A lovely surprise

[Thank-You Party] Surprise Ideas That Will Delight in Nursery and Kindergarten!

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.
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.

We want to express our gratitude to the teachers at the graduation ceremony and thank-you party.

Many of you might be looking for surprise ideas with that feeling in mind.

There are plenty of ways to make the appreciation event a special time, such as handmade gifts, videos, and heartfelt performances.

In this article, we’ll introduce many surprise ideas for the thank-you party that will truly touch the hearts of the teachers who have watched over the children’s growth.

Everything here is designed so everyone can enjoy preparing together from planning to the big day, so please use it as a reference!

[Thank-You Party] Ideas for Surprises That Will Delight at Nursery Schools and Kindergartens (31–40)

A DIY Clock You Can Make with Kids

http://www.lemon8-app.com

Let’s make a handmade clock using a pastel canvas and a kit.

First, drop a few colors of your favorite paint onto the pastel canvas, place it in a sealed bag, and press with your hands to spread the paint across the entire canvas.

Once the paint is dry, stick your choice of rhinestone stickers on the dial area, make a hole in the center, and attach the clock kit.

You’re free to design the pastel canvas however you like—capturing a memory in a painting is a great idea, too.

We recommend using acrylic paint.

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lidded tissue box

People with hay fever, you’ll want to see this! I made a stylish, portable tissue case with a lid that you can carry around as a whole — Handmade tutorial video — tissue pouch.

lidded tissue box

A tissue case is a handy item to have when you’re out and about, and it makes a well-received gift.

It’s especially practical for teachers with hay fever or children, since they can use it every day.

The key feature of this tissue case is, above all, its convenient lid.

It’s hygienic, and the inner pocket is a nice bonus! Prepare your favorite fabric, bias tape, a cord, and a lid for wet wipes, then sew it together with a sewing machine.

It will carry the warmth of something handmade and is sure to become a treasured item.

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Clear file decoration

[100-Yen DIY!] Decorate Clear Files with a Hole Punch: How to Make Cute Files

Clear file decoration

How about handmade decorations using clear files? By punching out cute shapes with a craft punch and sticking them onto a transparent clear file, or decorating it with colored paper and stickers, you can create a one-of-a-kind clear file.

Adding the children’s names or messages is also recommended.

The process is simple and fun to do together as a parent-child activity.

The finished file can be used to hold documents and handouts, making it practical for teachers while also letting them feel the children’s thoughtfulness anytime.

It’s an idea that conveys the warmth and individuality unique to handmade gifts.

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Handmade accordion album

Handmade accordion album project for a preschool graduation memento

Handmade accordion album

How about a handmade accordion album as a graduation gift from preschool? An album that opens like an accordion lets you arrange and paste photos and messages in order, so you can enjoy the children’s memories every time you look back at it.

First, apply fabric glue to the back side of the fabric.

Attach a 10 cm x 10 cm piece of thick paper to the center of the fabric.

Fold construction paper into an accordion at 10 cm intervals.

Glue the construction paper sections together to create as many panels as you like.

Next, cut out photos of the children and paste them onto the construction paper.

Once you attach the fabric-covered front and back covers, it’s complete!

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Handmade Colorful Candle

#2 Let's Make Colorful Candles!

Handmade Colorful Candle

By melting ordinary candles and mixing in grated crayons, you can make colorful candles with a gentle glow.

Be sure to have an adult help you.

First, shave the candles and crayons.

Spread some dish soap inside a paper cup, tie the wick to a toothpick, and set it across the cup.

Next, put the candle shavings and crayons into an aluminum cup and melt them in hot water.

Once it cools and hardens, peel open the paper cup and it’s done! By choosing and layering the colors your children like, you can create a one-of-a-kind original candle.

Decorating it with wrapping and stickers adds an extra-special touch and is highly recommended.

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[Thank-You Party] Ideas for Surprises That Will Delight at Nursery Schools and Kindergartens (41–50)

Non-woven wool coaster

No-knit yarn coaster / No knitting. Wool coaster

Non-woven wool coaster

A “no-knit yarn coaster” you can make with your child is great because all you need is cardboard and yarn.

Use a piece of cardboard measuring 16 cm by 21 cm, cut evenly spaced 1 cm slits along both short edges, and secure chopsticks at the ends.

Take two strands of yarn together and hook them into the slits one by one.

Once all the slits are threaded with yarn horizontally, start adding the vertical strands.

Using something like a flyer as a shuttle, weave the yarn so it alternates over and under the horizontal strands.

When you reach your desired size, tie off both ends and cut the excess.

It’s tricky at first, but becomes easy once you get the hang of it.

How about asking the teacher’s favorite colors and making one in those shades?

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projection mapping

Nursery school thank-you party entertainment (a PowerPoint-based, pseudo projection mapping-style presentation)

projection mapping

Projection mapping is perfect for a moving surprise! You might think “It looks hard to make…,” but you can actually create it with PowerPoint.

Build a slideshow in PowerPoint and project it with a projector, and it will look like projection mapping.

There are also tutorial videos uploaded on free video-sharing sites, so if you want to give it a try, search for them and make one yourself.

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