[Nursery/Kindergarten] New Year Craft Ideas: A Collection of Projects You Can Enjoy Even After Making Them

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
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.

You want to plan New Year’s crafts at a nursery or kindergarten, but you can’t think of ideas that kids will enjoy while incorporating traditional elements… In times like these, decorations and classic toys made from familiar materials are perfect! Here, we introduce New Year-themed craft ideas ranging from lucky charms like akabeko (red cow), kagami mochi, and shimenawa, to playable crafts such as fukuwarai, kendama, and spinning tops.

They all make use of recycled materials like milk cartons, plastic bottles, and paper cups, so why not enjoy preparing for the New Year together with the children? Since the children’s creations are treated as “artworks,” we use the term “seisaku” (制作) in the text.

[Nursery/Kindergarten] New Year Craft Idea Collection! A set of projects you can enjoy even after making them (51–60)

Let’s make it with cardboard stamps! Cute shishimai (lion dance)

@chooobo2
Shishimai making 🎍#Childcare Crafting #Nursery School Craft # January production New Year’s craft
♬ NEW LOOK – MISAMO

If you roll a strip of cardboard into a spiral and dab it in paint, then press it onto paper, it makes the pattern for a shishimai (lion dance) costume! Using that pattern, let’s make a hanging shishimai decoration.

First, take a green sheet of construction paper cut into a rectangle and stamp any pattern you like.

Next, sprinkle on small pieces of gold origami paper to add a festive touch.

Finally, attach a shishimai face made from construction paper to one corner, add a string to the back, and you’re done! A plain backing works fine, but if you stick washi masking tape along the top and bottom, it will look like a hanging scroll and be extra lovely.

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A horse made with marble art

https://www.tiktok.com/@eto2239/video/7559407380136529159

Art sparks children’s creativity! Kids’ ideas and perspectives can sometimes reveal things adults might overlook or fail to notice.

This time, let’s use marbles, paper, and paint to create a dynamic, free-form horse face.

First, roll marbles dipped in black paint across the paper to make patterns.

Next, color in the areas that look like the horse’s face and mane with colored pens or paint to finish.

It looks like it’ll become a one-of-a-kind, original New Year’s card—no two pieces will be the same.

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Recommended for childcare! January’s shishimai (lion dance) craft

@hoiku.labo
[January Wall Decorations] Construction paper shishimai illustration ideas♪Childcare Nursery teacher / Childcare worker Kindergarten Teacher Childcare job openings Childcare Column #NurseryTeacherThings #IWantToConnectWithChildcareWorkers #Nursery School Craft #DaycarePreparation Nursery School Practicum Childcare student Aspiring childcare worker Childcare Job Lab Nursery teacher skills Job change activities #JobChange #nursery_teacher_job_change Nursery teacher employment Production #Craft work Production drawing paper #ConstructionPaperCrafts Poster Board Craft New Year’s craft #Shishimai
♬ Probably – YOASOBI

Let me introduce an idea for making a shishimai (lion dance) craft, which is said to ward off bad luck when it bites your head.

You’ll use construction paper and crayons, and you’ll cut the shishimai parts out of the paper.

The parts to cut are four: the body, head, ears, mouth, and hair.

Glue the parts onto a base sheet of construction paper to create the shishimai, then draw the face, teeth, body patterns, and feet with crayons.

Once you decorate the blank areas of the base however you like, it’s complete! You can use New Year’s-themed stickers for the decorations, or simply draw with crayons—both are great.

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Handprint art horse

Let’s send a lovely New Year’s card that captures your child’s growth with their handprints.

It’s a unique idea that uses children’s handprints to create the body of “Bullseye,” Woody’s trusty steed from the hugely popular film Toy Story, loved by kids and adults alike.

You can adapt it for babies through toddlers, making it perfect if you’ve been stuck for New Year’s card ideas.

You can also tailor it to your children’s ages by adding parts, sticking on pieces, or writing text, and the result is sure to be wonderful!

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Fun with threading! Daruma-san

@haruharo_made
TikTok Document New Year’s Craft / Daruma Lacing Materials: • Yarn • Construction paper • Scissors • Cellophane tape • Glue • Hole punch • Paper plate • Round stickersCrafts for 4-year-olds　Crafts for 5-year-olds #3-year-old crafts #2-year-old's craft Crafts for 1-year-olds Crafts for 0-year-olds Production #Nursery school Wall decoration #StayHomeTime #AtHomePlay Production ideas #Nursery School Craft Winter Craft #Kindergarten Kindergarten craft Nursery teacher / Childcare worker Kindergarten Teacher wall surface　#ChristmasTree Production for children under age (infants and toddlers)　Simple craft Made in December　# January production Made in February　 New Year’s craft　#Daruma making　Tatsu Production #Mask making　Mask #paint　Sticker application　Round sticker Sticker-pasting craft　　　　　Hanging ornament drawing paper　#ConstructionPaperArt　 Paint making　　paper plate　Paper plate craft　Paper Plate Craft　Threading (a cord/strap through a hole)
♬ Mela! – Ryokuoushoku Shakai

Let’s make a Daruma decoration with a lovely yarn texture.

First, cut a circle out of the center of a paper plate.

Then use a hole punch to make evenly spaced holes around the inner rim.

Thread red yarn through one of the holes and tie a knot so it won’t slip out, then enjoy lacing the yarn through the holes as you like.

When you finish lacing, glue on the Daruma face and body pattern pieces made from construction paper over the yarn, and decorate the plate with stickers or plum blossoms to complete it.

Add a string for hanging, and it can be displayed like a wreath!

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