Lovely childcare

Handmade gifts for Respect for the Aged Day! A collection of popular craft ideas 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.
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.

With Respect for the Aged Day coming up, how about enjoying some exciting craft projects with preschool and kindergarten children? Here, we introduce fun ideas tailored to different ages—like a glasses stand, a tea canister, and a cute fingerprint tree.

Encourage the children to create a one-of-a-kind, special gift filled with gratitude for their beloved grandparents.

Imagine the children’s smiles and their grandparents’ delight as you enjoy making heartfelt presents together! Since the children’s creations are regarded as works of art, the term “seisaku” (制作) is used in the text to mean “production/creation.”

Handmade Gifts for Respect-for-the-Aged Day! A Collection of Popular Craft Ideas in Early Childhood Education (31–40)

glasses stand

Origami glasses holder folding method: how to make a handy office accessory (glasses holder)

glasses stand

How about giving a glasses stand that grandparents who wear glasses can use? You can easily make one with a single sheet of origami paper, so focusing on decorations might be a good way to add originality.

By writing a message or attaching ornaments, you can give it a festive look filled with love.

Since origami alone can be too light, attaching something to add weight will make the glasses stand more practical.

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medal

How to Make a Paper Cup Medal [Easy Craft with Kids for Gift-Giving]

medal

A perfect way to express gratitude to grandparents on Respect for the Aged Day is with a paper-cup medal.

Attach construction paper to a paper cup, make eight cuts, and fold the tabs outward.

Flip it over and fold the tabs inward to create a flower-like pattern.

Use a craft punch to cut colorful paper shapes and decorate the medal to make it festive.

Write a short message in the center, attach a ribbon, and it’s done! It’s a gift that creates an award-ceremony feel for a special day celebrating longevity.

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portrait (caricature)

Tips for Drawing Quick Portraits! A 5-Minute, No-Sketch Black-and-White “Grandpa” Edition

portrait (caricature)

How about having the kids draw portraits of their grandparents and giving them as a gift? Portraits may feel like a standard present, but they’re also a gift that shows how the children are growing.

A portrait is supposed to resemble the person, of course, but when little kids draw them, sometimes they don’t look like the person at all.

Even so, that’s exactly what will make the grandparents happy—knowing the children drew them with all their effort.

It would also be nice to have them draw new portraits a few years later and compare them.

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sleeping pose art

You can do this at home! How to make sleeping pose art

sleeping pose art

A gift that will make you melt at the sight of your adorable grandchild is a “sleeping pose art” photo.

Prepare costumes and decorations, and arrange them on a mat.

Decorate with photogenic items like animal characters or flower petals.

If your child is in daycare or kindergarten, you can include a plate that says “XX months old,” or add a message of thanks.

When shooting, try to keep close to the mat and take the photo straight from above—that’s the trick.

It also makes a great present for grandparents who live far away and can’t see the little one often.

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small accessory case

A tray made from a milk carton

small accessory case

How about making a handy little organizer yourself and giving it as a gift? It’s a simple project where you use a milk carton as the base and decorate it to make it look festive.

You can decorate it with familiar items like origami, but using fabric will give the finished piece a softer feel.

Think about what your grandpa or grandma uses, and try to make it the right size to store those items neatly.

It’s important to keep the user in mind while adding your own originality.

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Handmade Gifts for Respect for the Aged Day! A Collection of Popular Craft Ideas in Childcare (41–50)

Handmade bouquet

Let's fold and give it as a present♪ A bouquet made of origami

Handmade bouquet

A bouquet is a classic gift for expressing gratitude to someone special.

By making a bouquet with origami, you can create a vibrant atmosphere that incorporates a variety of colors.

Combine several sheets of origami to make flowers, then bundle them together.

Using more flowers will result in a more colorful and dynamic piece, but even with fewer flowers, your sentiment will still come through because the detailed steps of each flower are visible.

Since the material is origami, it’s also easy to add decorations like drawings, which is another nice point.

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Handprint art

Great for Respect for the Aged Day gifts, too—handprint and footprint art that cutely captures this moment

Handprint art

Here’s an idea: turn handprints and footprints into art and send them.

Stamp handprints and footprints, then use them as a base to decorate, adding drawings with pens or paint to make a single artwork.

These days, many safe, easy-to-wash-off stamp pads designed for hand and footprints that are gentle on the skin are available.

It’s an activity even small children who can’t yet write hiragana or letters can do, and it becomes a keepsake you can look back on years later and fondly remember, “Their hands were so tiny back then.”

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