From New Year’s games to winter crafts! A roundup of January recreation activities to enjoy in childcare

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
20 years of experience as a nursery teacher / kindergarten teacherhiyoko sensei
I’m Hiyoko-sensei, a former nursery school teacher from Hyogo Prefecture. Ever since I was five, my dream was to become a childcare worker, and before I knew it, 20 years had passed since I achieved that dream. Through singing and playing with the children, I kept working with the spirit of someone in their twenties, even as I increasingly felt my physical limits year by year (haha). From here on, I’d like to share helpful information carefully and thoughtfully, drawing on my on-site experience.

January is a season filled with excitement, wrapped in the special atmosphere of the New Year! There are plenty of ideas you can enjoy with children, from traditional New Year’s games to crafts that let you feel the winter season.

Here, you can savor the fun of writing letters by playing post office, or try spinning a buzzing top.

From lively indoor events to seasonal crafts, we’ll introduce activities that will make children’s eyes sparkle.

Enjoy memorable experiences with the kids—perfect for the start of a brand-new year!

From New Year’s games to winter crafts! January Preschool Recreation Activities to Enjoy (21–30)

Fun for New Year’s! Spinning Top Play

@heknsb2
Make parenting a little more fun! Childcare ideas from a former nursery teacher mom 🏠 @moeco_asobi Hello! I’m Moe 🧸 ˊ˗ This time, I made: [Fun for New Year’s! Spinny Top Play 🧡] I’ll keep tailoring posts to match your parenting and childcare concerns, so please stay tuned 🙏 ———————————————— Skills kids build through play 💪 1) Finger dexterity → Helps with everyday and learning skills like using chopsticks and pencils, buttoning clothes, and tying shoelaces! Using fingers a lot also stimulates the brain, positively affecting emotions and learning functions 🌱 2) Sense of color Choosing colors and drawing freely helps affirm a child’s sense of self and nurtures ideas that won’t lose in the AI era! 3) Imagination for how to play Simple tops can be adapted in many ways depending on your ideas! Examples → Top battles → Games (fortune draw, rock-paper-scissors) → Pretend shops, New Year’s play corners [What you need ☕️] - Paper plates (18 cm this time) - Plastic bottle caps (2 per person) - Glue, hot glue gun, adhesive, etc. - Things to decorate with (stickers, crayons, stamps, origami, etc.) [How to make ✂️] 1) Use a pencil to trace cap circles on both sides of the paper plate 2) Draw your designs 3) Attach the caps with glue (If at home, strong double-sided tape can just about work!) 4) Let dry and it’s done! [Play tips ⭐️] - It’s fun to combine things other than bottle caps too! - Small paper plates spin as well! ———————————————— Just by watching: - Tomorrow’s parenting gets a little easier 👶💖 - Parenting goes more smoothly 🍼 ˊ˗ See other posts here ➡️ @moeco_asobi For questions, DM me 💌 I’d be happy if you follow or leave a comment 🧸🧡 ———————————————— #momlife #parentingstruggles #lifewithkids #craftplay #athomeplay #craftactivities#ChildcareWorkerMomParenting New Year's games #NewYearGames January Crafts #WinterIndoorPlay
♬ Happy New Year – SONGSCULPT

Let’s make original spinning tops and have a contest to see whose spins the longest.

Prepare paper plates, plastic bottle caps, colored pens, and glue.

Draw illustrations on the paper plate using colored pens or crayons.

If you use a variety of colors and draw pictures or patterns, you’ll enjoy how the colors and designs change when the top spins.

Glue two plastic bottle caps together, one on top of the other, and it’s done.

Hold the cap part with your fingers, give it a strong twist, and it will spin very well.

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mayumi

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Perfect for New Year’s events! Mochitsuki (rice cake pounding) fun for parents and children

Speaking of New Year’s, it’s all about mochi, isn’t it? Freshly pounded mochi is something every child should experience at least once.

Traditional mochi pounding with a mallet and mortar takes strength, so it’s mainly a job for adults, but if possible, let the kids have a few turns—thump, thump—and give it a try.

Flipping the mochi quickly as the helper, tearing the soft, steaming mochi into pieces, and preparing the soy sauce, kinako, or walnut sauce will all feel novel to children and become precious memories.

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hiyori

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From New Year’s games to winter crafts! January childcare recreation ideas to enjoy (31–40)

Cute! How to make mandarin oranges

@yuumaama2022
How to Make Mikan (Mandarin Oranges)Translation child Childcare #mikan #Child'sToy
♪ Original song – Yuumaaama – Yuumaaama

One of the classic winter fruits, mikan (mandarins), can also be made using familiar materials.

Crumple up some newspaper and wrap it with two or three sheets of orange tissue paper.

Put the tissue-wrapped newspaper into a small plastic bag, add a leaf, and you’re done.

Even four-year-olds with their small hands should be able to crumple the newspaper and wrap it with tissue to make a mikan.

They’ll probably enjoy squeezing and crumpling the newspaper tightly.

With a slight change of shape and color, you could even turn it into a strawberry.

It also sounds fun to try making various fruits by changing the tissue paper colors and more.

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Nakajima Junko

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A fun igloo with stamp play

@hekimen_25
[Building a Kamakura with Stamp Play ☃️] Using a sponge to stamp—pop! pop! A stamping craft that kids can enjoy with total fascination 😆✨ In snowy regions, their imaginations might expand even more, making it even more fun… 🤭#Childcare Crafting #Production Video Nursery teacher / Childcare worker #Nursery school　Production Kamakura　Stamp　#paint　
Tomodachi Collection – Love

Let’s try a fun winter craft with stamping.

First, apply white paint to a square sponge and stamp it all over a sheet of blue construction paper.

After the paint dries, cut the paper into the shape of an igloo.

Cut out the entrance of the igloo, a kotatsu, and the face and hands from construction paper, then glue them onto the igloo to finish.

Draw expressions on the face parts with crayons, and add any pattern you like to the kotatsu.

You can also use stamps or stickers to add patterns.

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sasashina

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How to make a flapping toy

@taniguchi_s_y_d
Japanese traditional toy #diycrafts #tutorial #NewYearGames Tradition
Original Music – Taniguchi Shoyudo Co., Ltd. (Taniguchi Matsuosho-do)

The flip-flop toy, where connected boards topple over in a chain with a flapping motion, is fun to watch and makes satisfying sounds as it falls.

Let’s get glue, scissors, mat board, and origami paper ready and make one.

After preparing several pieces of mat board cut into rectangles, connect them with paper strips.

The key when connecting them is to attach the strips straight.

Be careful not to stick the strips in the wrong positions when linking the boards.

It’s also recommended to draw faces on the boards so their expressions change as they flip back and forth.

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mayumi

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Have fun with a hula hoop! Karuta game

Karuta isn’t just fun—it also helps kids learn the names of things and letters, and it builds concentration, listening skills, and reflexes.

Plus, playing with friends offers chances to teach one another, cooperate, and develop communication skills.

There are many kinds of karuta, from sets with cute illustrations to ones with quirky themes, so choosing a set can be fun too.

It could also be great to make your own karuta using pictures you draw yourselves!

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hiyori

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Easy-to-make snowman using a plastic bottle

@hoiku.labo
[Craft for ages 0–5] Easy snowman with a plastic bottle!#Childcare Crafting Nursery teacher / Childcare worker #Drawers of Childcare With children Easy to make Make and play Popular production Snowman Snowman Plastic bottle⭐↓For details, see the comments↓⭐
♪ Original Song – Hoiku Kyujin Labo – Hoiku Kyujin Labo | Nursery Teacher Job Changes and Helpful Information

For winter crafts, many projects use snowmen as their theme, don’t they? If you use an empty plastic bottle, you can easily make a snowman craft.

Stuff cotton into the empty bottle.

Once the container is tightly filled, put the cap on, then draw eyes with a pen or decorate it with stickers.

Wrap a thin, long strip of felt or ribbon around the snowman’s neck area and glue it on to finish.

You can display it in your room as is, or make several and line them up to play like bowling—it sounds fun either way.

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Nakajima Junko

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