[January Crafts] Fun DIY Ideas for Kids: Perfect for Use 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, when we welcome the New Year, is a perfect time for children to experience traditional Japanese culture.

New Year–themed crafts—like origami hair ornaments, kagami mochi made with shaving foam, and hagoita paddles made from milk cartons—spark kids’ creativity.

Many ideas can be played with after making them, and through the process, children can also learn the meanings of auspicious items.

Why not use familiar materials to create festive, New Year-style pieces? Here, we introduce January craft ideas that nursery and kindergarteners, elementary school students, and even adults can enjoy.

Bring in these fun January projects to celebrate the start of the New Year!

[January Crafts] For Kids! A Collection of Fun Handmade Ideas Useful in Childcare (91–100)

Fluffy kagami mochi made with tissue paper

Here’s a fluffy “kagami mochi” craft you can make together with children using tissue or flower paper! Even little kids can join in.

Simply crumple flower paper or tissues, put them into a plastic bag, tie the opening, and shape it into a ball.

Make two of the same, stick them onto a backing sheet with double-sided tape, then add a mandarin and chiyogami decorations to finish! Rolling the paper “mochi” and pressing them to stick is great for developing children’s fine motor skills.

Adjust the number of steps to match the child’s age, and have fun creating a seasonally themed wall display!

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Anpanman

Here’s a handmade spinning top idea perfect for kids who love Anpanman.

The charm is that you can make it with materials you already have at home, like paper plates and plastic bottle caps! It’s designed so even little children can spin it easily, so why not try making it together? First, prepare an Anpanman face that’s smaller than the paper plate.

Next, wrap a plastic bottle cap with vinyl tape to make the nose, and fix it at the center of Anpanman’s face.

Then attach another cap to the center of the back of the paper plate.

To finish, stick square-cut pieces of sparkly origami paper around the edge of the plate, and you’re done! Try making not just Anpanman, but other characters like Baikinman, too.

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miyabi

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Handprint Kadomatsu Ema

How about making ema plaques decorated with handprints that even 0-year-olds can take part in? Imagine the children’s handprints as kadomatsu and turn them into fun, pop-style ema! First, trace the children’s hands onto paper and cut around the outlines.

Next, create the kadomatsu section by attaching a base and adding decorations.

Finally, glue the kadomatsu onto a piece of construction paper cut into an ema shape, and finish by adding square-cut pieces of origami or chiyogami to the empty spaces.

The meaning of kadomatsu might be a bit difficult, but seeing the festive New Year decorations is sure to lift everyone’s spirits.

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miyabi

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

Here’s an idea for making an Anpanman fukuwarai out of felt.

Fukuwarai is typically a New Year’s game, but by changing the motif it’s perfect for everyday play too! Cut out the base face and parts for your favorite characters—like Anpanman, Baikinman, or Dokin-chan—from felt.

Once it’s ready, put on a blindfold, feel each piece with your hands to guess what it is, and place it on the face! You can find felt in a variety of colors at 100-yen shops, so be sure to check them out.

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New Year’s first calligraphy drawn freely

Perfect for the New Year! Here are some ideas for making kakizome (first calligraphy of the year).

Even though it’s called calligraphy, this is a free-form version that even children who can’t write characters yet can try.

Encourage kids to try drawing pictures, writing letters, or simple words depending on their age.

After they do their kakizome on drawing paper, paste it onto a slightly larger sheet to serve as a backing.

Then attach rolled paper to the top and bottom to give it a hanging scroll look.

Finally, add pre-made parts like a rabbit daruma, gold fan pieces, or washi-pattern origami, and it’s complete! It’s also a good idea to prepare the parts in advance so the kids can stick them on like stickers.

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sasashina

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