Umbrella Craft Ideas by Age Group: Perfect for Rainy-Season Childcare
How about incorporating umbrella crafts at daycare centers and kindergartens during the rainy season? Umbrellas are familiar to children and have a cute shape, so there are many ways to arrange and decorate them.
Here, we’ll introduce umbrella craft ideas by age group.
There are lots of ideas, so please use them as a reference.
The umbrellas children make can also be enjoyed as decorations on walls and other displays.
Make fun umbrellas together with the children and enjoy the rainy season! Because the items the children make are treated as works (artworks), the term used in the text is “制作 (seisaku)” rather than “製作 (seisaku).”
Umbrella Craft Ideas by Age Group: Perfect for Rainy-Season Childcare (1–10)
[Age 3] Umbrella decoration made with paper plates and paint
![[Age 3] Umbrella decoration made with paper plates and paint](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2JPN58jxZF8/sddefault.jpg)
Let’s make colorful, pop-style umbrellas using paper plates.
The process is super simple! Start by painting the paper plate with your favorite colors.
Try incorporating techniques like finger painting, resist painting, or stamping—whatever you like.
Once you’ve painted it, cut the paper plate in half.
You can leave the edge as is, but it’s also fun to cut the rim into zigzags or wavy shapes.
Finally, roll each cut half into a cone shape, and insert a pipe cleaner—bent into an umbrella handle—through the center to finish.
A nice bonus is that one paper plate makes two umbrellas.
Display your lively, unique umbrella creations by the window or around the room to brighten up your space!
[Age 5] Hanging Umbrellas
An essential companion you can’t do without during the rainy season: the umbrella.
Rainy days can make the sky dark and gloomy, but seeing a lot of colorful umbrellas opened up can really lift your spirits.
Here’s a craft idea for a hanging decoration with an umbrella theme.
Since it’s a hanging piece, making it three-dimensional will give it a striking presence.
Try layering several sheets of construction paper to achieve a 3D finish! It’s also great to hang them from the ceiling like a mobile, or string them in a horizontal line like a garland.
Rain Umbrella Made with Origami (Age 5)
Here’s an origami umbrella idea we’d love five-year-olds to try.
The canopy is made from origami paper, and the handle is made from a straw.
First, fold the origami paper in half into a square twice.
Then open the pocketed sections and squash-fold them to make two triangles.
Crease the center of each triangle, and next, open all four pocketed corners and squash them flat.
When you turn the paper over, you’ll see white triangular sections—cut along those areas.
Trim a little off the pointed tip, thread a straw through, and secure it to finish.
Prepare several kinds of origami paper and straws so children can choose their favorite colors and patterns.
Sparkly Clear Umbrella [Age 2]
https://www.instagram.com/p/CsdfgsuRUET/How about making a sparkly transparent umbrella using clear folders? First, cut the clear folders to create two umbrella bases.
Also prepare the umbrella tip and handle out of construction paper.
Next, cut materials like curling ribbon (suzuran tape), color film, and glittery origami into small pieces.
An adult should handle the preparations up to this point.
Have the children tear flower paper and paste it onto the umbrella base together with the curling ribbon, color film, and so on.
Finally, layer the tip and handle pieces, sandwich them between the second base, and glue everything together to finish.
It glitters beautifully in the light, so try sticking it on a window!
[Age 1] Colorful Umbrellas and Frogs with Sticker-Pasting
https://www.instagram.com/p/CrlD9Txp5Xy/Let’s try making a cute craft with a colorful umbrella and a little frog.
With this idea, kids can enjoy fingertip stamping and sticking stickers.
Have the children use finger stamps to make a rainy pattern on a sheet of construction paper that will serve as the background.
Next, cut out the umbrella and frog parts from construction paper.
An adult should do the cutting.
Once the parts are ready, decorate the umbrella by adding stickers to make patterns.
You can draw the frog’s face, but it’s also recommended to paste a photo of the child—this makes it look like they’re wearing the frog’s raincoat and it’s super cute.
Finally, glue the umbrella and frog parts onto the background sheet, and you’re done!
[Age 2] Finger-painted Rain and Teru Teru Bozu
https://www.instagram.com/p/CePUJlkv3SY/Teru teru bozu hung up on rainy days look different depending on the angle, which makes them fun to observe.
Here’s a craft idea using finger painting.
Prepare white drawing paper and use crayons or stamps to depict rain.
If you’re using crayons, try drawing vertical lines.
Next, cut another sheet of paper into the shape of a teru teru bozu and add patterns with finger painting.
You can spread paint inside a sealable bag or put paint directly on your fingers and draw.
Attach paper-made facial parts to the painted teru teru bozu, then stick it onto the background to finish.
Adding an umbrella piece makes it extra cute!
[Age 4] Totoro’s Umbrella
https://www.instagram.com/p/CB2q9MTMgAS/Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbor Totoro is a beloved film for both children and adults.
Many people probably remember the scene where Totoro stands at the bus stop holding an umbrella.
Let’s create a piece that combines umbrellas—which get lots of use in June—with Totoro, a favorite among kids! You could boldly place a big Totoro with a big umbrella, or, as in the anime, include Satsuki and Mei, which is also recommended.
Adding Chu-Totoro and Chibi-Totoro will make the picture even more lively.
In the anime, they use a plain black umbrella, but choosing a colorful one might brighten the mood even in the rain.
