Craft ideas for 1-year-olds to enjoy in spring: flowers and koinobori (carp streamers)
Curious and eager to go and try things, one-year-olds often have a strong desire to explore.
They also show interest in making things, and their motivation to “give it a try” grows.
For those wondering what kinds of projects to enjoy with one-year-olds, here are some spring recommendations.
We’ve gathered ideas for creating fun motifs like flowers, animals, and carp streamers (koinobori) using a variety of materials and techniques.
These activities will make craft time exciting for the children, so please use them as a reference.
Because we treat children’s creations as works of art, we use the term “seisaku (制作)” to mean “art/craft projects” throughout the text.
[For 1-year-olds] Craft ideas to enjoy in spring: flowers and koinobori (1–10)
Fluttering butterfly
Don’t you see yellow and white butterflies in the spring? Children chasing the gently fluttering butterflies are so adorable, aren’t they? This craft project is all about those cute butterflies.
Teachers can prepare butterfly-shaped templates by cutting them out, and let the children freely enjoy decorating them with stickers.
They can make them while recalling the butterflies they met outside, or by looking at picture books and field guides—it sounds fun either way! Once finished, you can display the butterflies on the wall, or attach clear thread and hang them so they look like they’re flying around the room.
The children are sure to love it.
Cherry tree made with stamps
Cherry blossoms blooming in the schoolyard and outdoors—their delicate pale pink color is so beautiful, isn’t it? Let’s try making them easily with paint stamping.
Once you’ve prepared drawing paper with branches and a trunk drawn on it, have the children use pink paint to stamp the blossoms.
They can go bold using their fingers or palms, but stamping with the bottom of a plastic bottle is fun too! Depending on the bottle’s shape, the stamp can look like a flower, so it might be interesting to try different bottles and wait for the children to notice the patterns themselves.
Sensory Bottle Made with Cherry Blossom Petals
When you think of spring, many of you probably picture cherry blossoms.
Cherry trees in full bloom are dazzling, yet their petals fall quickly, giving them a fleeting, delicate beauty.
This time, we’ll show you how to make a sensory bottle that lets you enjoy that cherry blossom charm for a long time.
The method is very simple: put liquid laundry starch and cherry blossoms into an empty bottle, then secure the lid with glue, and you’re done.
Adding cotton balls or beads is also recommended.
Gaze at the softly drifting blossoms and take your time to relax and feel soothed.
Wobbly Paper Plate Koinobori
Here’s a cute wobbling carp streamer craft.
Prepare a round paper plate and cut off about one-third of it.
On the larger remaining piece, let the children freely stick round stickers.
If you cut the round stickers in half, they can represent scales, but if sticking them is difficult, keeping them round is still very cute.
Once decorated, fold the plate in half and add eyes on both sides.
That’s it! Place it on a flat surface and gently press it with your finger—the carp streamer will wobble and it’s lots of fun.
It’s a carp streamer you can both make and play with—give it a try!
Cherry blossoms made with newspaper stamps
https://www.tiktok.com/@hoiku.labo/video/7337511024360213768Let’s make use of familiar materials! I’ll show you an idea for creating cherry blossoms using newspaper stamps.
You’ll need drawing paper, crayons, newspaper, paint, and a paper plate.
First, use the crayon to draw the cherry tree trunk on the drawing paper.
Next, put some paint on the paper plate.
A single color looks nice, but I recommend using two colors so you can enjoy how they blend.
Finally, pick up paint with a crumpled piece of newspaper and dab it onto the paper—stamp, stamp—and you’ll have a tree in full bloom!
Let’s decorate with springtime natural items!
https://www.tiktok.com/@hoikushisatomi/video/7230039986727423234Let’s decorate with springtime treasures! Here’s a perfect spring craft you can make by collecting fallen flowers and wild grasses on a walk.
First, place a sheet of cooking paper (parchment paper) down and put a frame-shaped piece of construction paper on top.
Apply OPP tape (clear packaging tape) over the opening.
Peel the tape, flip it sticky-side up, and arrange the flowers you picked.
Seal it with another layer of OPP tape and trim off the excess—done! It will keep for about two to three weeks, so if you want it to last longer, it’s best to press the flowers first and then make it.
Decorating the paper frame is super cute, too, so give it a try!
wriggly caterpillar
https://www.instagram.com/p/C4Xq3hHPAlE/How about making a cute, three-dimensional wiggly caterpillar? You’ll need colored construction paper, thick paper/cardboard, tissue paper, small black round stickers, double-sided tape, and scissors.
Cut the thick paper into circles, then have the children crumple tissue paper in their favorite colors and stick it on.
Be sure to apply double-sided tape to the thick paper beforehand.
Once you’ve made as many segments as you like, add the caterpillar’s eyes with the black round stickers to finish.
Arrange the segments freely to create and display your caterpillar’s shape.
Crumpling the fluffy tissue paper offers both visual and tactile stimulation that’s great for kids.