[Childcare] Fun craft ideas and craft activities perfect for summer

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.
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.

Summer is full of fun events at daycares and kindergartens! With water play, festivals, and fireworks events, children really get a feel for the season.

Here, we’ll introduce craft ideas recommended for summer.

You can make all sorts of things like colorful fireworks, delicious-looking shaved ice, beautiful morning glories, and cute beach sandals.

These activities let you enjoy the summer atmosphere through crafting, so please use them as a reference! Some projects use unique techniques, so be sure to make fun summer memories together with the children.

Since the works created by children are regarded as artworks, the term “seisaku” (制作) is used in the text.

[Childcare] Fun craft ideas and craft activities perfect for summer (111–120)

Beetle collecting

Let’s make a rhinoceros beetle using a paper cup and create a beetle-collecting scene.

First, cut the paper cup in half vertically.

Next, paint the cut paper cup in beetle colors.

It might look a bit plain with just brown or black, so feel free to use other colors too.

Use the unused half of the paper cup to make the beetle’s horn.

Attach the horn and eyes to the body, and your cute rhinoceros beetle is complete! It would also be nice to paste it together with motifs of children or animals collecting insects.

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tsukada moe

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colorful cotton candy

Fluffy, cute, and sweet, cotton candy is a classic festival treat.

How about making some fluffy cotton candy of your own? Prepare various colors of paint diluted with water, then dip small, torn pieces of cotton into the colored water to dye them.

Once the cotton dries, put it in a clear bag or stick it onto a skewer-like stick, and your cotton candy is complete! It’s a good idea to have children handle the steps of tearing the cotton and dipping it into the colored water.

With its bright, festive look, this craft is sure to delight kids.

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SAKI

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Fireworks with toilet paper rolls

Let’s make fireworks by using a toilet paper roll like a stamp.

Cut slits into one end of the roll and fan them out to create a flower-like shape.

Dip the opened end in paint and dab it like a stamp to make fireworks appear! You can use just one color or layer multiple colors for a more vibrant display.

Combine with finely cut origami paper or stickers to create dynamic fireworks.

If children will be doing the stamping, make sure the teacher prepares the toilet paper roll stamps in advance.

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SAKI

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beach sandals

Why not make beach sandals using footprints that can serve as a memento of growth? First, have the children make footprints on drawing paper, let them dry, then cut them out slightly larger than the foot shape.

Next, align and paste strips of paper, imagined as sandal straps, onto the footprints to complete the sandal parts.

On a separate sheet of white drawing paper, have them freely paint with watercolors to evoke the sea and the sandy beach.

If you sketch rough guidelines in pencil, it will be easier for the children to get started.

Once the paint dries, paste the footprint sandals on top—and it’s done! Create a lively craft that looks like they’re taking a walk along the shore.

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tsukada moe

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Tropical Juice with Finger Paint

A colorful tropical drink made with finger painting.

Even a one-year-old can enjoy the cool, smooth feel of the paint—perfect for summer! The key is to mix a little hand soap or body soap into the paint.

It helps the paint spread more easily and makes it simpler to wash off skin afterward.

Prepare vibrant fruit toppings, as well as straws and spoons, to create that exciting “Which one should we use?” feeling!

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hiyori

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Fireworks made with round sticker art

Round stickers, once seen as office supplies, are now strongly associated with tools for creating art.

They come in a variety of colors and sizes, and depending on how you combine them, you can make all kinds of artworks—from dynamic to delicate.

Let’s use these round stickers to create dazzling fireworks! You can make fireworks by placing round stickers of various colors on black construction paper, or you can cut the black paper into a circle and arrange the stickers within it to depict fireworks—both approaches are recommended.

By using round stickers in many colors to create fireworks of different sizes and designs, you can fill your room with the powerful spectacle of a grand fireworks display.

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Papercut and spattered fireworks

How about creating a fantastical fireworks scene using paper cutting and spattering? If you want to express the round shapes of fireworks neatly with paper cutting, it’s best to fold the paper several times and then make cuts with scissors into your desired shapes.

When you unfold it, you’ll get beautiful flower-like fireworks.

Try adding color using techniques like wet-on-wet painting.

After you paste the finished fireworks onto a large, dark sheet of construction or poster paper, use spattering to make the fireworks even more dazzling.

Spattering is a method where you flick paint through a mesh with a toothbrush to apply color in a spray-like pattern.

Use colors that stand out against the black surface, such as white or yellow.

This will create a scene like fireworks floating in the night sky!

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SAKI

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