[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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[Nursery/Kindergarten] New Year Craft Idea Collection! A set of projects you can enjoy even after making them (1–10)
New Year games you can make and play
A New Year’s classic! Here are some DIY ideas for spinning tops and kites.
For the top, use a milk carton, a plastic bottle cap, and a straw.
For the kite, use a plastic bag and kite string.
First, cut off the four corners of the milk carton and open it into a cross shape.
Then, round off the four side panels by cutting them in a curve about 10 centimeters up from the bottom.
Draw patterns with a pen on the white part of the milk carton, attach a plastic bottle cap to the center of the front, and stick a small piece of straw on the back—your spinning top is ready.
For the kite, draw any picture you like on the plastic bag, and tie two pieces of kite string to the handle points.
Tie the other ends of the strings together to make a handle, and it’s done.
Make it with origami! A New Year’s mini wreath
Let’s make a New Year’s wreath that’s perfect for decorating at the start of the year.
Prepare 16 sheets of origami paper: four different patterns or colors, four sheets of each.
Fold each sheet into a square twice, then unfold to create crease lines and shape the parts.
When folding a triangle in half, make sure both sides are even.
Hold the piece so that the overlapping section is on top, and assemble by inserting both the front and back of one piece into the pocket of another.
Repeat to make 16 parts in total.
It may be easier to connect them in sets of four first, and then form the entire wreath at the end.
Attach a string and hang it indoors to enjoy the New Year’s decoration.
paper-clay kagami mochi
Let’s make a handmade kagami mochi that brings warmth and a sense of the season—perfect for New Year’s decor.
Prepare clay, a clay board, paints, brushes, and a clay spatula.
Divide the clay into three equal parts and designate them as large, medium, and small.
For the mandarin orange part and the leaf part, knead the appropriate paint colors into the clay.
Shape the large and medium portions into the two tiers of the kagami mochi.
Place the mandarin on top, refine the overall shape, and your kagami mochi is complete.
Let it dry thoroughly before displaying it, and welcome a wonderful New Year.
Make it with paper plates! Cute snowman
This is a snowman craft idea that also lets kids enjoy sticking stickers.
Stack and glue two paper plates vertically to make the base, then finish the snowman using round stickers and parts cut from construction paper.
If infants are doing this activity, it may help to put double-sided tape on the back of the parts to turn them into stickers.
Also, pre-cut the pipe cleaners to use as arms and assist with attaching them using tape.
Changing the colors of the construction paper and stickers will change the snowman’s look, so let the children choose the ones they like.
How to Make a Kite You Can Enjoy Playing With on New Year’s
Here’s an idea for making spinning tops with acorns—very popular as an autumn craft.
You can buy acorns online, but since they’re often found on the ground in season, it’s great to use ones you’ve collected.
If you do, be sure to wash them and disinfect them with boiling water to prevent bugs before using.
The method is very simple: just make a hole in the acorn and insert a toothpick.
If the acorn is hard and difficult to pierce, have an adult help.
Drawing faces or patterns with a pen makes them extra cute!