Fun January Crafts! A Collection of Ideas You Can Make and Play With for 5-Year-Olds

Battledore made from a milk carton

[Daycare/Kindergarten] New Year’s Craft! How to Make a Milk Carton Battledore (Hagoita) [100-Yen Store DIY]

When it comes to traditional New Year’s games, hanetsuki with a hagoita paddle is a classic! Hagoita can be quite pricey to buy, but you can actually make one out of an empty milk carton! First, open up the milk carton and crease it into the shape of a hagoita.

Stick a wooden chopstick in the center to serve as the handle, then fold the carton along the creases to wrap around it, and secure everything firmly with packing tape or similar.

Wrap the handle with leftover pieces of the carton, and apply vinyl tape around the handle and the paddle’s edges.

And there you have it—an easy-to-make, surprisingly sturdy hagoita.

Enjoy finishing it off by drawing designs or decorating it with New Year–style washi patterns or origami paper.

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yuri

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Paper mittens you can make (with drawing paper)

[Winter Craft Idea♪] Easy construction paper project! How to make mittens 🧤⛄️ #preschoolcrafts #nurseryschoolteacher #teachersideas #traineeECCEteacher #teacherlife #withkids #constructionpaper #papercraft #mittens

Let’s make some cute mittens to warm up those cold hands! Use two sheets of construction paper in your favorite color, and cut both of them into mitten shapes.

Decorate the cut-out mittens by drawing patterns with crayons and adding stickers.

Then attach a piece of yarn, cut to a suitable length, to connect the two mittens—and you’re done! You might also like to size them to match your own hands.

They’re great as part of a wall display too, so definitely try making them to bring a warm, cozy feeling into your room.

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SAKI

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Fukuwarai (a traditional Japanese “lucky laugh” face-making game)

[Old-fashioned fun at home] Let’s make and play Fukuwarai!

Fun for kids and adults alike! Here’s how to make an original Fukuwarai game that lets you enjoy a traditional pastime.

All you need are two sheets of drawing paper and some coloring tools like colored pencils.

First, draw a large face outline and hair on one sheet.

On the other sheet, draw the parts—eyes, ears, nose, eyebrows, and mouth—and cut them out with scissors.

It’s also fun to base the face on a family member or your favorite character, so it’s highly recommended.

Fukuwarai has been enjoyed since around the Meiji era, and even adults can’t help getting competitive and excited.

How about spending January laughing and having fun with the kids?

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kepiko

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Shishimai (lion dance) made with paper cups

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

Let’s make a lion dance (shishimai) toy that you can open and close like a chomping mouth using a paper cup! Cut two slits on the side of the paper cup and open it up.

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

The red section will be the shishimai’s face, so it’s recommended to cut it into a face shape before attaching.

Then, finish by adding parts that capture the shishimai’s features—big eyes, thick eyebrows, neatly lined teeth, and shaggy hair.

Adjust the placement of the teeth so that the moving, chomping part looks like a mouth!

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yuri

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Kagami mochi wall decoration

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

If you recreate kagami mochi using toilet paper rolls, you’ll have a New Year’s-themed wall decoration ready to go! Cut origami or colored paper into the shapes of the stand for the kagami mochi and its decorations, then glue them onto a backing sheet.

Prepare two toilet paper rolls; shorten one by trimming a little off the end.

Next, glue the rolls onto the stand pieces, and finish by attaching a paper orange on top of the kagami mochi.

Why not make it together while chatting about the fun you had over the New Year holidays?

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yuri

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Mini mini shimenawa

@mee.asobi

Detailed instructions here ↓ Materials: ❄︎ 2 sheets of tissue “flower” paper ❄︎ A chenille stem or twist tie for fastening ❄︎ Origami paper or other decorations ❄︎ Glue or tape Tissue Paper Daiso Flower Paper (Pastel) 4550480317687 Seria Design Paper – Vibrant Japanese Patterns 4542804144208 A4 Create Paper – Warm Japanese Modern 4512427071854 How to make it: 1) Roll the tissue paper lengthwise and twist it. → If you twist it tightly and thinly, it turns out nicely! 2) Twist two strands together and secure. 3) Decorate. In no time at all, you’ll have an adorable mini-mini shimenawa (New Year’s rope decoration). Real shimenawa are braided with three strands, but this time we twisted two for easier making. I want to make a big one to hang at home too. The Japanese-pattern origami from Seria is so cute and really gives it that shimenawa feel. My son turned his into a donut and a ring, lol. It’s super quick, so give it a try! It’s common to hang them on the 28th, but anytime after the 13th, “Shogatsu Preparation Day,” is OK. ーーーーーーーーーーー I’m Mi. I share simple play ideas that make “I can do it!” moments grow and make home time more fun. Follows, comments, and “We tried it!” reports make me so, so happy ☺️ ーーーーーーーーーーーー#AtHomePlay#AtHomePlaykagami mochi#Shimenawa ⁡

♪ Isn't it enough to be just cute? – First Chorus – CUTIE STREET

Here’s a fun shimekazari (New Year’s decoration) craft to make with kids using tissue paper.

You’ll need: two sheets of tissue paper, chenille stems (pipe cleaners) or wrapping ties, origami paper for decoration, and wood glue or clear tape.

First, place the tissue paper vertically and twist it tightly as you roll—twisting firmly will give you a neat finish.

Next, take the two twisted strands and shape them into a ring like a shimekazari, then secure the ends with a pipe cleaner or tie.

Finally, decorate with origami paper, and you’re done! You can also try making it with three twisted strands to resemble a real shimenawa.

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kepiko

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Zodiac ornament made from paper cups

[Year of the Dragon Craft] How to Make a Dragon with a Paper Cup [Easy]

Paper cups, a familiar material, are also excellent for crafts! Let’s use them to make a zodiac decoration.

It’s perfect for New Year’s, so why not include it in your January craft plans? As an example of a zodiac animal, we’ll make a dragon for the Year of the Dragon.

First, glue construction paper around the outside of a paper cup and punch two holes in the bottom.

Next, insert pieces of straw—cut to resemble dragon horns—into the holes, then decorate with the dragon’s face, ears, hands, and more to finish! With a bit of creativity in the decorations, you can adapt this to other zodiac animals, too.

Make them together with the kids and have fun!

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miyabi

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