[For 1-year-olds] Fun to make! A collection of winter craft activity ideas for use in childcare

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.

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 activity ideas useful for childcare (61–70)

A three-dimensional snowman made from tissues

Let’s try making a semi-3D snowman using tissue or crepe paper.

It’s a fun craft where you get to pack the snowman tightly.

First, fold the bottom corner of a plastic bag and secure it with tape.

Next, together with the children, crumple white crepe paper or tissues and stuff them into the plastic bag.

Once it’s filled, tape the bag closed so the opening won’t come undone.

Then lightly tie the middle with a pipe cleaner to shape it like a snowman.

Finally, use construction paper for a hat and round stickers to create the snowman’s face, and you’re done! You can also have the kids draw on the hat with crayons.

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Daruma with decalcomania

Here’s a craft idea for making a Daruma using the decalcomania technique.

First, fold a sheet of red construction paper in half, then apply paints in colors you like on just one side.

Once the paint is on, close the paper along the fold and rub it with your hand like an iron to transfer the paint to the other side.

That’s the decalcomania part.

After the paint dries, place a Daruma template on top, trace the outline with a pen, and cut out the Daruma shape with scissors.

Finally, add the facial features to complete your Daruma! You can also glue the Daruma onto a backing sheet and decorate it with origami to make it look like the cover of the “Daruma-san” picture book series—it turns out really cute.

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Decalcomania gloves

Gloves made using the decalcomania technique give off a warm feel, so they’re highly recommended.

First, enjoy decalcomania together with the children.

On one side of a sheet of drawing paper with a center crease, dab drops of paint here and there.

Using plenty of paint will result in a beautiful finish.

Next, fold the paper in half and press firmly with your fist.

One-year-olds don’t have much strength yet, so the teacher should assist them.

After opening the paper and letting it dry, fold it back in half and cut it into the shape of a glove.

Attach cotton to the wrist area, stick it onto a backing sheet, and it’s complete!

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Ogre Pants Made with a Marble Run

Let’s make ogre pants to celebrate Setsubun.

Using the marble-rolling technique, even one-year-olds can create cute patterns.

First, choose a sheet of construction paper in your favorite color and enjoy rolling marbles.

Lightly secure the paper inside a box with raised edges, then roll marbles coated with paint—red, blue, green, and so on.

Since there’s a chance children might put marbles in their mouths, be sure to manage the marbles carefully.

Once the paper is covered with lots of patterns, let the paint dry.

Finally, cut the paper into a pants shape, and you’re done.

We recommend making pants in various colors and shapes and hanging them up as decorations!

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A 3D tree with marble rolling and sticker pasting

Let’s use the marble-rolling technique to make a cute Christmas tree.

First, prepare green construction paper and have fun rolling marbles with paint.

We recommend using bright, festive colors for Christmas.

Once the paint is dry, the teacher can fold it into a tree shape.

After it becomes a 3D tree, let the children add more decorations with round stickers.

Next, fasten two plastic bottle caps together and wrap them with brown construction paper to make a flowerpot for the tree.

Glue the tree onto the caps, and it’s done! Don’t forget to put a star on top of the tree.

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