Lovely childcare

[Preschool] Cute to Make! A Collection of Valentine’s Craft Ideas

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.
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.

February 14 is Valentine’s Day.

In Japan, there’s a tradition where women give chocolate to someone they like, but recently it’s been shifting toward giving gifts or messages to family and friends as a way to express gratitude.

I think more and more preschools are enjoying the Valentine’s atmosphere as well.

This article introduces Valentine-themed craft ideas for early childhood education.

It’s a collection of ideas you can make with familiar materials like origami paper and recycled items!

Enjoy making Valentine’s crafts together with the children.

Wishing you a wonderful Valentine’s Day.

Because the items children make are treated as “works,” we use the term “seisaku (制作: production/work)” in the text.

[Childcare] Cute to make! Valentine’s craft ideas (51–60)

Heart Message Card Made with Origami

Origami [Heart Message Card] How to fold a cute heart for Valentine’s Day ♪ [Audio commentary] ◇ Origami paper “Heart Message Card” Valentine’s Day

Heart Message Card Made with Origami

This is a heart-shaped message card made from origami that’s sure to delight as a gift! Instead of having a heart drawn or decorated on the card, the card itself is shaped like a heart.

When you open the heart, the message appears! The folding method is simple with no difficult steps, but if the paper is small, the inside reverse fold part can be a bit tricky.

Using tweezers or making it with slightly larger origami paper might be a good idea!

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Footprint heart gift

[Valentine’s Craft] Perfect for taking home♪ A footprint heart gift [Ages 0–1] (ASMR-style video)

Footprint heart gift

An idea for a footprint heart that’s sure to delight parents when taken home.

First, prepare white construction paper and make a footprint.

Place the heels together to form a heart shape.

Once it’s done, cut out the footprint section and paste it onto a heart-shaped backing made from red construction paper.

To finish, protect it with a bag or similar so it doesn’t get smudged.

It’s nice because you can look back later and feel how much they’ve grown.

It’s also a perfect idea for Valentine’s Day.

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jack-in-the-box

[Craft] A Valentine's Day Surprise

jack-in-the-box

How about setting up a surprise for Valentine’s Day? Here’s a fun jack-in-the-box using cardboard springs.

First, prepare an empty chocolate box of a handy size and plenty of cardboard cut to fit inside the box.

Make two pieces of cardboard with thin slits cut toward the center, then overlap the slits and secure them with cellophane tape to form a cross.

Make many of these.

Tape them all together to create a spring made of cardboard.

Finally, set it inside the empty chocolate box and add some confetti, and your surprise box is ready!

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Candy box

[Craft] Valentine’s Day Project – Candy Box

Candy box

Giving a candy box that looks like a cute piece of candy is also a great idea! You’ll need construction paper, stickers, scissors, glue, and a pencil.

If you prepare two ribbons about 50 cm each, you can make it look even fancier! The steps are very simple: first, fold the origami paper in half several times and make small cuts.

Next, while shaping it with glue, decorate the construction paper with stickers and tie the opening with the ribbons.

Finish it off with a message, and you’re done!

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gift box

[Craft Play] Let's make an easy Valentine's gift box with paper cups

gift box

There are times when you want to give someone chocolates but don’t have a gift box, right? In situations like that, it’s handy to know how to make a gift box yourself.

All you need is a paper cup.

First, make slits all the way around the rim.

Then just fold the cut sections inward to close them, and you’re done.

If you like, add washi tape or draw some illustrations.

Wrapping a ribbon around it also looks great! Since you’ll be using scissors, be careful not to hurt yourself.

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