[January Crafts] Fun DIY Ideas for Kids: Perfect for Use in Childcare
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!
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[January Crafts] For Kids! A Collection of Fun Handmade Ideas You Can Use in Childcare (41–50)
Fluffy Snow Bunny Wall Decor
Why not try making a cute snow-bunny wall decoration? The round, pure white bunny will bring a wintry touch to your room.
First, layer and roll up tissues to create the bunny’s body.
Next, attach red eyes made from round stickers and ears made from green origami paper.
Glue the bunny onto a colored cardstock base, then decorate the empty spaces with snowflakes punched out using a craft punch and flower accents created by combining round stickers.
You’ll have a lovely decoration that evokes winter memories just by placing it on display.
[January Crafts] Kid-Friendly! A Collection of Fun Handmade Ideas Useful for Childcare (51–60)
Spins great! A top made from a paper cup
Why not open up a paper cup and make a well-spinning top? You will need a paper cup, markers, origami paper, and so on.
First, mark the rim of the paper cup into eight equal sections.
Cut along the marks, but don’t cut all the way—leave a little uncut.
Once you’ve made the cuts, fold them and spread them out.
Trim off the tips and decorate with markers or similar.
A continuous pattern may look nicer when it spins.
Next, fold the shaft using origami paper.
Fit the shaft into the bottom (underside) of the paper cup, and you’re done.
Make it with straw stamps! Snowman craft
Let’s make a snowman wall art with straw stamps.
First, an adult draws large and small circles on construction paper.
Using a plate as a guide is fun, too.
Then, draw a snowman’s hat on colored construction paper or origami paper.
Have the child cut it out.
Glue the cut-out pieces onto a darker-colored construction paper.
Once they’re glued, draw the snowman’s face with crayons.
For the straw stamp, cut slits into the end of a straw and spread them out so it forms a flower shape.
Dip it in white paint and dab it on—this creates lovely snowflake-like prints.
Daruma doll made from a toilet paper roll core
The Daruma doll, which gets back up no matter how many times it falls, is displayed at New Year’s to pray for a year of health, safety, and good fortune.
This Daruma, perfect for the New Year, can be easily made from a toilet paper roll.
Cut the roll in half, then trim the four corners with scissors to round the shape.
Cover it with origami paper from the top, and snip the corners to fold them inward as you go.
Make the eyes, mouth, and patterns with origami paper and stick them on—using round stickers is also recommended.
Display your finished Daruma and welcome a wonderful New Year!
Origami for New Year’s that you can also use on walls!
Ornaments that bring good luck and toys we don’t usually play with are part of the unique New Year’s scene.
Let’s try making origami pieces of things you only see at New Year’s.
Finished origami like kagami mochi, daruma dolls, and hagoita paddles are also great as wall decorations.
As the shapes take form with origami, kids might chime in, saying, “We have the same thing decorating our room!” If you’re making a daruma, let the children draw the face however they like.
These are lively, fun origami projects to create together.
Three homemade kites!
Let’s make kites that are perfect for New Year’s.
It’s also a lot of fun to go out and fly the ones you’ve made.
I’ll introduce three types of kites.
The first is a twirly, spiral kite.
It’s great because you can practice cutting curves while making it.
The next kite is made by stapling construction paper into a paper-airplane-like shape.
You only need a stapler and a hole punch for this one.
The third kite uses a plastic shopping bag.
First, fold an A4 sheet of paper and draw lines to make a template.
Then cut the plastic bag based on that template.
If you draw a picture on it before assembling, you can create a one-of-a-kind kite.
A 3D Daruma you can make with a single sheet of origami!
Let’s make a daruma that’s perfect for decorating your entryway for the New Year.
Prepare origami paper, felt-tip pens, round stickers, and scissors.
Take one sheet of origami paper, fold it into a triangle to make a center crease, then open it and fold both sides toward the center line.
As you firmly crease each fold, carefully adjust the balance of the daruma’s face.
By folding the corners, you’ll create a rounded shape for the daruma’s body.
Use felt-tip pens and round stickers to make the eyes and eyebrows, and it’s complete.
You can also make a small cushion (zabuton).
Enjoy displaying your daruma to kick off the New Year!