[May] A collection of craft ideas to try with 5-year-olds
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.
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[May] Craft Ideas to Try with 5-Year-Olds (41–50)
Crafting fish with 100-yen shop magnets
Freshly caught and flopping! Here’s an idea for a fish craft you can make using magnets from a 100-yen shop.
It’s perfect for anyone wondering, “What kind of craft can I make with magnets?” All you need are construction paper, tape, a pen, scissors, and a magnetic sheet.
The video mainly features mackerel, but it looks like you can adapt it to other fish like flounder or filefish.
It’s such a unique idea that you’ll want to make it flop again and again!
Braided Koinobori (carp streamer)
Build focus! Here’s an idea for a woven carp streamer craft.
You’ll need colored construction paper, glue, scissors, a pencil, a ruler, and a compass.
First, make the base of the carp streamer with your favorite color of paper and cut a slit down the center.
Then, thread long, narrow strips of paper through the slit, alternating the back and front sides to complete the first row.
For the second row and beyond, the key is to adjust the strips so the colors alternate.
Because it involves lots of finger movements, this can be a stimulating craft activity for children.
Broad beans you make by sticking (pieces) on
Broad beans, said to be in season from April to June, are perfect for spring crafts.
This time, we’ll introduce a craft that incorporates these beans.
Prepare by cutting the pod and bean shapes out of construction paper in advance.
If the children are comfortable using scissors, it’s also great to let them try cutting the shapes themselves.
Glue the pod and beans onto a base sheet of construction paper, draw faces on the beans, and it’s done.
The steps are very simple, so even young children can enjoy this activity.
The bright green of the broad beans is sure to energize the kids even more.
Give it a try!
Koinobori of Kashiwa Mochi
Let’s make a Kashiwa-mochi carp streamer using kashiwa mochi, which is eaten during the Boys’ Festival (Tango no Sekku).
Cut construction paper into a leaf shape, draw the veins with a white crayon, and paint over it with green paint to create a wax-resist effect.
Cut another piece of construction paper into the shape of a carp streamer and draw patterns with crayons inspired by kashiwa mochi.
Place the leaf on top and glue them together.
Attach a face and a samurai helmet folded from origami, then stick them onto the carp streamer to finish.
It also sounds fun to choose parts of the project according to the child’s age and ability!
Fluffy pancakes
Introducing the Fluffy Pancake Wall Display featuring Shirokuma-chan.
Gather shaving foam, yellow and brown paint, glue, a Shirokuma-chan cutout, a frying pan, pancakes, and orange backing paper, and let’s get started.
Mix yellow and brown paint and glue into the shaving foam, then spread it onto a black frying pan to create pancakes.
Draw Shirokuma-chan’s face with crayons or felt-tip pens.
Once you’ve glued Shirokuma-chan, the pancakes, and the frying pan onto the backing paper, it’s complete! Give this adorable wall art—straight out of a picture book—a try.
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.
Koinobori (carp streamers) made with color spoons
https://www.tiktok.com/@michiko05057157/video/7223321119032462593Let’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?