Lovely childcare

Let’s make it at nursery school and kindergarten! A special collection of handmade New Year’s card 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 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.
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.

Welcoming the New Year at nursery school or kindergarten—how about making heartfelt New Year’s cards together with the children? We’ve gathered lots of ideas full of handmade warmth: the soft hues of pastel art, the fun of dabbing and spreading color with sponge daubers, and keepsakes like footprint records of growth.

From simple steps to puffy, three-dimensional finishes, every design lets each child’s individuality shine! Create one-of-a-kind New Year’s cards with the children—cards that will warm the hearts of those who receive them.

Let’s make them at nursery school and kindergarten! A special collection of handmade New Year’s card ideas (31–40)

Scratch-off New Year’s card

https://www.tiktok.com/@soeasy.hacks/video/7176931881127087361

Scratch-off cards you scrape with a coin make your heart pound with excitement as you wonder what’s written underneath, don’t they? How about incorporating that scratch-off idea into your New Year’s cards? You can easily make the scratch-off layer by simply mixing acrylic paint with dish soap.

Kids can enjoy it like a craft project, too.

As a New Year’s lucky draw, definitely try adding a scratch-off to your card designs.

Instead of painting the scratch layer directly, apply wax to the parts you want to hide first, then paint over it.

Once it’s fully dry, it will scrape off nicely.

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New Year’s cards made with stencils

https://www.tiktok.com/@n.annlee321/video/7314600689370402049

If you’re not good at drawing, try using stencils! With stencils, you just dab ink over a stencil sheet with a sponge, so even kids can easily create illustrations.

You can buy stencil sheets, but you can also make your own by punching shapes out of a clear file with a craft punch.

Think about the kind of illustration you want as you design with your stencil sheet.

Adding patterns or drawing faces on top with a pen will give your illustration a more polished, next-level finish.

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Shishimai (lion dance) made with cardboard stamps

https://www.tiktok.com/@job_it/video/7444488296870284545

Roll up a strip of cardboard, dip it in ink, and stamp it! It creates a pattern that looks like a shishimai (lion dance) design.

Stamp several times on green construction paper to make the pattern, and once the ink dries, cut it into the shape of an ema plaque.

Then, glue on facial parts made from construction paper.

After the shishimai is finished, paste it onto a postcard to complete your New Year’s card! When making the face, choose steps that suit the child’s age, like drawing the eyes and teeth with crayons.

If there’s blank space on the postcard, try adding New Year-themed stickers or drawing some pictures.

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Cute for New Year’s cards too! Daruma-chan

Here’s an idea for New Year’s decorations, and since daruma dolls are also a common motif for New Year’s cards, why not use this idea to make a daruma-themed New Year’s card? Make a daruma out of construction paper and attach it to gold design paper along with some flowers.

Simply sticking that onto the front of the card will give it a festive feel.

However, if you’re attaching it to a New Year’s card, be sure to make the daruma as a flat piece.

Create the face with any expression you like, using stickers or pens.

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Let’s make plum blossoms!

@hoikushi_worker
Easy with origami! New Year’s kirigami (plum blossoms) We’re introducing a January craft perfect for early childhood settings: “New Year’s kirigami (plum blossoms)” using origami. The moment you open the cut paper is so exciting—what shape will it be? Try arranging different cutting and folding styles and have fun! ================================= We also have a LINE account★ Get exclusive updates by adding us as a friend♪ Check our profile @hoiku_column! ================================= Do you have any concerns in your childcare setting? Even if it’s not related to this post, tell us about your challenges or worries in the comments! Let’s exchange ideas freely♪ ================================#Childcare Crafting #Nursery School Craft #Wall Creation wall surface #Recital #HomeCrafts New Year’s craft Papercraft #papercraft #kidscrafts Origami play Origami origami #OuchiMonte #AtHomeMontessori Early childhood education materials Childcare #Nursery school Nursery teacher / Childcare worker #First year as a nursery teacher #Kindergarten Kindergarten Teacher Kindergarten teacher Aspiring childcare worker #NurseryTeacherInTraining Nursery school teacher #NurseryTeacherThings Childcare student #IWantToConnectWithChildcareWorkers Nursery Teacher Worker ================================
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Let’s incorporate the plum blossom—famous as a New Year’s flower—into your New Year’s card design.

Here’s a paper-cutting idea you can enjoy like a craft project.

Fold origami paper following the set steps, draw two curved lines, and cut along them with scissors.

Then slowly unfold the paper, and your plum blossom is complete.

There are only seven folds in total, and two of those are just to make crease lines.

It’s an idea that’s easy for children to make, so please give it a try.

Create plum blossoms in various sizes and colors to make a vibrant New Year’s card.

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Let’s Make It at Nursery School and Kindergarten! A Special Feature of Handmade New Year’s Card Ideas (41–50)

Great for New Year’s cards too! Easy-to-use stamps

[New Year’s Cards 2024] Perfect for New Year’s cards too! Easy stamp-making 🎍 #preschoolcrafts #nurseryteacher #childcareideas #traineeNurseryTeacher #nurseryTeacherLife #withKids #tamponStamp #stampPlay #NewYearsCard #NewYearCraft

Great for New Year’s cards too! Easy-to-use stamps

This is a New Year’s card featuring Mount Fuji made with construction paper and stamping.

It’s an easy project that kids can enjoy.

First, cut out the base of Mount Fuji from blue construction paper.

Cut it to postcard size, imagining a trapezoid shape.

Once cut, dab white paint onto a sponge dauber and stamp the upper area.

This creates the look of snow-capped Mount Fuji.

After the paint dries, glue it onto the postcard and draw the sun in the blank space to represent the first sunrise of the year.

Finally, write the year in Western numerals, and you’re done!

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Kagami mochi made with origami

[A Must-See for Nursery Teachers!] Origami/Kagami Mochi #Shorts

Kagami mochi made with origami

Kagami mochi, which are offered as yorishiro (vessels for the visiting Toshigami deity) during New Year’s, make a perfect design for New Year’s cards.

This time, let’s make kagami mochi using origami.

We’ll create two parts: the sanpō (the stand) and the kagami mochi itself.

Since each is made from a different sheet, please prepare two pieces of origami paper.

Because we also want to represent the mandarin orange on top, have an orange sheet ready.

The folding process includes steps like accordion folds and opening and flattening after creasing.

With only a few steps, it’s an easy, fun challenge for kids.

Be sure to make it and use it as part of your New Year’s card design!

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