[May] A collection of craft ideas to try with 5-year-olds

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.
Nursery Teacher Mom Writertsukada moe
After working for five years at an after-school childcare club and three years at a nursery school, I began working as a freelance writer. I’m a mother of two children. Inspired by playing the flute in the school wind ensemble in elementary school, I joined a jazz club at university. I’ve also incorporated ukulele and piano performance into childcare. Playing, laughing, feeling sad, feeling frustrated—through all kinds of experiences, I want children to grow.

May has pleasant weather, and it somehow makes you feel excited, doesn’t it?

The five-year-olds, now the oldest in the class, may have settled down a bit since moving up a level.

May is also known for events like Children’s Day and Mother’s Day, so we’d love for you to try activities and crafts themed around these occasions and the month of May.

This time, we’ve gathered a variety of fun ideas using different materials and techniques.

These are ideas that five-year-olds will feel motivated to tackle precisely because of their age, so please give them a try.

Because the children’s creations are treated as works (art pieces), we use the term “seisaku” (制作) in the text.

[May] A collection of craft ideas to try with 5-year-olds (51–60)

Butterflies made with swipe art

The colorful hues spark children’s curiosity! Here are butterfly ideas you can make with swipe art.

Swipe art is an art technique where you pour paint onto a canvas or drawing paper and swipe it horizontally using a sponge or a card.

The charm lies in how the colors blend and create unique patterns as you swipe.

This time, let’s make the butterfly that appears in The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

It’s a fun idea where you can enjoy the changes as the vibrant paints mix together!

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The Very Hungry Caterpillar made with fluid art

@buchiko_hoiku
🐶 @buchiko_hoiku ◂◂◂◂ Check out my other posts, too 🌼 Thank you so much for all the likes 🩷 This time: A Very Hungry Caterpillar made with a new kind of art 🐛 Do you know fluid art (pouring art)? With just liquid laundry starch/glue and acrylic paint, you can enjoy a super fun paint play activity 🩵 I had so much fun that before I knew it, I’d been playing for two hours 🤣 My recommendation: use four colors, and make one of them gold paint—the sparkle is so cute 💖 Since it has laundry glue in it, it takes time to dry! Mine was completely dry in about a day and a half ☺️ I used the pieces I made with fluid art to create a Very Hungry Caterpillar theme 🍎🍐🫐🍓🍊 I didn’t have yellow, but I still made a butterfly and it was so fun! Please try making it yourself 🌈 Thank you for reading to the end 🐶 I share easy, copy-ready ideas you can follow from the intro to the craft ♬︎ I’ll be over the moon if you like ♥, save 𖤘, and follow 𖤐 😂 Comments are super welcome, too 🤍🤍Nursery teacher / Childcare worker Kindergarten Teacher #Spring crafts #Wall Creation Toddler Crafts Play that expands from picture books #FluidArt Pooling Art #TheVeryHungryCaterpillar
♬ Lilac – Mrs. GREEN APPLE

Let’s create a popular picture-book character! We’ll introduce ideas for making The Very Hungry Caterpillar using fluid art.

The picture book The Very Hungry Caterpillar is famous worldwide, and many children are likely familiar with it from reading it at preschool or at home.

Some kids might also know it from hand-play activities or songs.

This time, let’s try making it with fluid art.

Fluid art is an art technique that uses flowing paint to create natural movement and patterns on surfaces like canvas or drawing paper.

Because the movement of the paint is unpredictable, you can create unique and original works!

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Koinobori (carp streamers) made with color spoons

@michiko05057157
I made a koi-nobori (carp streamer) using materials from a 100-yen shop.Daiso #100-yen-shop Seria #Koinobori Koinobori (carp streamers)Koinobori Crafting Koinobori (carp streamers) 🎏#DAISO work
♪ Original Song – Atelier Michiko_easy art_ – Atelier Michiko_easy art_

Let’s gather supplies from the 100-yen shop and make it! Here’s an idea for a koi-nobori using colorful spoons.

Even if you want to make a handmade koi-nobori, many people may find it hard to gather all the materials, right? The great thing about this idea is that you can get everything at a 100-yen shop, so it’s easy to try! What you’ll need: cardboard, scissors, plastic spoons, pliers, and lightweight clay.

Mixing the clay to create your favorite colors sounds fun too, doesn’t it?

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Color-changing Koinobori

@yopiko148
I tried making a pattern-changing carp streamer, kind of like a sequin T-shirt ♡#HandmadeToys Koinobori Crafting Translation #Secret message
♬ Osakana Tengoku – Sayu Mayu

When you stroke the scales with your hand—like magic!—the colors change.

Here’s an idea for a carp streamer (koinobori) that does just that.

It’s a unique concept we recommend for anyone unsure about how to make their koinobori.

All you need are construction paper, vivid-colored round stickers, and pastel-colored round stickers.

In recent children’s fashion, there are many designs where stroking a sequined picture changes the pattern.

By using that idea, you can create a koinobori that’s fun to make and fun to play with.

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Let’s make a kabuto (samurai helmet)

Let’s make a special craft just for Children’s Day! Here are some ideas for making a samurai helmet (kabuto).

Even if you’ve finished your main craft for Children’s Day, this is a great idea for something fun to make and play with on the day itself.

Use construction paper in your favorite colors to make a kabuto, then decorate it with stickers and pens.

If you attach string or elastic to the finished kabuto, kids can wear it and enjoy it even more—guaranteed excitement! Be sure to give it a try.

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