Lovely childcare

Craft ideas for 1-year-olds to enjoy in spring: flowers and koinobori (carp streamers)

20 years of experience as a nursery teacher / kindergarten teacherhiyoko sensei
I’m Hiyoko-sensei, a former nursery school teacher from Hyogo Prefecture. Ever since I was five, my dream was to become a childcare worker, and before I knew it, 20 years had passed since I achieved that dream. Through singing and playing with the children, I kept working with the spirit of someone in their twenties, even as I increasingly felt my physical limits year by year (haha). From here on, I’d like to share helpful information carefully and thoughtfully, drawing on my on-site experience.
Nursery Teacher Mom Writertsukada moe
After working for five years at an after-school childcare club and three years at a nursery school, I began working as a freelance writer. I’m a mother of two children. Inspired by playing the flute in the school wind ensemble in elementary school, I joined a jazz club at university. I’ve also incorporated ukulele and piano performance into childcare. Playing, laughing, feeling sad, feeling frustrated—through all kinds of experiences, I want children to grow.

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.

Craft ideas to enjoy in spring for 1-year-olds: Flowers and Koinobori (11–20)

Cherry blossom petal stamp

https://www.tiktok.com/@hoikushi_bank/video/7070815400073760001

The gently bleeding paint is beautiful! Let me introduce a cherry blossom petal stamp.

You’ll need: an empty lactic acid beverage bottle, vinyl tape, scissors, cushion foam sheet, a pen, a paper cup, a sponge, paint, drawing paper, and a plastic bottle cap.

First, let’s make the stamp.

Attach the plastic bottle cap and petal-shaped pieces cut from the cushion sheet to the empty beverage bottle, then reinforce with vinyl tape—that’s it! For the stamp pad, use a paper cup.

Cut the sponge into a circle, then add pink-mixed paint and water.

This handmade cherry blossom petal stamp lets you create beautifully old-fashioned-looking sakura, so it’s a highly recommended craft!

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Puchi-Puchi Strawberry

https://www.tiktok.com/@hoiku_ratty/video/7462727694682197269

When it comes to spring flavors, strawberries are a must! Here’s a strawberry craft that even young children can make.

Prepare bubble wrap, tissue paper, construction paper, and round stickers.

Shape the bubble wrap into a strawberry with the bubbly side facing outward.

Have the children crumple red or pink tissue paper and place it inside the strawberry shape you made.

Seal the opening with tape, then stick on the round stickers as strawberry seeds to finish.

For the calyx (leafy top), it’s best to cut it a bit larger.

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Balloons made of felt

This is a project for making balloons with the fun texture of felt.

Felt fabric has a different feel from paper, and I think children will like its touch.

It’s often used for handmade toys, so it might be a familiar material.

Simply cut the felt into various shapes and stick them onto a balloon template to finish.

You can use wood glue when attaching the pieces, but double-sided tape also works.

Many 100-yen shops sell adhesive felt sheets, so using those can make the process even smoother.

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Rapeseed blossoms made with cotton swab stamps

https://www.tiktok.com/@hoiku.labo/video/7211426949196041473

Speaking of spring, the bright yellow fields of canola flowers are so beautiful, aren’t they? Here’s a craft featuring canola blossoms that even one-year-olds can enjoy.

Prepare construction paper, paint, and five cotton swabs, and let’s get started.

First, make the base for the canola blossoms and stems using construction paper.

Bundle the five cotton swabs with a rubber band to create a stamp for the flower portion.

Dip the bundled swabs, thinned with a little water, into yellow paint and stamp the flower area.

The slightly raised paint texture looks so delicate and really brings out the canola-flower feel.

It’s also fun to change the paint and paper colors to create your own original canola blossoms.

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Koinobori made with tissue paper

[Easy to make with kids♪] Simple Koinobori craft using tissue paper 🎏 #preschoolcrafts #nurseryteacher #earlychildhoodideas #teachertrainee #teacherlife #withkids #constructionpaper #walldecorcraft #paper crafts #koinobori

Koinobori made with tissue paper

How about making a fluffy koinobori using a plastic bag and tissue paper? Tear and crumple tissue paper and put it into a clear plastic bag.

Some children will tear boldly, some will crumple small pieces, some will use a single color, and others will make it colorful with many colors.

Since even infants create with their own preferences and intentions, it’s best to value their free ideas and let them proceed as they wish, as long as it’s safe.

Attach fins, an eye, and scales to the filled bag, then fix it to a stick made by rolling up paper—and it’s done! Take your koinobori along and enjoy a walk.

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Easter Bunny made of fluffy cotton

[Easter Craft] Fluffy Bunny Made with a Plastic Bag 🐇 #PreschoolCrafts #NurseryTeacher #TeachingIdeas #TeacherTrainee #TeacherLife #WithKids #Easter #EasyCraft #EasterCraft #Bunny

Easter Bunny made of fluffy cotton

A plastic bag that’s often used for crafts.

This time, let’s use this plastic bag to make a bunny that children love! We’ll also use cotton, so before you start, let the kids enjoy the feel of the cotton.

After they’ve explored the texture, pack the cotton into a white plastic bag with handles, and once it’s filled, tie the handles together.

The tied part will look like bunny ears, so you might hear the kids exclaim, “Bunny!” Hide the knot with a ribbon, draw the eyes and mouth, and it’s complete.

It’s fluffy and looks like a little doll.

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[For 1-year-olds] Craft ideas to enjoy in spring: Flowers and koinobori (21–30)

Torn-paper collage: Cherry tree

[Graduation/Entrance Ceremony] Make it from 0 years old! Let’s create a cherry blossom tree with torn-paper collage ♪ [Spring Craft]

Torn-paper collage: Cherry tree

As a spring craft idea, here’s a cherry blossom tree made with torn paper.

First, prepare by drawing the tree trunk on construction paper.

You could draw just the outline and let the children color it in.

Next, prepare several sheets of tissue paper in different shades and let them tear the paper as they like.

Encourage them to enjoy the ripping sensation and to feel the softness by crumpling the torn pieces in their hands.

Spread glue over the trunk drawn on the construction paper, then stick on the torn tissue paper to make the cherry blossoms full and blooming—and it’s complete!

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