Lovely childcare

[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 (161–170)

Strawberries made with cotton swab stamps

[Spring Craft] How to Make Strawberries with Cotton Swab Stamps! [Ages 2 and up] (ASMR-style video)

Strawberries made with cotton swab stamps

For a spring craft, let’s make bright red, delicious-looking strawberries.

Prepare construction paper, paint, cotton swabs, scissors, and glue.

Cut the construction paper into strawberry shapes, then dip a cotton swab in paint and stamp on the seeds.

If you use a slightly larger amount of paint and thin it well with water first, the seed color will transfer more easily.

Once you glue the calyx to the top of the strawberry, it’s complete.

Cutting origami to decorate around the strawberry or adding washi tape will make it look even more spring-like and festive.

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Butterfly mobile in a field of rapeseed blossoms

[Spring Craft] A Butterfly Mobile for a Canola Flower Field That Delights Babies 🦋

Butterfly mobile in a field of rapeseed blossoms

This is a mobile of a canola flower field and fluttering butterflies, with an adorable look.

Cut around the middle of a plastic bottle and cover the cut edge with tape.

Attach a ribbon so it can be hung, and decorate it with origami cut into the shape of canola flowers.

Cut butterfly shapes from origami, attach separately made face and body parts, and fix thread to the back.

Finally, tape the threads to the plastic bottle, and you’ll have a gently swaying, spring-themed mobile.

Using children’s face photos for the butterflies’ faces would make it even cuter.

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Mobile of clouds and balloons

Feel the sky with the cute hanging decoration “Fluffy Cloud and Hot Air Balloon” ☁

Mobile of clouds and balloons

It spins around and looks so cute! Let me share an idea for a mobile with fluffy clouds and hot air balloons.

You’ll need scissors, glue, thread, beads, translucent origami paper, tissue paper, four rubber bands, craft adhesive, tape, and bamboo skewers.

Use the tissue paper and rubber bands to make fluffy clouds, and make the hot air balloons with the translucent origami paper and beads.

You’ll build a frame with the bamboo skewers and hang the pieces, so if you’re making this with children, be sure to work with safety in mind.

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strawberry

Handmade Childcare Video: How to Make Strawberries (Fruit Series 1/3) “How to Make Toy Strawberries” #HowToMakeChildren’sToys

strawberry

Strawberries are a spring fruit that little children love.

How about making 3D strawberries by hand that are perfect for pretend play? You can easily make them using scrap paper like newspaper, a clear plastic bag, green and red tissue paper, and a black permanent marker.

First, crumple the newspaper into a strawberry shape, then wrap it with the red tissue paper followed by the plastic bag.

For the calyx, use double-sided tape to attach the green tissue paper.

Rolling and twisting will make it a fun activity for kids.

Finish by drawing the seeds with a black marker, and you’ll have glossy, delicious-looking strawberries!

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Stroll Binoculars

A Little Craft Project: Colorful! Fun Binoculars

Stroll Binoculars

These fun binoculars with colored lenses will spark kids’ curiosity.

You’ll need two toilet paper rolls, colored cellophane, origami paper, ribbon, scissors, tape, and double-sided tape.

For little adventurers, a key tip is to attach a strap so they can wear it around their necks.

Take them to the playground or on neighborhood walks and let the children look around for things—like a “Let’s find signs of spring” game.

It’s also fun to make different colors of cellophane and enjoy the changing views!

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flower decoration

[Nursery/Kindergarten] 6 Easy-to-Make Flower Decorations ♪ Perfect for Wall Displays and Events!

flower decoration

Here are six types of flower decorations that can be easily made with items found in the preschool and are also useful for events.

There are various flowers: ones made with paper tape, punch-out flowers, kirigami flowers, flowers using tissue paper, and flowers made with construction paper.

For the paper tape flowers, you curl the tape into ring-like loops to form petals.

Stick five petals together with glue, then attach a crumpled ball in the center as the flower’s core, and it’s done.

They’re all very simple and, above all, look gorgeous.

The three-dimensional, colorful flowers are sure to boost that springtime excitement!

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Strawberries made with wet-on-wet painting

[No paint needed] Make bleed-style art with water-based pens! How to draw a cute strawberry [Daycare/Kindergarten]

Strawberries made with wet-on-wet painting

Kids love sweet-and-tart strawberries! Their cute shape makes them perfect for spring crafts, too.

Let’s make strawberries that let you enjoy a bleeding/blending effect even without paint! For little ones who aren’t ready to handle paints yet, water-based markers are recommended.

Color water-permeable paper—like coffee filters—with water-based markers, then spritz with water to create a bleed effect.

For the strawberry seeds, use oil-based materials like crayons; once it dries, the seeds will stand out in a fun way! Finally, shape it into a strawberry, make the green calyx from construction paper, and stick it on to finish.

They’re great for wall decorations, so give it a try.

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