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[Childcare] A roundup of craft ideas for 1-year-olds, perfect for summer

[Childcare] A roundup of craft ideas for 1-year-olds, perfect for summer

Last updated:2025/6/17

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
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.

As summer arrives, it seems even the one-year-olds are gradually getting used to life at the daycare.

Since each one-year-old has their own pace, it’s important to enjoy creation in ways that suit each child.

Trying a variety of motifs and techniques helps ideas flow freely.

Themes related to summer—like the ocean, sunflowers, or fish—are also recommended.

By coloring, sticking stickers, and pressing with their hands, children can experience the fun of textures and colors.

With teachers’ support, please enjoy creating together! Because the children’s work is treated as “artworks,” the term used in the text is “seisaku” (制作).

[Childcare] A collection of summer-perfect craft ideas for 1-year-olds (1–10)

[Sticker Application] Yo-yo Production

Indoor play for ages 0–1: Sticker activity, at-home play, summer craft—making water yo-yos, and crayon play

[Sticker Application] Yo-yo Production

Let’s use sticker play to create summer-themed yo-yos.

First, as preparation, draw yo-yo shapes on construction paper, cut them out, and paste them onto white drawing paper.

The key is to choose vibrant colors that pop against the white paper.

Using two yo-yos in different colors side by side makes the piece extra cute.

After pasting the yo-yos, draw the yo-yo strings with crayons.

Then let the children enjoy scribbling over the yo-yos and adding stickers.

They’ll create lots of fun, free-form patterns!

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Playing aquarium

[Ages 0–2] “Let’s Play Aquarium”

Playing aquarium

Here’s a fun pretend-aquarium activity that lets you feel cool during the hot and humid days of July.

Use blue plastic bags as a stand-in for the ocean and make your fish swim through it.

Create your favorite sea creatures—like whales, fish, starfish, and jellyfish—and you’ll encounter all kinds of ocean life.

If you also hang plastic bags from the ceiling and stick the sea creatures on them, the whole space will feel like an aquarium.

The best part is that people of any age can enjoy it!

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Fireworks made from scrap stamping

Let me introduce a super fun stamping firework craft using recycled materials.

Get a toilet paper roll, paint, and aluminum foil ready, and let’s make it! Use scissors to cut thin vertical slits into one end of the toilet paper roll, then flare the strips outward.

Squeeze some paint onto the aluminum foil, and dab the cut end of the roll into the paint.

Stamp it onto construction paper to create beautiful fireworks.

Layering a few colors can make the fireworks even more striking.

Stamping on black construction paper is recommended!

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3 summer wall decoration ideas

[For Nursery Teachers] 3 Summer Wall Decoration Ideas — Great for Infants and Toddlers, Perfect for Finger Play ♪ Montessori-Inspired

3 summer wall decoration ideas

Here are three summer craft ideas for infants.

The first is a refreshing-looking fish made with a clear bag and tissue paper.

The second is a whale made with flat plastic ribbon (suzuran tape) and construction paper.

The third is a wall decoration of a rabbit made with a paper plate and construction paper.

Crumple tissue paper, stick on stickers, and draw patterns and designs with crayons… These are all wonderful ideas that help little ones use their fingers a lot.

With a few adjustments, toddlers can enjoy them too, so feel free to use these as references and give them a try!

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[scribbles] Tanabata decorations

Tanabata decorations where you can write wishes are perfect for a summer craft.

Try making them together with one-year-olds.

First, let them scribble with crayons on white construction paper, then decorate it with round stickers.

Cut it into the shape of Hikoboshi’s body, and paste another piece of paper on top where the wish will be written.

The key is to make the most of the lovely patterns the children create.

Prepare Orihime and Hikoboshi’s faces with construction paper, and let the children make the facial parts with stickers or draw them with crayons.

After that, just glue all the parts together.

You could also interview the parents to write down the children’s wishes.

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[Paper Plate] Turtle with a Vivid Shell

Let’s make turtles with colorful shells using the chigiri-e (torn paper) technique.

First, prepare several colors of origami paper for the turtle shells.

Let the children freely tear the origami paper.

Create an environment where they can focus on tearing, and provide a larger container so their pieces don’t get mixed up with their friends’.

Spread glue on a paper plate and start sticking the torn pieces onto it.

It’s okay if there are gaps or if the same colors overlap.

To finish, the teacher should attach the turtle’s face and legs.

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[Paints and Stickers] Watermelon Bag

With paint and round stickers, you can make a watermelon shoulder bag.

First, prepare a deep paper plate and paint it red.

Once the paint is dry, let the children freely stick on black round stickers.

Then the teacher finishes it up: cut the paper plate in half, overlap the rims, and secure them with green vinyl tape.

Punch holes at both ends and thread a vinyl cord through.

Since there are individual differences in body size among one-year-olds, adjust the cord length for each child.

This bag can be used in various situations, such as carrying toys inside or taking it along on walks.

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