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.
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[For 1-year-olds] Craft ideas to enjoy in spring: Flowers and koinobori (21–30)
Colorful butterflies made with balloon stamps
https://www.tiktok.com/@hoiku.labo/video/7340139460689939730The bouncy, tapping feel is so much fun! Here’s an idea for making colorful butterflies with balloon stamps.
A balloon stamp is an art technique where you inflate a balloon, dab it in paint, and tap it onto drawing paper to add color.
This time, we’ll use balloon stamps to create butterflies that let you enjoy beautiful color blending.
Adjust the size of the balloon to fit your child’s hand.
Take this opportunity to give it a try!
Colorful Eggs Made with Tissue Paper
Fun for babies and toddlers! Here’s a colorful egg craft idea using tissue paper.
It’s an activity even infants can enjoy, so it’s perfect for anyone spending time with a baby class.
The bright colors make it a cute, pop-style craft.
You’ll need construction paper, tissue paper, scissors, glue, and crayons.
Cut the construction paper into an egg shape, then tear the tissue paper and stick it on with glue.
For easier participation, try applying the glue directly to the egg-shaped construction paper so the children can simply press the tissue pieces onto it.
[1-year-olds] Craft ideas to enjoy in spring: flowers and koinobori (31–40)
Tulips made with handprints
We’d like to introduce a tulip wall display made with handprints that will be a lovely keepsake of children’s growth.
Prepare construction paper, green paint, brushes, and a palette.
Cut out the flower and stem parts from construction paper, then glue them onto a background sheet.
Apply paint thinned with a little water to the children’s palms and press their handprints onto the stem area of the tulips.
The key is to press quickly when making the handprints.
Make sure to prepare everything thoroughly in advance so the activity goes smoothly.
The tulip leaves will turn into adorable handprints.
If you like, add paper cutouts shaped like butterflies for a charming, springtime wall display.
Drawing transforms into tulips!
Introducing an original wall display where kids’ drawings transform into tulips.
Gather construction paper, crayons, glue, and scissors, and let’s get started.
Have the children draw freely on the construction paper.
Then cut the drawn paper into tulip flower and leaf pieces.
It’s also recommended to first cut the paper into flower and leaf shapes and then have the children draw on them.
Glue the tulip flowers onto a sheet where the stem and soil have already been attached, and it’s complete.
For children aged three and up, try letting them make the stem and soil parts too, according to their developmental stage.
Finish it off by drawing clouds and butterflies with crayons or making them from construction paper and gluing them on!
Straw-blown painting flowers
Let’s make it with a simple process! Here are some ideas for blow-painting flowers using straws.
Blow painting with straws is an art technique where you blow through a straw onto paint thinned with water to create beautiful patterns and images on paper.
By blowing the paint with a straw, you get unique results.
It’s fun for both kids and adults, so try making it together with children.
What you’ll need: drawing paper, crayons, paint, and straws.
The key is the simple process—just place some watered-down paint on the paper and blow gently through the straw!
Ants’ Errand
Here’s a craft project featuring the familiar “Ant’s Errand” from the song.
Prepare black construction paper and crayons, and let’s get started.
Have the children draw pictures on the construction paper using crayons.
When cutting out the ant’s parts from the paper, the key is to cut from the areas where the children’s drawings are.
Once all the parts are glued onto the base sheet, stick on round stickers for the eyes, add a mouth cut from construction paper, and it’s complete! Adding stickers or torn origami around it gives it a warm, handmade feel—highly recommended.
Onigiri Boy
May has the perfect weather for field trips, doesn’t it? Here’s a craft that lets you enjoy a field-trip mood: making a little rice-ball buddy.
Gather construction paper, scissors, crayons, kitchen paper (paper towels), double-sided tape, and clear tape, and let’s get started.
Use crayons to draw rice-ball fillings on the kitchen paper.
It’s fun to use lots of different colors.
Wrap a tissue with the illustrated kitchen paper, shape it into a triangle, and keep forming it.
Cut black construction paper into a nori (seaweed) shape and stick it on to finish.
It would be great to enjoy pretend field trips with the delicious-looking rice balls the children make!