![[For 1-year-olds] Fun to make! A collection of winter craft activity ideas for use in childcare](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/oHYiRyuOpw8/maxresdefault.webp)
[For 1-year-olds] Fun to make! A collection of winter craft activity ideas for use in childcare
Winter is full of exciting events for children, like Christmas, New Year’s, Setsubun, and Valentine’s Day.
Many teachers are probably looking to enjoy winter-themed crafts together with their children.
In this article, we’ll introduce winter craft ideas for one-year-olds.
Along with ideas tied to seasonal events and holidays, we also feature motifs unique to winter—like snowmen and mittens—that are rich in seasonal atmosphere.
We’ve gathered craft ideas that use unique techniques to keep one-year-olds fully engaged, so we hope you enjoy creating together this winter.
Since the children’s creations are treated as works, we refer to them as “seisaku” (productions/crafts) in the main text.
[For 1-year-olds] Fun to make! A collection of winter craft play ideas you can use in childcare (1–10)
Gloves made from handprints
Recommended for the cold winter! Here’s how to make simple mittens using a handprint.
You will need construction paper, tissue paper, glue, and a pencil.
First, fold the construction paper in half, place your hand on one side, and trace around it with the pencil.
Cut slightly outside the traced lines so the pencil marks don’t show.
Next, cut the tissue paper—if you’re working with one-year-olds, let them enjoy tearing it by hand.
Glue the cut (or torn) tissue paper onto the side of the construction paper that you didn’t cut out.
Fold it in half, and you’ll have an adorable mitten where the tissue paper shows through the cutout!
Snowman made from a plastic bottle
Let me show you how to make a simple and cute snowman using a plastic bottle! Even 1-year-olds can have fun making it.
What you need: an empty plastic bottle, cotton, a pen, round stickers, thinly cut felt, and wood glue.
First, stuff the plastic bottle tightly with cotton.
Once it’s filled, put on the cap and draw the snowman’s eyes with a pen.
Using round stickers for the eyes is also recommended.
Add the nose and the buttons on the body with round stickers, then wrap the thinly cut felt around like a scarf and secure it with wood glue to finish.
Snow Globe Made with Construction Paper
https://www.tiktok.com/@tensaikids1031/video/7185464579613379841Make Your Own Snow Globe! Here’s a simple way to create a snow globe using construction paper.
Materials: a white piece of construction paper cut into a circle, a slightly larger colored construction paper circle, glue, crayons, and stickers.
First, draw a circle on the white paper with crayons in any color you like.
After drawing the circle, stick your favorite stickers on top.
Since peeling stickers can be tricky for some one-year-olds, please work together with the teachers.
Finally, glue the white circle onto the larger colored circle—and it’s done!
Winter foods with sponge stamps
https://www.tiktok.com/@hoiku.labo/video/7462944006247304456The feeling of stamping is so fun! Here’s a winter food craft idea.
Cut construction paper into a pot shape and glue it onto white paper.
Then add brown tofu pouches, white eggs, and brown daikon radish.
Draw patterns on the daikon and tofu pouches with crayons.
Dab black paint onto a textured sponge and stamp it onto gray paper.
Cut it into triangles, and you’ve made konnyaku! Put the konnyaku in the pot and your oden is complete! Enjoy chatting while you craft, asking questions like, “What oden ingredients do you like?” and “What was in it again?”
Let’s make an ogre with a sponge stamp!
https://www.tiktok.com/@hoiku.labo/video/7189539056999566594This fun activity of dabbing with a sponge is a perfect February craft: making oni (Japanese ogre) characters full of seasonal flair.
It’s very easy to create cute oni, making this idea ideal for daycare centers and at home.
Cut out the oni’s face, hair, and horns from construction paper and glue them together.
Make a stamp using a sponge and a wooden skewer or chopstick, dip it in paint, and stamp the hair area.
It’s fun to see the sponge create patterns as you stamp.
Draw the face with black and red pens, and your adorable oni is complete.
Because it’s quick and simple, it’s perfect for one-year-olds.
New Year’s first calligraphy drawn freely
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl-0z2opaeJ/Perfect for New Year’s! Here are some creative ideas for kakizome (first calligraphy of the year).
Even if we say “kakizome,” this is a free-form version that even children who can’t write characters yet can try.
Depending on age, let them try drawing pictures, writing characters, or simple words.
After they do their kakizome on drawing paper, paste it onto a slightly larger sheet to serve as a backing.
Then attach rolled sheets of paper to the top and bottom to give it a hanging scroll look.
Finally, add pre-made parts like a rabbit daruma, a gold fan, and pieces of washi-patterned origami, and it’s done! For younger children, it’s best to prepare the parts in advance so they can simply stick them on like stickers.
Christmas tree made with tissue paper
https://www.tiktok.com/@chooobo2/video/7437083772450852103Here’s how to make a Christmas tree with plastic cups, recommended for one-year-olds.
Materials: plastic cups, colored construction paper cut into circles, decorative pom-poms, tissue paper, cellophane tape, and double-sided tape.
First, tear the tissue paper by hand, crumple it into balls, and put them inside the plastic cup.
Cover the opening with a circle of colored paper and secure it with tape.
Put decorative pom-poms inside the cup, and stick another circle of colored paper on the outside.
Finally, attach a star to the top with double-sided tape, and it’s complete!