[Nursery/Kindergarten] New Year’s wall decorations! A collection of craft ideas to enjoy with children

Osechi ryori (traditional Japanese New Year’s dishes)

We propose a wall display themed around osechi cuisine, perfect for welcoming the New Year! Teachers can do the prep and then create the ingredients together with the children, letting them enjoy learning about the origins and meanings of osechi as they celebrate the New Year.

For example, colorful paper renditions of lotus root, datemaki, and shrimp will make for an eye-catching display.

You can also adjust the process by age: in the infant class, children can simply stick on parts, while in the oldest class they can make as many components as they can themselves.

This way, kids in any class can take on the challenge!

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miyabi

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Making Daruma dolls

Cute with a traditional Japanese vibe! Here’s a recommended Daruma craft for the New Year to make with kids.

You’ll need red and white construction paper, glue or another adhesive, chiyogami (Japanese patterned paper), and pens for drawing the face.

First, cut out the Daruma body and face from the construction paper and glue the face onto the body.

Next, attach pieces of cut chiyogami to the belly area, and add arms and legs made from colored paper to finish! Using a brush pen or even blush for the face can make it extra cute.

Adjust the cutting and gluing steps to suit the children’s ages and have fun with it.

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kepiko

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Colorful spinning tops

Let’s make colorful, vibrant New Year-style spinning tops using paper plates and origami.

Use a paper plate cut in half as the body of the top.

First, color the paper plate with your favorite colors using crayons or colored pencils.

Then, paste small torn pieces of origami paper on top to create mosaic-like patterns on the top.

You can use plain origami, patterned origami, or chiyogami to give it a festive New Year’s look.

Finally, attach the axle part made from colored construction paper, and it’s complete.

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utatane

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Shishimai (lion dance) with handprints and cardboard stamps

Try making a festive New Year’s shishimai (lion dance) using handprints! You can also enjoy stamp play.

First, make a handprint with green paint on construction paper.

If you spread your fingers wide, it will look more like a shishimai.

Next, use a rolled-up piece of cardboard as a stamp to dab red paint and create the costume’s pattern.

The teacher should prepare the lion’s facial parts in advance, and then work together with the children to glue them on and draw the expressions.

A lively, dynamic shishimai will boost the New Year spirit!

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tsukada moe

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New Year’s first calligraphy drawn freely

Perfect for New Year’s! Here are some creative ideas for kakizome (first calligraphy of the year).

Even if we say “kakizome,” this is a free-form version that even children who can’t write characters yet can try.

Depending on age, let them try drawing pictures, writing characters, or simple words.

After they do their kakizome on drawing paper, paste it onto a slightly larger sheet to serve as a backing.

Then attach rolled sheets of paper to the top and bottom to give it a hanging scroll look.

Finally, add pre-made parts like a rabbit daruma, a gold fan, and pieces of washi-patterned origami, and it’s done! For younger children, it’s best to prepare the parts in advance so they can simply stick them on like stickers.

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sasashina

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Hanging ema (votive plaques)

@chooobo2

Hanging ema (votive plaque) crafting 🎍#Childcare Crafting#Nursery School Craft# January productionNew Year’s craft#Ema Production

♬ WOW – IVE

We’ll introduce a hanging ema plaque craft made with bleeding art, finger stamps, and origami.

Start by drawing with water-based markers in your favorite colors on aluminum foil.

Spray with water to float the colors, then transfer them onto the plaque to create a bleeding effect.

Add patterns to the snake with finger stamps, glue on cut pieces of origami paper, and it’s done.

You can also swap the snake for a daruma using the same method—it’s adorable too.

Enjoying paint gradients and finger stamping helps children explore their own ways of expression, so we recommend adjusting the activity to suit the child’s age.

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mayumi

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Wall decorations featuring 17 oni as the main characters

[Craft Idea] 17 Demons Take Center Stage! Setsubun Wall Decoration (February) (Senior Recreation, Day Service, OT, Holly, Chili Peppers, Kumquats, Plum Blossoms, For Elderly Care Facilities, Completed with One Sheet of Poster Paper, Origami)

This is a Setsubun wall art piece that’s complete with just a single sheet of poster paper.

It depicts 17 ogres fleeing from holly and chili peppers used as talismans, along with plum blossoms and kumquats that evoke the coming of spring.

The plum blossoms and kumquats look lifelike, and each ogre has a unique expression, making it engaging to look at.

It’s made using only construction paper and origami paper, with simple steps, so people of a wide range of ages can enjoy creating it.

How about working together to produce one large collaborative masterpiece?

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sasashina

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