Lovely childcare

[Childcare] Feel May! A special feature of fun craft ideas to make

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.

May, with its warm and refreshing breezes, is full of exciting events for children!

Many teachers may be thinking about creating crafts that capture the feeling of the season.

In this article, we’ll introduce recommended craft projects for May.

We’ve gathered plenty of fun ideas you’ll want to make—from event-themed crafts to insects and fruits seen in May, as well as vividly colored plants.

Feel free to adapt the activities to match children’s interests and curiosity, and enjoy making them together.

Because the pieces children create are treated as works, we use the term “seisaku” (production/work) in the text.

[Childcare] Feel May! A collection of fun craft ideas to make (71–80)

carnation

For Mother’s Day: How to fold an easy carnation using a single sheet of origami paper

carnation

Wouldn’t it be lovely to make a classic Mother’s Day carnation from a single sheet of origami paper? Start by folding the paper in half, then fold both sides toward the center.

Open it up once, and refold it along the creases like an accordion.

Fold it in half, and use scissors to make small zigzag cuts at the tip.

If the scissor step is tricky, please have an adult help.

The result will be a delicate, graceful carnation that kids are sure to love.

Try making them in various colors like pink, red, and white.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

clover

[Spring Kirigami] Easy way to cut a four-leaf clover from origami (with audio commentary) ☆ Origami Easy Way to Cut the Clover Tutorial / Tatsukuri

clover

Clover, a spring wildflower that kids love.

When they find it outdoors, they get absorbed making flower crowns with the white blossoms known as white clover and searching for four-leaf clovers.

So how about an origami clover you can enjoy indoors? The folding method is simple—basically just folding in half repeatedly.

In the end, cut the folded piece with scissors, and you’ll have a clover shape made of four connected hearts.

Using origami paper in different colors and patterns makes it look very stylish.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

medaka (Japanese rice fish)

Origami · Rice fish (medaka)

medaka (Japanese rice fish)

This is origami of a small, cute fish: a medaka (Japanese rice fish).

You make it by cutting one sheet of origami paper into two squares, so you can create two medaka from a single sheet.

Some folds need to be made slightly diagonally or at subtle angles, so please have an adult help out.

With a final curled fold, the medaka shape pops out more vividly than you’d expect, which is sure to delight the children.

Try making them together while singing the children’s song “Medaka no Gakkō,” which has spring-like lyrics and a charming, whimsical feel!

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Mother’s Day gift

[Mother's Day] Singing & Making Gifts!! Mommy ♪ Elephant ♪ 'Straw Necklace' 'Paper Cup Flowers' (Nursery/Preschool, Childcare Worker, Crafts, Children's Songs, Japanese Children’s Song)

Mother's Day gift

The second Sunday of May is Mother’s Day! How about making a special gift during craft time at the preschool to express gratitude to parents? A necklace made by threading string through short pieces of straw, a flower made by cutting slits into the sides of a paper cup and spreading them out, a message card decorated with origami creations, or a torn-paper collage made by tearing and pasting origami paper—when parents see gifts that clearly show how hard the children worked, they’ll be delighted and feel their child’s growth.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

helmet

Kabuto crafting for the senior (kindergarten) class

helmet

How about making a kabuto (samurai helmet) out of origami, like the ones you often see with Boys’ Festival dolls? You’ll also pick up basic origami folds, such as opening a triangle fold.

When you want to make crisp folds, try saying something like “Let’s iron it flat,” which makes it easy for children to understand.

For the decorations on the helmet, feel free to have fun by cutting shapes you like with scissors or tearing pieces of origami paper.

It’s also good practice for cutting and pasting, and giving kids a certain amount of freedom will boost their creativity.

When their one-of-a-kind masterpiece is finished, be sure to heap on the praise with a big, “That looks awesome!”

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem