[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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Akabeko
Akabeko, a traditional toy born in Fukushima, has long been regarded as a lucky charm to ward off evil and a “good-luck-bringing cow.” Let’s handcraft this perfect celebratory akabeko using familiar materials! Wrap red paper around a milk carton and a toilet paper tube after trimming off any excess parts.
Attach ears and eyes to the tube, then use an awl to make holes in each piece, thread twine through, and secure it with tape.
Once the gently bobbing neck is complete, draw the akabeko’s patterns on the body to finish!
Kadomatsu sensory bottle
Let’s reuse a plastic bottle to make a kadomatsu-themed sensory bottle that’s perfect for the New Year! When you shake the bottle, it sparkles, so kids are sure to love it.
Draw a kadomatsu on a piece of cut clear plastic file with a pen and attach it to the plastic bottle.
Next, prepare two liquids by coloring water and baby oil separately with food coloring.
Pour the colored water into the bottle first, then the oil, and decorate with glitter or other embellishments as you like.
Finish by wrapping twine around the lower part of the bottle, and it’s complete! You can also enjoy adding your own decorations, such as stickers or a small fan.
Fukuwarai (a traditional Japanese “lucky laugh” face-making game)
Fukuwarai, a traditional Japanese New Year’s game, becomes even more fun when children make it themselves.
All you need to do is draw a face outline on construction paper and create parts like the eyes and nose, so it’s easy to get started.
In addition to classics like Okame and Otafuku, you can draw any face you like, which also lets you enjoy playing with fukuwarai made by friends.
While completing the face accurately is fine, it’s also recommended to play in a way that makes the funniest face possible—perfect for a New Year’s craft activity.
In conclusion
New Year’s crafts are a valuable opportunity to nurture children’s creativity while engaging with traditional Japanese culture.
By playing with handmade items like karuta cards, spinning tops, and shimenawa decorations, New Year celebrations at preschools and kindergartens will become even more memorable.
Enjoy preparing for the New Year with simple crafts made from familiar materials.