Ideas for Winter-Themed Crafts and Bulletin Board Projects for 5-Year-Olds
By the time children are five, they handle scissors and glue more smoothly, and the range of craft activities expands dramatically.
Why not enjoy some winter-themed crafts together with your five-year-olds?
We’ve gathered plenty of ideas inspired by events like Christmas, New Year’s, and Setsubun, as well as winter-specific items like snowmen and mittens.
Encourage projects that let children freely express the worlds they imagine and experience a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
Since we treat what the children make as works (art pieces), we refer to them as “seisaku” (creations) in the main text.
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[For 5-year-olds] A collection of craft play and wall display ideas that evoke winter (11–20)
Let’s make a sugoroku (board) game
This is a handmade sugoroku board game that combines prompts the children came up with.
Write each prompt on a card and stick it onto the board.
Using words or drawings, you can create a unique, original sugoroku.
Arrange the cards on the board, glue them down, and connect each card with lines—then it’s complete! With unique prompts on each space, such as “sing a song,” “jump,” “rock-paper-scissors with the teacher,” or “do an impression,” this original sugoroku will make time at the preschool lively and fun.
Spinning top made from a paper plate
Spinning tops have always been a popular pastime.
How about making colorful tops with paper plates? To make one, draw any design you like on a paper plate with crayons, then tape plastic bottle caps to the very center on both the top and bottom—that’s it! Once it’s finished, everyone can take turns spinning and playing.
You’ll probably get excited wondering, “Whose spins the longest?” It’s also fun to get creative by adjusting where you attach the caps or tweaking the shape to make it spin better.
An oni club made from a plastic bottle
Here’s a recommended oni club craft for Setsubun that 5-year-olds can enjoy making! You’ll need a plastic bottle, pom-pom balls, newspaper, colored vinyl (plastic) sheet, cellophane tape, and vinyl tape.
First, take three sheets of newspaper and roll them tightly from the edge to make a stick.
Next, put the rolled newspaper into the plastic bottle, then wrap the handle with vinyl tape.
Wrap the plastic bottle securely with the colored vinyl tape and fix it with cellophane tape.
Finally, attach the pom-pom balls with cellophane tape—and it’s done!
ring bell
Here’s a cute Christmas ring bell craft recommended for 5-year-olds.
You will need: a plastic cup, a chenille stem (pipe cleaner), decorative wrapping film, decorative stickers, and a bell with a threading loop.
First, stick the decorative wrapping film onto the cup, then use an awl or similar tool to make two holes in the bottom of the cup.
Thread the pipe cleaner through the bell, then pass it through from the inside of the cup.
Shape the excess pipe cleaner into a ring, and you’re done! Have fun decorating with your favorite stickers.
If you don’t have decorative wrapping film, colored cellophane works as a substitute.
If threading the pipe cleaner through the holes is difficult, ask a friend for help and work together!
Snowy world of friendly penguins
Let’s create a snowy world with cute penguins! It’s recommended for 5-year-olds.
You’ll need a backing sheet, construction paper, five sheets of origami paper, glue, crayons, and round stickers.
First, make the penguin with origami.
Fold the origami into a triangle twice and align it at the center, then follow the crease to sharpen the tip and fold it diagonally.
Fold the tip back to make the beak.
Turn it over and fold it in half, then fold up the bottom and pull the face slightly forward to complete the penguin.
Next, let’s make the glacier.
First, tear larger pieces of silver, blue, and white origami by hand, draw snowflakes with crayons on construction paper and cut them out.
On light blue construction paper, glue on the glacier, penguin, and snowflakes in that order, then draw falling snow with crayons.
Add eyes to the penguin with round stickers, and you’re done!
Christmas wreath made with twigs
Here’s a simple way to make a Christmas wreath recommended for 5-year-olds, using twigs! You’ll need five twigs, chenille stems (pipe cleaners) in Christmas colors, additional pipe cleaners to fasten the twigs, fishing line (nylon thread), pine cones, white paint, and a ribbon.
First, arrange the twigs into a pentagon and secure the overlapping corners with pipe cleaners.
Trim any parts of the twigs that stick out, then wrap the twigs with the Christmas-colored pipe cleaners.
Next, tie a ribbon and paint the pine cones with white paint, and attach both to the twigs with fishing line.
Finally, add a piece of fishing line for hanging, and you’re done.
[For 5-year-olds] A collection of craft play and wall display ideas that feel like winter (21–30)
Fukuwarai (a traditional Japanese “lucky laugh” face-making game)
Why not try making Fukuwarai, a game often played during the New Year? You prepare a mask that forms the outline of a face and then place facial parts on top to play.
It’s an activity that makes the most of children’s free ideas, so it’s perfect for childcare settings.
In addition to masks with traditional Japanese motifs, you could also try winter-themed characters like Santa or reindeer.
If you make an origami box to store the parts, you can take them out anytime you want to play—highly recommended.
