[Nursery/Kindergarten] New Year Craft Ideas: A Collection of Projects You Can Enjoy Even After Making Them
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.
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Fun to stick! Horse face
@yokocreates #earlychildhoodeducation#daycare#preschool#playschool#kindergarten#homeschool#tutorial#craft#classroomdecor#horse
♬ Butter (feat. Megan Thee Stallion) – BTS
Drawing a horse illustration can be quite challenging… If you feel that way, here’s a great idea for a horse you can complete by simply sticking pieces together! Parents or teachers can lightly sketch on construction paper, cut out the parts, and then stick them on with double-sided tape or glue to finish.
Use round stickers for the eyes, and draw the nose with a pen or crayon.
It’s a lovely project that can be adapted so infants to preschoolers can enjoy it.
Layering the construction paper also creates a 3D effect, making it a striking New Year’s card.
Give it a try!
Recommended in January! Make feathers and hagoita (battledores)
Speaking of games famous for the New Year, it has to be the traditional hagoita (battledore) game.
Let’s prepare milk cartons, bottle caps, raffia tape (suzuran tape), construction paper, scissors, and glue, and make one together.
For the paddle part, cut the milk carton into the shape of a hagoita and double it up to increase strength.
If you make the handle even sturdier, it will be easier to use.
For decorations, it’s recommended to cut shapes from construction paper or origami paper.
For the shuttlecock, place two bottle caps together and insert shredded raffia tape between them, then secure it firmly with tape.
Once it’s finished, try playing with your friends and have fun.
Easy one-sheet horse origami
For someone who’s far away, a child’s growth can feel incredibly fast, right? Here’s an idea for a New Year’s card: attach a horse made from origami.
Origami is said to nurture not only fine motor skills but also thinking skills and the ability to plan ahead.
The recipient will likely be delighted to see that the child can now create such a lovely piece with origami.
You only need one sheet of origami paper, and adding eyes with a pen or round stickers gives it a cute finish.
Recommended for preschoolers in the middle to older age range.
A horse you can draw in 5 steps
A New Year’s card that lets kids’ individuality shine is sure to warm the recipient’s heart! This is an idea we highly recommend for preschool classes.
Many children may not know where to start when they begin drawing.
The key here is that the drawing order is predetermined, making it easy to get started.
Plus, it’s a wonderful idea that still brings out each child’s unique personality.
In step 5, try adding your own touches—like coloring and lettering.
Festive! Cute origami sea bream
Let’s make a lively sea bream that looks ready to swim away any moment! Sea bream are known to live long among fish, so they’re often eaten at celebrations and events as a wish for longevity.
What’s more, because the word “omedetai” (congratulatory) contains the sound “tai,” sea bream are considered lucky and are sometimes displayed for New Year’s as well.
This time, let’s make a sea bream out of origami and start a wonderful year! You’ll need one 15-cm square of red origami paper, one 7.5-cm square, round stickers or eye-shaped cutouts, scissors, glue, and a pen.
Some steps are a bit complex, so take your time and finish it carefully!