[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.
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[For 1-year-olds] Fun to make! A collection of winter craft play ideas useful for childcare (31–40)
Make it with paper plates! Cute snowman
This is a snowman craft idea that also lets kids enjoy sticking stickers.
Stack and glue two paper plates vertically to make the base, then finish the snowman using round stickers and parts cut from construction paper.
If infants are doing this activity, it may help to put double-sided tape on the back of the parts to turn them into stickers.
Also, pre-cut the pipe cleaners to use as arms and assist with attaching them using tape.
Changing the colors of the construction paper and stickers will change the snowman’s look, so let the children choose the ones they like.
A spinning top you can make with paper plates!
Simple yet spins great! Here’s a spinning top idea made from a paper plate.
Prepare one paper plate, two plastic bottle caps, tape, and crayons.
First, color the surface of the paper plate with crayons.
You can draw pictures or patterns—design it however you like.
Once it’s colored, use tape to attach a bottle cap to the center.
Attach another cap to the center on the back side the same way, and your top is complete.
Pinch the caps and give it a strong spin.
It spins especially well on hard surfaces like hardwood floors.
Cute for New Year’s cards too! Daruma-chan
Here’s an idea for New Year’s decorations, and since daruma dolls are also a common motif for New Year’s cards, why not use this idea to make a daruma-themed New Year’s card? Make a daruma out of construction paper and attach it to gold design paper along with some flowers.
Simply sticking that onto the front of the card will give it a festive feel.
However, if you’re attaching it to a New Year’s card, be sure to make the daruma as a flat piece.
Create the face with any expression you like, using stickers or pens.
Easy! Torn-paper Christmas tree
@hoiku.labo [Craft for ages 0–5] Rip-and-stick torn-paper collage tree 🎄#Childcare CraftingNursery teacher / Childcare worker#Drawers of ChildcareWith childrenEasy to makeMake and playPopular production#ChristmasInfant Craft⭐↓Detailed instructions are in the comments↓⭐
♪ Original Song – Hoiku Kyujin Labo – Hoiku Kyujin Labo | Nursery Teacher Job Changes and Helpful Information
Let’s create a Christmas tree with torn-paper collage! Prepare a base with the tree trunk already glued on, and have the children tear several sheets of origami paper into small pieces.
If tearing is difficult, you can prepare pre-torn origami paper.
Apply glue in a triangle above the trunk, then attach the torn paper on top to form the tree.
Finish by decorating with round stickers as ornaments.
Mixing patterned origami with solid colors will make it look more festive.
Choose sticker colors that won’t be overpowered by the origami colors.
Pompom Stamping! Christmas Tree
@hoiku.labo [Crafts for Ages 0–5] Stamp with a dabber! Christmas Tree 🎄❄#Childcare CraftingNursery teacher / Childcare worker#Drawers of ChildcareWith childrenEasy to makeMake and playPopular production#ChristmasInfant Craft⭐↓For details, see the comments↓⭐
♪ Original Song – Hoiku Kyujin Labo – Hoiku Kyujin Labo | Nursery Teacher Job Changes and Helpful Information
Here’s a Christmas tree craft idea where you dab on color with stamps.
Prepare a tree template, stamps, paint, and drawing paper.
First, fix the tree template onto the base sheet and have the children stamp paint onto it.
Green is the main color, but adding a little white can make it look like a snow-covered tree.
Once the stamping is done, remove the template and glue on a trunk made from construction paper to finish.
After the paint dries, decorating with sticker ornaments could be fun, too.
[For 1-year-olds] Fun to Make! A Collection of Winter Craft Activity Ideas You Can Use in Childcare (41–50)
Christmas activities for 0-year-olds
As part of a Christmas-themed activity, why not try making Christmas trees and ornaments? Use a stamp made by covering a lactic acid drink bottle with fabric to print patterns on construction paper, or decorate ornaments with stickers to make them festive.
In the end, you can even decorate a big tree drawn on the wall! Even children who don’t yet understand what Christmas is will surely deepen their understanding while having fun through play.
Prepare ornaments and stickers with different motifs and colors, and let the children choose for themselves.
Christmas tree lacing
Here’s a Christmas tree craft idea that kids can enjoy while practicing lacing.
For preparation, cut out a Christmas tree and ornaments from construction paper.
Since you’ll be threading pipe cleaners through both, punch holes in them beforehand.
First, thread one end of a pipe cleaner through the tree and secure it so it won’t slip out.
Then, let the children choose their favorite ornaments and thread them onto the pipe cleaner.
Once several are on, secure the other end of the pipe cleaner to finish.
Prepare ornaments with various motifs to create a lovely Christmas tree!