[For 3-year-olds] Winter craft activities and bulletin board decoration ideas for use in childcare
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.
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[For 3-Year-Olds] Winter Craft Activities and Bulletin Board Ideas for Childcare (51–60)
Fun with threading! Daruma-san
@haruharo_made TikTok Document New Year’s Craft / Daruma Lacing Materials: • Yarn • Construction paper • Scissors • Cellophane tape • Glue • Hole punch • Paper plate • Round stickersCrafts for 4-year-olds Crafts for 5-year-olds#3-year-old crafts#2-year-old's craftCrafts for 1-year-oldsCrafts for 0-year-oldsProduction#Nursery schoolWall decoration#StayHomeTime#AtHomePlayProduction ideas#Nursery School CraftWinter Craft#KindergartenKindergarten craftNursery teacher / Childcare workerKindergarten Teacherwall surface #ChristmasTreeProduction for children under age (infants and toddlers) Simple craftMade in December # January productionMade in February New Year’s craft #Daruma making Tatsu Production#Mask making Mask#paint Sticker application Round stickerSticker-pasting craft Hanging ornamentdrawing paper #ConstructionPaperArt Paint making paper plate Paper plate craft Paper Plate Craft Threading (a cord/strap through a hole)
♬ Mela! – Ryokuoushoku Shakai
Let’s make a Daruma decoration with a lovely yarn texture.
First, cut a circle out of the center of a paper plate.
Then use a hole punch to make evenly spaced holes around the inner rim.
Thread red yarn through one of the holes and tie a knot so it won’t slip out, then enjoy lacing the yarn through the holes as you like.
When you finish lacing, glue on the Daruma face and body pattern pieces made from construction paper over the yarn, and decorate the plate with stickers or plum blossoms to complete it.
Add a string for hanging, and it can be displayed like a wreath!
Fun with black construction paper! Making snowmen
@hekimen_25 Winter craft: We made snowmen using crayons and paint! ⛄️❄️🎵#Childcare Crafting#Wall CreationNursery teacher / Childcare workerI tried making itSnowman
♬ Merry Christmas and Happy New Year – neozilla
Here’s a craft idea: paint a snowman with white paint on black construction paper, then finish by adding a paper bucket and mittens, plus face stickers.
For the snowman, draw a circular outline and fill it in with paint.
Because it’s surprisingly hard not to paint outside the lines, if infants are doing this activity, it’s better to either prepare pre-painted pieces or have an adult cut a snowman shape from the child’s white-painted paper and glue it onto the background.
If you put double-sided tape on the back of the bucket and mittens, kids can use them like stickers, making them easier for little hands to handle.
Once the snowman is done, use cotton swab stamping to add a snowy landscape in the empty space to complete the project.
Easy to make! 3 New Year decorations

Here are three New Year decoration ideas: “Shishimai (lion dance),” “Daruma,” and “Ema (votive plaque).” For the shishimai, cut out parts from construction paper, glue them together, and use a toilet paper roll as a stamp to create the body’s pattern.
For the daruma, draw a face on a paper plate and stick torn pieces of red and yellow origami paper around it.
Use yellow for the decorative patterns, tearing it into long, thin strips.
Lastly, for the ema, first cut cardboard into the shape of an ema to make the base, then cover the surface with gold origami paper.
Glue a slightly smaller piece of white construction paper on top, write your wish, and add patterns with stickers or pens to finish it off brightly.
When you want to display them, attach a ribbon or string to each one.
Easy! Long-tailed Tit Origami

Adorably round! The long-tailed tit known as the Shima-enaga, a wild bird native to Hokkaido.
In recent years, we often see goods and items featuring its cute appearance as a motif.
Here’s an idea to make a Shima-enaga using a single sheet of origami paper, plus a pen and glue.
Once you’ve folded the creases, the base is done.
Making the wings and tail seems like something you could enjoy while teaching and learning together with friends or teachers! It could be fun to give it a smiling expression, too.
If you display the finished pieces lined up on a branch, like real Shima-enaga keeping warm together, both kids and adults are sure to feel soothed.
[For 3-year-olds] Winter craft activities and bulletin board decoration ideas you can use in childcare (61–70)
Origami Plum Blossoms Kids Can Enjoy—Perfect for New Year’s Too!

Free-thinking sparks children’s creativity! It’s a great idea that lets kids enjoy both the focus of folding origami along lines and corners, and the excitement of tearing it dynamically.
Use the torn origami as beautiful branches, then stick on carefully folded plum blossoms to create your very own plum tree.
Drawing the pistils and stamens with crayons or colored pencils will help capture the distinctive features of plum flowers even more.
Take this opportunity to give it a try!
Handmade toys you can play with during the New Year

Try making New Year’s crafts that you can enjoy and play with even after they’re finished, together as a parent-child activity.
You’ll make a spinning top, a kite, and a hanetsuki set (paddle and shuttlecock).
For the top, draw pictures on the sides of a paper cup, cut four evenly spaced slits and flare them open, then attach a plastic bottle cap as the handle.
For the kite, slightly offset and layer two sheets of origami paper and glue them together; attach sparkly tape as the tails to complete the body, then add a lactic-acid drink bottle as the handle and tie on kite string.
For the hanetsuki paddle, use cardboard and disposable chopsticks: cut two paddle-shaped pieces from cardboard, sandwich the chopsticks between them, and glue.
For the shuttlecock, tie a knot in the middle of some raffia (suzuran) tape, press a small ball of tissue onto the knot, and wrap it with origami paper.
Cute wobbly daruma doll

Let’s make a cute daruma that wobbles when you poke it.
You’ll need a paper plate, construction paper, and a pen.
Please prepare construction paper in four colors for the body, face, eyes, and decorations.
First, cut the body piece of construction paper into a circle to match the size of the paper plate.
Next, cut an oval from the face-colored paper, and cut two small circles from the eye-colored paper.
Glue them in order—body, face, then eyes—and draw the pupils with the pen.
Then cut three ovals from the decorative paper and stick them below the face.
Fold the paper plate in half and attach the daruma to one side—that’s it! If you’re making this with small children, adults should prepare the parts in advance.


