Lovely childcare

[For 3-year-olds] Winter craft activities and bulletin board decoration 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.

In winter, there are many ways to have fun with children—big events like Christmas, New Year’s, and Setsubun, as well as chances to experience the changing climate and nature through snow and ice.

Many teachers may be thinking about incorporating that wintry feeling into their art and craft activities as well.

So this time, we’re introducing craft ideas to make in winter with three-year-olds.

We’ve gathered a wide range of ideas, from those related to winter events to themes unique to the season—like snowmen and mittens.

We’ve selected activities that will spark children’s interest and curiosity, so please try using them in your childcare setting.

Because the children’s creations are treated as works, we use the term “制作” (seisaku, ‘creation/work’) in the text.

[Age 3] Winter craft activities and bulletin board ideas you can use in childcare (71–80)

Let’s make postcards with vegetable stamps!

Don’t waste them—let’s make postcards with vegetable stamps!

Let's make postcards with vegetable stamps!

There are parts of vegetables that we cut off and don’t use in cooking, right? Let’s try turning those usually discarded parts into stamps and make New Year’s cards! You can use any vegetables you like—onions, green peppers, carrots, lotus root, spinach, and so on.

Prepare several vegetable stamps with different shapes.

Once you’ve got your veggies ready, dip them in paint or ink and start stamping.

They might look like flowers or animal faces—your imagination will surely expand.

Try expressing the design side of the postcard with your stamped artwork.

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Easy! Torn-paper Christmas tree

https://www.tiktok.com/@hoiku.labo/video/7446285535447944455

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.

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Pompom Stamping! Christmas Tree

https://www.tiktok.com/@hoiku.labo/video/7445125954743110919

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.

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[For 3-year-olds] Ideas for winter crafts and wall displays usable in childcare (81–90)

Christmas activities for 0-year-olds

Christmas Activities for 0-Year-Olds

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.

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Cute tissue paper wreath

[Childcare Craft] 0–1-year-olds: Tissue Paper Wreath, Nursery Teacher, Christmas Wreath

Cute tissue paper wreath

The step of rolling and sticking is so much fun! Let me share an idea for making a tissue paper wreath.

Before you begin, prepare a paper plate with the center cut out, white and green tissue paper cut into manageable pieces, and decorative parts like Santa and star shapes.

Have the children crumple the tissue paper into little balls and stick them onto the rim-only paper plate where you’ve applied glue.

Once they’ve gone all the way around with the tissue paper, let them place the decorative parts—made into stickers with double-sided tape—wherever they like.

Punch a hole at the top of the paper plate, thread a string through, and your Christmas wreath is complete.

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Christmas tree lacing

Christmas Tree Threading Craft: A Nursery Teacher Explains an Easy Method Even Infants Can Do!

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!

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Let’s make a big Christmas tree!

[Ages 0–2] Let’s make a Christmas tree!

Let's make a big Christmas tree!

This is an idea where you put a big Christmas tree made from construction paper on the wall and let the children freely decorate it with ornaments.

Since it’s for infants (0-year-olds), please prepare the ornament bases in advance by cutting them out of construction paper.

Let the children draw on the bases with crayons or stick on stickers to create lovely ornaments.

Once the ornaments are finished, decorate the tree with them! If you prepare bases in a variety of motifs, the tree will look even more festive.

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