white drawing paper.

Start by drawing a large circle, then place teardrop shapes along that line.

Next, fill the inside of each teardrop with a light green.

Once filled, add shading with dark green and white, then rub with a cotton swab to blend the crayon.

You’ll create the decorative parts in the same way, so draw your favorite motifs, such as plum blossoms or a Japanese-style ribbon.

Attach the parts to the shimenawa, punch a hole, thread a string through, and it’s complete!

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sasashina

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Twisted paper streamer made of decorative tissue paper

@hoiku.labo

Perfect for New Year’s: a twisted shimenawa made with flower paper 🎶 ⭐️Detailed steps and tips are in the comments⭐️ChildcareNursery teacher / Childcare workerKindergarten TeacherCertified Childcare and Education Teacher#Nursery school#Kindergarten#Kodomoen#NurseryTeacherThings#IWantToConnectWithChildcareWorkersLife with childrenJanuary#Shimenawa#ShimenawaDecorationNew YearNew Yeartissue paperNew Year’s craft

♬ Are You Ready – Deejay Meddy

A perfect New Year’s craft activity where you can make an authentic shimenawa just by twisting tissue paper.

The steps are simple: roll two colors of tissue paper into thin strands, twist them together, make two of the same, and form a ring.

The twisting process is great fine-motor practice as kids learn to control their strength, and they’ll also enjoy choosing the colors.

Showing a real shimenawa or a photo beforehand helps them visualize the result and complete the project smoothly.

Add New Year-themed decorations like pine or snakes at the end to instantly create a festive, eye-catching shimenawa.

It’s easy yet full of seasonal charm—highly recommended for parents and children to enjoy together over the New Year.

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Nakamū

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