[Childcare] A roundup of summer craft ideas to enjoy with 2-year-olds

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.

A fun summer for children.At around age two, children’s minds and bodies grow rapidly, and the ways they express themselves expand.In childcare settings, it’s nice to incorporate ideas that let children feel the season of summer while enjoying crafts.However, if you always use similar methods, things can sometimes feel a bit dull.So here, we introduce summer craft ideas you can enjoy together with two-year-olds.There are many ideas, so please use them as inspiration and enjoy summer with the children!Because the things children make are treated as works, we use the term “seisaku (制作),” meaning production/work, in the text.

[Childcare] Summer craft ideas to enjoy with 2-year-olds (31–40)

[Aluminum Foil] Ocean Motif

Let’s make shiny shells and fish using aluminum foil.

First, stick aluminum foil onto construction paper, then cut out shell and fish shapes with scissors.

Put them into a bag, add a little bit of about three different colors of paint, and seal it.

Now you’re ready! Have the children spread the paint over the shapes by pressing and rubbing the bag with their hands and fingers.

Once the paint has spread all over, take the pieces out of the bag and use a cotton swab to draw eyes and scale patterns.

You can’t do this step once the paint dries, so be sure to do it before it dries.

Painting both sides and hanging them as decorations is also a cute idea.

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sasashina

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[Suzu-ran Tape] Shaved Ice

Speaking of foods you want to eat in summer, shaved ice! So let’s try making a shaved ice craft.

Prepare the ice portion and the bowl ahead of time using construction paper.

Apply glue to the ice part, then roll up short pieces of raffia ribbon and stick them on.

Have white ribbon for the ice and red, blue, yellow, etc.

to represent syrups.

The step of tightly crumpling the ribbon is great finger training.

It’s also a project where children’s individuality will show through the colors and amount of syrup they choose.

Using raffia ribbon creates a very fluffy-looking shaved ice, so be sure to try this as a summer craft.

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[Handprint/Footprint Art] Octopus and Squid Swimming in the Sea

Let’s make summery octopus and squid crafts using children’s handprints.

First, take one handprint each using red and white paint.

Next, prepare construction paper for the octopus and squid faces.

Have the kids create the faces with stickers or crayons.

Once the handprints are dry, cut them out and use the fingers as legs, attaching them to the face pieces.

For the background paper, stamp patterns using a toilet paper roll and paint.

Since controlling the pressure can be tricky, it’s reassuring for the teacher to help.

To finish, glue on the octopus and squid, along with seaweed and rocks, and you’re done!

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[Footprint] Beach Sandals

This is a cute craft for making beach sandals using children’s footprints.

Cut white construction paper into a circle and draw wave patterns with a white crayon.

Paint blue watercolor over it so the kids can enjoy the crayon-resist effect.

This will be the base, so once the paint dries, glue it onto thick cardstock.

Next, trace the child’s foot, cut it into a sandal shape, and glue it onto the cardstock.

Punch three holes where the strap (pipe cleaner) will go, and secure the pipe cleaner after the children thread beads onto it.

Your footprint sandals are complete.

If you prepare paints and pipe cleaners in several colors, the children can enjoy choosing their favorites.

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Shaved ice in a scribble style

When it comes to drawing methods for children around ages 1 to 2, scribbling is the go-to.

This activity uses that scribbling to make shaved ice art.

First, have the children freely scribble with crayons on white construction paper.

Any colors and any number of colors are fine.

Cut the paper into the shape of ice, then stick it onto a bowl made from another sheet of construction paper to complete the shaved ice! The feel of the shaved ice changes depending on which part of the paper you cut out, so try to find the best section.

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[Childcare] A collection of summer craft ideas to enjoy with 2-year-olds (41–50)

Watercolor-style Shirokuma (polar bear) panties

Even polar bears that aren’t good with the heat might still want to enjoy summer a little, right? To help a polar bear get into the summer spirit, let’s make some cute shorts! Cut construction paper into the shape of shorts, lightly mist it with a spray bottle, and drop several colors of paint thinned with plenty of water to create a bleeding effect.

Once the colors have dried, combine it with construction paper cut into a polar bear shape and add parts like the eyes and mouth to finish! You could also have the children draw the eyes and mouth later with crayons.

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Peta Peta Ice Candy

Let’s have children aged 0–1 try making ice cream toppings! Please prepare not only the base items—ice cream scoops, cones, and sticks—but also the materials for the toppings.

Recommended topping materials include small pieces of origami, various shapes made with craft punches, stickers, and felt balls.

Encourage the children to freely stick these on and enjoy decorating their ice cream.

Try making a one-of-a-kind, cute, and delicious ice cream!

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SAKI

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