[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 for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: 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] Kid-Friendly! A Collection of Fun Handmade Ideas Useful for Childcare (31–40)

Cute bubble-patterned! How to make a daruma doll

http://www.lemon8-app.com

Here’s a craft idea using bubble wrap, which is handy as cushioning material.

First, paint the bubble wrap with red paint and transfer the pattern onto red construction paper.

Cut it into a daruma shape with scissors and paste it onto a base.

Add facial features made from construction paper and decorative patterns made from gold origami.

Fill the empty space on the base with flower pieces, and it’s done.

The bubble wrap pattern looks like polka dots and is cute, and the texture makes the daruma appear to pop out.

I think it would also look great in colorful variations.

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sasashina

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Daruma-otoshi with masking tape!

@hekimen_25
[Making a Daruma Otoshi with Masking Tape ⚒]▫️ Ages: Preschool (4–5) and up▫️ Goals:- Work on the craft by imagining the finished piece, applying masking tape, and adding color- Develop fine motor skills👩🏼‍🏫 If children actually play Daruma Otoshi first, they’ll have a clearer image and enjoy the crafting process even more 👍💭Nursery teacher / Childcare worker #Nursery school #Kindergarten　#Childcare Crafting New Year New Year’s craft Production process #Production Video #Drawing Masking tape　#Daruma Otoshi
The beginning of a fun time – LoFi Siberinyan

A Daruma-otoshi that even small children can make is a great way to learn about traditional New Year’s games.

Prepare construction paper, scissors, masking tape, and crayons, and let’s get started.

Cut out the face and body parts from the construction paper, then apply strips of masking tape at your preferred widths.

Color over the masking tape with crayons, using different colors as you like, and then peel off the tape.

Attach the face on top and draw the facial expression.

Once you glue together the dropping stick cut from construction paper, it’s complete.

You’ll end up with a Daruma-otoshi that showcases each child’s individuality.

Feel free to adjust the width of the masking tape and the colors you use to your liking.

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mayumi

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Just roll it up and stick it on! Easy-peasy kagami mochi

@hoiku.labo
For New Year’s crafts: Just roll and stick it on!? Easy kagami mochi 🎍✨Childcare Nursery teacher / Childcare worker Kindergarten Teacher Childcare job openings Childcare Column #NurseryTeacherThings #IWantToConnectWithChildcareWorkers #Nursery School Craft #DaycarePreparation Nursery School Practicum Childcare student Aspiring childcare worker Childcare Job Lab Nursery teacher skills Job change activities #JobChange #nursery_teacher_job_change Nursery teacher employment Production #Craft work tissue paper flowers New Year Kagami mochi New Year’s craft Easy to make Year of the Dragon
♪ Original Song – Craft Ideas for Childcare ♪ Hoiku Kyujin Labo – Hoiku Kyujin Labo | Nursery Teacher Job Changes and Helpful Information

Let’s try making New Year’s kagami mochi out of tissue paper.

It’s just rolling and gluing, so it’s great for small children, too.

First, glue a paper sanpō (offering stand) that you cut from construction paper onto a backing sheet.

Next, tear the tissue paper into vertical strips.

Spread glue on top of the sanpō, then crumple the tissue paper into little balls and stick them on.

Finally, glue on a round “daidai” orange cut from construction paper to finish.

Drawing a little face on the orange is cute, too.

Display it in your entryway or living room to create a lovely New Year’s atmosphere.

Give it a try!

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Recommended for infants! Daruma handprint craft

Paint white ink on your palm and stamp your handprint onto red construction paper! Cut the paper into a daruma shape and draw the face.

Then punch flower shapes out of gold origami paper and stick them on as decorations to finish.

For the face, try dipping your fingertip in black paint and enjoy making finger-stamp features.

If you use a different color for the handprint, it’s best to first make a white paper base for the face and then draw the eyes and mouth.

Create daruma in various colors and expressions to celebrate the New Year!

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sasashina

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Let’s make winter animals!

@hoiku.labo
Craft ideas for ages 3–5 💡 @hoiku.labo Create a wintery, snowy wall display with construction paper ❄️ ⭐↓ Detailed steps and tips in the comments ↓⭐ ★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆ ✨Hoiku Kyujin Labo✨ has many childcare job listings 🎉 Our specialist advisors will suggest nursery and kindergarten jobs that fit you! We’ll carefully listen to your concerns and preferences and support you 💁‍♀️ Feel free to contact us first 🎵 @hoiku.labo Sign up via the link in our profile!Childcare Nursery teacher / Childcare worker Kindergarten Teacher Certified Childcare and Education Teacher #Nursery school #Kindergarten Kodomoen (combined childcare and kindergarten)Childcare job openings Childcare Column #NurseryTeacherThings #IWantToConnectWithChildcareWorkers #Nursery School Craft #DaycarePreparation Nursery School Practicum Childcare student Aspiring childcare worker Childcare Job Lab Childcare Skills Job change activities #JobChange #nursery_teacher_job_change Nursery teacher employment Production #Craft drawing paper #ConstructionPaperArt Wall decoration wall surface Wall decoration Snow Winter Winter Craft Snow Rabbit Poster Board Craft
♬ Snow, glitter, winter, Christmas(1195969) – Tunagamo

Let’s make a winter animal—a snow rabbit—using colored construction paper.

First, use white paper to make a plump, egg-like shape.

Cut out nandina (heavenly bamboo) leaves and berries from colored paper as well.

Create a window with falling snow from colored paper, then paste the rabbit there.

If the snow pieces for the window are too small and tricky, a parent or guardian can cut them, or you could draw them with a white crayon instead.

Putting this on a wall or mounting it on a backing sheet will enhance the winter mood and look lovely.

You could also change the wall decorations with each season.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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[January Crafts] For Kids! A Collection of Fun Handmade Ideas You Can Use in Childcare (41–50)

Shimenawa you can make with chiyogami paper

@haruharo_made
New Year’s Craft / [Shimenawa with Chiyogami] [Materials] • Paper plate • Construction paper • Scissors • Chiyogami (traditional patterned paper) • Glue • Cellophane tape • Double-sided tapeCrafts for 4-year-olds　Crafts for 5-year-olds #3-year-old crafts #2-year-old's craft Crafts for 1-year-olds Crafts for 0-year-olds Production #Nursery school Wall decoration #StayHomeTime #AtHomePlay Production ideas #Nursery School Craft Winter Craft #Kindergarten Kindergarten craft Nursery teacher / Childcare worker Kindergarten Teacher wall surface　#ChristmasTree Production for children under age (infants and toddlers)　Simple craft Made in December　# January production Made in February　 New Year’s craft　#Daruma making　Tatsu Production #Mask making　Mask #paint　Sticker application　Round sticker Sticker-pasting craft　　　　　Hanging ornament drawing paper　#ConstructionPaperArt　Poster Board Craft Paint making　　paper plate　Paper plate craft　Paper Plate Craft　Chiyogami　Chiyogami Production #ShimenawaMaking　#Shimenawa　
♬ One More Last Time – sped up – Henry Young & Ashley Alisha

We’ll make a shimenawa-style decoration using washi paper.

The base will be a paper plate with the center cut out.

The cut-out center of the plate will be used as the knot of the shimenawa.

First, glue crumpled brown-toned washi paper onto the paper plate that will serve as the base.

Attach washi paper to the knot in the same way.

Once that’s done, create and stick on decorations such as the zodiac animal for that year, as well as pine, bamboo, and plum blossoms using colored construction paper.

And that’s it—you’re finished.

If you make the zodiac ornament removable, you can likely reuse the decoration the following year.

Give it a try!

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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