Lovely childcare

[July] Recommended for 1-year-olds! Fun summer craft ideas

[July] Recommended for 1-year-olds! Fun summer craft ideas

Last updated:2025/5/29

[July] Recommended for 1-year-olds! Fun summer craft ideas

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.
9 years of experience as a nursery school teacherShibata Risa
I am an active nursery school teacher with 9 years of experience. After graduating from university, I worked at a daycare center. The time I spent happily with children—playing piano, singing songs, and doing finger-play—are priceless memories to me. Currently, while raising three children of my own, I work at an after-school day service, engaging with children and providing individualized developmental support. Drawing on my diverse experiences as a childcare worker and as a mother, I hope to express and convey my thoughts through writing.

One-year-olds whose desire to “I want to try it!” is growing stronger by the day.

Here, we’re sharing July ideas packed with clever twists that will get children excited to dive in.

Each activity lets kids express themselves freely, so they can enjoy creating.

Use these as a reference and try incorporating them into your childcare.

As we emphasize activities where children can freely enjoy expressing themselves, we consistently use the term “seisaku” written as 制作 rather than 製作 in the text.

[July] Recommended for 1-year-olds! Fun summer craft ideas (1–10)

Drawing with colored ice

[Summer Craft] Painting with Colored Ice! [For 1-Year-Olds]

Drawing with colored ice

Here’s a drawing activity using colored ice that even a one-year-old can enjoy.

You’ll need red, yellow, and blue food coloring, water, wooden sticks, a white crayon, drawing paper, and an ice tray.

How to make it: First, use the white crayon to draw ocean-themed pictures—like fish and octopuses—on the paper.

Next, put food coloring and water into the ice tray.

Insert the wooden sticks and freeze.

Once the colored ice is frozen, draw on the paper by letting the ice melt little by little as you move it around.

The pictures you drew with the white crayon will appear as the color spreads, making it a fun activity to enjoy with children.

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[Sticker Activity] Shaved Ice Craft for the 1-Year-Old Class

Shaved Ice Craft for 1-Year-Olds: A Construction Activity Using Construction Paper for Childcare Workers

[Sticker Activity] Shaved Ice Craft for the 1-Year-Old Class

For a class of one-year-olds, we recommend an easy shaved-ice craft that uses stickers.

Please have the teacher cut construction paper into the shapes of shaved ice, a bowl, and a spoon, and assemble those parts in advance.

The children will then add the syrup and toppings by placing stickers on the shaved ice.

Use round stickers, or fruit-themed stickers as toppings, to complete the shaved ice.

Once finished, try using the shaved ice crafts as wall decorations.

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Salt painting

Sparkling fun! How to make salt paintings [Nursery/Kindergarten]

Salt painting

Many preschools actively incorporate sensory play in the summer.

So let’s try salt painting, an activity even one-year-olds can enjoy.

First, prepare construction paper.

Let the children draw freely.

The key is to have them draw using glue or paste.

Since one-year-olds still find it hard to control their strength, work together with an adult.

Once the drawing is done, sprinkle plenty of salt to make it stick, then shake off the excess.

Finally, use paint to add color to the salty lines.

It will be a wonderful craft full of discoveries for one-year-olds.

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Stained-glass-style fish

https://www.instagram.com/p/CiC7rj4J-NW/

These stained-glass-style fish shine as they reflect the light, making them a perfect craft to display in the classroom.

Cut construction paper into the shape of a fish, then cut out the center and stick OPP tape on the back.

Prepare several colors of cellophane cut into small pieces, and have the children stick them onto the OPP tape.

Attach the dorsal fin and tail, and it’s done! Choose a sunny spot in the classroom and hang them from the ceiling, and the room will transform into an aquarium! The children will surely find themselves gazing up, watching the fish swim overhead.

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[Finger Stamp] 3D Watermelon

[Nursery/Kindergarten] 39 Summer Craft Ideas [July & August]

[Finger Stamp] 3D Watermelon

Let’s make a watermelon craft while having fun with finger stamping with the children.

First, prepare construction paper in colors that resemble watermelon flesh, such as yellow or red.

Have the children make finger stamps with black paint.

Since these represent watermelon seeds, it’s best to have them stamp a lot.

Once the paint dries, cut the paper into a circle and paste it onto green construction paper cut slightly larger.

Lightly fold it in half with the flesh side facing out, and you’ll have a stand-up watermelon decoration.

It’s an easy, approachable idea.

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Crab handprint art

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSRb1bQLGIW/

Let the kids join in to create a summery wall decoration! This unique idea was inspired by the silhouette that looks just like a crab when both hands are spread wide and the wrists are joined together.

Trace the children’s hands, cut them out, and arrange them symmetrically.

Stick on eyes near the center, add claws around the thumbs, and it’s done! The big round eyes are especially cute.

With the blazing sun and a refreshing breeze—you can almost picture a summer beach with this fresh, seasonal wall display!

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Yo-yo with a marble run

[Summer Wall Art] Tried making yo-yos with marble paint (for 2- and 3-year-olds)

Yo-yo with a marble run

How about making festival-favorite yo-yos using marble painting? First, cut construction paper into circles.

For infant classes, the teacher should do the cutting; from preschool age up, let the children cut them themselves.

Next, prepare the paints.

Use a container that can hold several colors, such as a palette or an empty egg carton.

Dip a marble in the paint color of your choice and roll it across the paper circle.

To keep the colors from mixing, use a separate marble for each color.

Once the paint is dry, freely stick on round stickers.

Using stickers of various colors and sizes makes it look much more like a traditional yo-yo.

It’s a perfect craft for summer.

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