Lovely childcare

Enjoy with everyday materials! Fun ideas for making oden

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.

Oden, a popular winter craft! Why not try a fun project with children using colorful construction paper, felt, and yarn? With paper daikon radish, felt mochi pouches, and konnyaku knitted from yarn, you can create a warm, cozy world of oden using a variety of materials.

It’s a classic winter activity that everyone can enjoy together, whether at home, daycare, or kindergarten.

Let your imagination run wild and create your very own original oden! Note: Because the children’s creations are treated as works of art, the term used in the text is “制作 (seisaku)” rather than “製作 (seisaku).”

Enjoy With Everyday Materials! Fun Oden Craft Ideas (11–20)

Making oden using scrap materials

[For 1- and 2-year-olds] Warm up with piping-hot oden!

Making oden using scrap materials

Let us introduce how to make delicious oden (as a craft).

Prepare origami paper, construction paper, paint, a sponge, and cardboard.

Paint the construction paper and start making chikuwa.

Cream-colored construction paper is recommended for chikuwa.

For hanpen, cut a sponge to shape.

For konnyaku, put cotton inside origami paper to give it a three-dimensional look.

Using suzuran tape to represent the steam from the oden—and blowing air on it to show the steam’s movement—is another key point.

As the children get more excited, starting an “oden shop” play activity will make it even more fun.

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Oden made with construction paper

Oden Craft: A Preschool Teacher Explains How to Make a Version That Also Works as a Wall Display (For Ages 2 and Up)

Oden made with construction paper

We want to decorate the wall! Here’s how to make oden using construction paper.

You’ll need construction paper, scissors, crayons, and glue.

First, cut out the pot, the broth, and the ingredients.

Children in the preschool class might be able to do the cutting themselves.

Once you’re done cutting, glue each piece into the pot.

After you’ve pasted them, add patterns and details with crayons! Finally, you can also add a spoon, chopsticks, or mustard.

Enjoy making your original oden!

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Oden made with crochet

Crochet lantern Oden shop

Oden made with crochet

How about making an oden stand with crochet? In addition to the oden ingredients, you can also prepare plates and sake, which should broaden the ways children can play.

Let’s crochet konnyaku, daikon radish, sausages, sake, zabuton cushions, and more using yarn and a crochet hook.

If you’re trying crochet for the first time, we recommend starting with medium-weight yarn.

Please note that the hook size will vary depending on the thickness of the yarn.

Yarn-based activities can be gradually enjoyed from around age two, so it’s also a good idea to incorporate simple yarn play.

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Squeeze Oden

[Handmade Squishy] I Tried Making a Convenience Store Oden Squishy [How to Make a Squishy] DIY Squishy

Squeeze Oden

When the weather gets cold, convenience stores start setting out warm oden at the counter, don’t they? Let’s make that convenience-store-style oden using sponges, skewers, paint, and glue.

Cut and shape the sponges into daikon radish, konjac, and chikuwa.

The key is not to over-trim the shapes—keep a bit of natural irregularity.

Once the shapes are done, use a brush to paint them.

Finally, coat them with glue, let them dry, then skewer them to finish.

Painting is a part kids are likely to enjoy!

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Oden made with yarn

Winter Oden Shop Pretend Play 🍢 – Handmade Yarn Toys [Nursery/Kindergarten]

Oden made with yarn

Make it with yarn and felt! Here’s how to create oden.

What you’ll need: yarn, paper cups, toilet paper rolls, felt, paint, a sponge, double-sided tape, cloth tape, and scissors.

By crafting the ingredients with yarn and felt, you can achieve a cozy, warm look.

Adding paint with a sponge gives it a realistic touch.

When coloring the yarn or felt, the key is to build up the color little by little.

Give it a try!

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Oden made with origami

[Origami] Oden | How to fold Chibita’s Oden – Origami Oden Japanese Food

Oden made with origami

It would be wonderful to make delicious, flavor-soaked oden out of origami, wouldn’t it? This time, we’ll show you how to create simple oden using origami.

We’ll fold konnyaku, daikon, and chikuwa from paper.

For the chikuwa, make fine accordion folds and cut it while considering the overall balance.

Once you skewer the pieces onto an origami-made bamboo stick, it’s complete.

It’s exciting to craft each ingredient while imagining the actual size of oden.

Incorporating the finished oden into art projects or pretend play will make activities even more enjoyable.

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Have Fun with Everyday Materials! Creative Oden Craft Ideas (21–30)

Let’s make oden toppings!

We’re making oden ingredients that are perfect for the cold winter.

Let’s make this kid-favorite dish together! Wrap a toilet paper roll core with tissue paper and dab on brown paint with a cotton swab to make chikuwa; shape yellow tissue paper into a pouch, stuff it with facial tissue, and twist the opening with a pipe cleaner to make mochi kinchaku; fold origami paper into a triangle and add patterns to make konnyaku.

Using only familiar, simple materials, you can easily create oden ingredients! This activity is perfect for 3-year-olds, so give it a try.

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