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 Spring Craft Ideas (31–40)

bamboo shoot

Introducing an easy way to fold a bamboo shoot with origami! Why not fold some during the spring season and use them as decorations? [Ori-Tsuku]

bamboo shoot

The plump, rounded shape is so cute! Here’s a fun bamboo shoot idea.

Bamboo shoots are in season in spring, and their texture and aroma are distinctive, aren’t they? Some preschools may even include hands-on experiences with bamboo shoots as part of food education.

This time, let’s make a bamboo shoot out of origami! All you need is one sheet of brown origami paper.

If you crease firmly as you fold, it will turn out beautifully.

When decorating, we recommend adding green accents like bamboo leaves or stalks to make it look more festive.

Give it a try!

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No-sew felt cherry blossoms

[No Sewing!] Handmade Sakura Garland with Felt / No Pattern Needed / Easy / 100-Yen Shop DIY / felt / handmade / craft / cherry blossoms

No-sew felt cherry blossoms

When a room is decorated with pink cherry blossoms, it feels so festive and exciting, doesn’t it? Here’s an idea for making cherry blossoms out of felt—and you can do it without any sewing! Prepare a piece of pink felt measuring 4 cm by 20 cm.

Mark it at 4 cm intervals along the length to make four sections, then make vertical cuts at each mark, cutting about two-thirds of the way down.

Round the edges of the five frilly sections into gentle arches, then fold each arch in half and cut it diagonally to form petal shapes.

Apply glue to the base of the petal on the side without slits, and glue the ends together as well to finish.

You can customize it however you like, so try adapting the basic shape to create all kinds of variations!

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figure-eight pinwheel

Figure-Eight Pinwheel | Make and Play! | #shorts #childcare #crafts #handmadeToys

figure-eight pinwheel

Feel the spring breeze! Here’s how to make a figure-eight pinwheel that’s perfect for preschool activities.

You will need: paper plates, double-sided tape, wood glue, bamboo skewers, beads, and decorations.

Cut out the centers of two paper plates.

Punch four holes, then combine the plates into a figure-eight shape using double-sided tape.

Put a bit of wood glue into a bead’s hole and attach it to a bamboo skewer.

After threading it through the hole, wrap tape around the skewer so the plate doesn’t slide down.

Assemble the second tier the same way, add decorations, and you’re done!

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Garland made with paper strips

Cute cherry blossom decorations made with paper strips (with voice commentary) — How to make cute cherry blossom flower decorations using paper and staples

Garland made with paper strips

Here’s a charming cherry blossom decoration made from paper strips.

You’ll need pink construction paper, a stapler, scissors, a pencil, a ruler, and thread.

Prepare one strip measuring 2 cm by 30 cm and another strip measuring 2 cm by 20 cm from the pink paper.

Fold the 20 cm strip in half, then fold each half again to form an M shape.

Fold the 30 cm strip in half as well, mark 5 cm from the loose/fluttering end, fold at the mark, then continue folding it into an accordion with 5 cm-wide sections.

Slightly fold the mountain-fold edges to shape them like cherry blossom petals, staple the ends together, and finally turn the loop inside out to finish.

Make lots of them and thread them onto a string to decorate!

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Dandelions made with tissue paper

Seasonal Decorations: Dandelion – Flower Paper, Easy Arrangement

Dandelions made with tissue paper

Dandelions poke their heads out of the ground when spring arrives.

Seeing them take root even in asphalt gives these spring flowers a sense of strength! Let’s try making dandelions by arranging flower paper.

Flower paper—also known as tissue paper—is a thin paper material you can find at 100-yen shops.

Cut slits into both ends of a bundled stack of flower paper, open it out firmly like a fan, and gently separate the sheets one by one.

It might also be fun to make the distinctive dandelion leaves out of colored construction paper! The process of opening the flowers is something children will likely get absorbed in.

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[Childcare] Fun to Make! Recommended Craft Ideas for Spring (41–50)

Let’s make it using tissue paper

How to Make a Dandelion Wall Display? A Preschool Teacher Explains Recommended Spring New-Term Crafts (For Ages 1–3)

Let's make it using tissue paper

Here’s a cute spring wall display featuring dandelions.

Prepare construction paper, tissue paper, round stickers, scissors, and glue to get started.

Cut a circle from construction paper, fold it three times to divide it into eight sections, then cut two triangular notches at the top.

When you open the paper, it will form a dandelion shape.

Make the fluff (seed head) the same way using a different color of construction paper.

Use green construction paper to create leaves and stems.

Glue the dandelion parts onto the base sheet.

For the ladybug, assemble all the parts and use round stickers to make the wing spots.

Changing the color of the round stickers would be cute too.

Crumple tissue paper into a small ball for the dandelion center, glue it on, and you’re done!

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A cute dandelion you can use a pattern for

Easy and cute March wall decoration with pattern: “Dandelion”

A cute dandelion you can use a pattern for

Using templates makes it easier to visualize shapes and to create them.

Here’s a dandelion made with templates.

Cut the dandelion petals and leaves along the template.

Crease the cut petals and leaves to give them a three-dimensional look.

When gluing all the parts together, attach them while checking the overall balance.

It’s also a great idea to make a spring insect—a butterfly—as an accent and let it “fly.” Adding patterns to the butterfly with round stickers might make it even cuter.

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