Lovely childcare

[5-Year-Olds] Creative Project Ideas to Try in June! Let's Broaden Their Range of Expression

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.
Nursery Teacher Mom Writertsukada moe
After working for five years at an after-school childcare club and three years at a nursery school, I began working as a freelance writer. I’m a mother of two children. Inspired by playing the flute in the school wind ensemble in elementary school, I joined a jazz club at university. I’ve also incorporated ukulele and piano performance into childcare. Playing, laughing, feeling sad, feeling frustrated—through all kinds of experiences, I want children to grow.

At five years old, children begin to develop an awareness of being the oldest in the class and become leaders who guide everyone else.

They also come up with many things they want to try and challenges they want to take on.

In art activities, encourage them to tackle slightly more difficult projects so they can experience a sense of accomplishment.

Here, we’ve compiled ideas for projects to work on in June.

Even familiar themes can turn into more wonderful works by changing the way they’re expressed.

Because the things children create are treated as artworks, this text uses the term “seisaku (制作)” to refer to these creations.

[For 5-Year-Olds] Creative Projects to Try in June! Expand the Range of Expression (21–30)

[For ages 4–5] Hydrangea Craft

[June ☔🐌] Introduction to our craft project. Suitable for all ages 🩷

[For ages 4–5] Hydrangea Craft

Making hydrangeas using origami and construction paper is recommended for children aged 4 to 5.

Cut the construction paper into a cloud-like shape, then make small flowers out of origami to form the hydrangea and paste them on.

For the small hydrangea flowers, it’s best to use smaller-sized origami.

If you don’t have small origami, cut a regular sheet into four pieces and use those.

Also, if you fold circular pieces of origami, you’ll create a different kind of hydrangea flower than with square origami.

You can combine both types of flowers, or use just one—either is fine! Encourage the children to think for themselves about how to arrange the small flowers as they create their work.

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[Color Cellophane] Making a Rainbow

[Kindergarten/Preschool] Nijiiro Craft: How to Make a Stained-Glass-Style Rainbow That Lets Sunlight Shine Through!

[Color Cellophane] Making a Rainbow

Let’s make a beautiful rainbow that arches across the sky after the rain using colored cellophane.

First, create a rainbow-shaped template.

Using that template, draw a rainbow on light blue construction paper to evoke the color of the sky.

Cut it out, then gradually cover the cutout with overlapping strips of clear tape.

Next, stick small pieces of colorful cellophane onto the adhesive side of the clear tape, arranging the colors to form a rainbow.

Finally, seal the cellophane by placing clear tape over the top so it won’t peel off—your rainbow is complete! If you add paper clouds, cut it out, and stick it on a window or hang it as a decoration, the light will shine through in vibrant colors and look absolutely lovely.

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[Suzuran Tape] Hydrangea Craft

[Hydrangea Craft] A Preschool Teacher Explains a June-Friendly Craft for 4-Year-Olds!

[Suzuran Tape] Hydrangea Craft

Would you like to try making hydrangeas using plastic raffia (suzuran tape)? By combining different colored tapes, they turn out really beautiful.

In advance, please prepare three bundles made by tightly knotting together three colors of plastic raffia and trimming both sides to the same length, as well as a sheet of construction paper with outlines for the hydrangea base and leaves.

Have the children cut along the outlines on the construction paper, then glue the leaves and the hydrangea flowers made from the plastic raffia onto the base.

Since plastic raffia doesn’t adhere easily, press it firmly for about 10 seconds!

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[Marbling] Umbrella and Frog

Introduction to a Rainy Season Craft Using Marbling [Nursery/Kindergarten]

[Marbling] Umbrella and Frog

Let me share an idea for making “Umbrellas and Frogs” with marbling.

Marbling is a technique where you drip paint onto water to create patterns, then transfer them onto paper.

Fill a tray with water, then drip marbling paints onto it as you like.

Use a toothpick or skewer to create a pattern, and gently lay the paper on top.

Lift the paper, and if the pattern has transferred, let it dry.

Cut the marbled paper into an umbrella shape, glue it onto a backing sheet, and draw the umbrella handle and raindrops with a pen.

Finally, add an origami frog, and you’re done.

It’s a fun project that makes you excited to see what kind of umbrella pattern you’ll get, so give it a try in June!

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[Origami] Hydrangea Flower

Origami Craft: “Hydrangea”

[Origami] Hydrangea Flower

When you think of flowers that bloom in June, many people probably picture hydrangeas.

Let’s incorporate hydrangeas into a June craft.

First, divide a sheet of origami paper into four equal parts.

Fold one piece into a triangle, then fold it into a triangle once more.

Open the triangle to form a square.

Next, with the flaps facing up, fold both sides toward the center.

Repeat the same steps on the back side.

Once you spread the flaps out to the top, bottom, left, and right, the petal part is complete.

Finally, place several petal pieces onto a leaf-shaped piece of origami and glue them down to finish.

If you make lots of flower pieces in various colors, you can create an even more vibrant hydrangea.

Using washi or dyed paper for the leaves can also give it a beautiful finish.

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Paper Plate Resist-Painting Umbrella

[Nursery/Kindergarten] Resist-Painting Umbrellas Made with Paper Plates [Rainy Season Craft]

Paper Plate Resist-Painting Umbrella

Here’s a perfect craft idea for June: a resist painting umbrella.

First, use crayons to draw umbrella patterns on the back of a paper plate.

Once you’ve finished the patterns, paint over them and enjoy the resist effect.

If you thin the paint with plenty of water, it will repel nicely from the crayon.

Cut a slit in the paper plate and overlap the cut edges to form the umbrella shape.

Make a small cut on one end of a straw and open it up; then tape it to the back of the umbrella-shaped paper plate, and you’re done! If you bend the accordion part of the straw, it becomes the umbrella handle.

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[Collage] Hydrangea Craft

[June Project] Hydrangea Collage (Paper-Pasting Art)

[Collage] Hydrangea Craft

Let’s make a hydrangea collage that’s perfect for the rainy season.

First, prepare origami paper in several colors and cut it into small squares.

Next, either cut out a rough, round hydrangea shape from construction paper and paste it onto another sheet, or draw the shape directly on the paper.

Depending on the children’s age, teachers may need to handle the step of cutting the squares and cutting out the hydrangea shape.

Once the prep is done, start pasting the square pieces of origami randomly onto the round hydrangea base! By letting the children work freely, you’ll end up with a wonderfully unique, one-of-a-kind hydrangea.

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