[Childcare] Fun to Make! Recommended Craft Ideas for Spring

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.
9 years of experience as a nursery school teacherShibata Risa
I am an active nursery school teacher with 9 years of experience. After graduating from university, I worked at a daycare center. The time I spent happily with children—playing piano, singing songs, and doing finger-play—are priceless memories to me. Currently, while raising three children of my own, I work at an after-school day service, engaging with children and providing individualized developmental support. Drawing on my diverse experiences as a childcare worker and as a mother, I hope to express and convey my thoughts through writing.

In spring, with new admissions and moving up to the next class, you can see children in all sorts of states—excited, nervous, and everything in between.

Many teachers are probably hoping that the children will come to enjoy their days at the preschool/kindergarten.

So this time, we’re sharing craft ideas perfect for spring.

We’ve gathered plenty of motifs that evoke the season—like cherry blossoms, tulips, and ladybugs—as well as ideas you can use for events such as Easter and Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day).

Decorate various areas to wrap your room in a spring atmosphere, and the children are sure to feel cozy and smile!

Give them a try.

Note: Since the things the children make are treated as “artworks,” we refer to them as “seisaku (制作)” in the text.

[Childcare] Fun to Make! Recommended Craft Ideas for Spring (111–120)

Puchi-puchi butterfly

As spring arrives, we see more butterflies in the garden, don’t we? Let’s make spring’s little heralds using bubble wrap! We’ll use the bubble wrap to create the butterfly’s wings.

Cut the bubble wrap into rectangles and draw butterfly patterns on it with permanent markers.

It could be fun to draw on either the bumpy side or the smooth back side.

Pinch the center tightly with a chenille stem (pipe cleaner) to form the middle, then make the butterfly’s body and face from colored construction paper and glue them on to finish.

Try using a chenille stem to make the antennae as well.

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utatane

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Dandelions Made of Pipe Cleaners and Yarn

@n.annlee321
Easy and fun! Make a dandelion without sewing using pipe cleaners, yarn, and felt ☺️#tiktok video contest #tiktok classroom Life with children
Shuwa-shuwa Honey Lemon 350ml – Sharou

Would you like to make a three-dimensional dandelion with adorable fluffy yarn flowers? Let’s start by making the flower.

Prepare a suitable pen and hold it together with a yellow pipe cleaner.

Wind yellow yarn around the pen and pipe cleaner 40 times, then remove the pen and tie the loops together with the pipe cleaner.

Thread a green pipe cleaner through the yellow one and wrap it around to cover the yellow pipe cleaner, forming the stem.

Cut through the center of the yarn loops, then trim the ends into a rounded shape to create a pom-pom effect.

Finally, thread a felt leaf onto the stem, and you’re done.

It’s a very cute, spring-like idea!

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hiyoko sensei

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Cherry blossoms made with lace paper

Recommended for infants! Here’s a cherry blossom craft idea using lace paper.

You’ll need lace paper, construction paper cut into a tree shape, paint, glue, construction paper, round masking tape stickers, and scissors.

First, color the lace paper with paint diluted with water.

Once it’s dry, attach the tree-shaped construction paper.

Next, cut slits into the round masking tape stickers to create cherry blossom petals and stick them on.

Finally, cut the backing paper along the silhouette, and you’re done!

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Pencil holder as a preschool graduation gift

As spring approaches, many preschools prepare gifts from the current students to the graduating ones.

How about incorporating a pencil holder into your gift-making activities? Use a paper tube, an empty snack container, or a paper cup, and finish the surface with colorful torn-paper collage.

Using various kinds of paper—construction paper, origami paper, wrapping paper, tissue paper, or chiyogami—adds different tearing textures and makes it fun.

Add a border of felt balls and attach a message card to complete it.

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utatane

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Colorful Tulips Made from Scrap Materials

Let me introduce colorful tulips made from upcycled materials using toilet paper rolls.

Prepare toilet paper rolls, paint, brushes, and colored pens.

Draw the shape of a tulip on the toilet paper roll with a pen and cut it out.

If you flatten the roll first, it’s easier to draw the design.

Once you’ve painted the tulips with paint, they’re done! Adding patterns inside the tulips can make them feel even more spring-like.

It’s also a great idea to display them in your room to enjoy the spring atmosphere.

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Stamp Cherry Blossoms Made from Scrap Materials

Here’s how to make cherry blossoms using recycled materials.

Prepare construction paper, scissors, glue, a toilet paper roll, and paint.

First, create the base of the cherry tree on the construction paper.

Shape the toilet paper roll into a heart, dip it in paint, and stamp it onto the tree.

The stamped shapes look like cherry blossom petals, giving the artwork a springtime feel.

Since children’s hands are small, it’s recommended to cut the toilet paper roll in half to make a stamp that’s easier for them to hold firmly.

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Tulips made with sensory play

Introducing a tulip craft made with sensory play that 2-year-olds will love and that both kids and adults can enjoy together.

Prepare paint, construction paper, and a zip-top bag.

Drip your favorite paints onto the construction paper, place it inside the bag, and seal it.

Spread the paint by pressing and sliding it from outside the bag.

Children can experience the cool temperature of the paint and how the colors mix.

Take the paper out, let the paint dry, and then cut it into the shape of tulips.

Finally, glue the cut-out tulip flowers onto another sheet where you’ve drawn the stems and leaves—and it’s complete!

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