Lovely childcare

[Childcare] Winter Projects You’ll Want to Try! Recommended Craft Ideas

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.
Nursery Teacher Mom Writertsukada moe
After working for five years at an after-school childcare club and three years at a nursery school, I began working as a freelance writer. I’m a mother of two children. Inspired by playing the flute in the school wind ensemble in elementary school, I joined a jazz club at university. I’ve also incorporated ukulele and piano performance into childcare. Playing, laughing, feeling sad, feeling frustrated—through all kinds of experiences, I want children to grow.

Winter is packed with events like Christmas and New Year’s.

With one fun event after another, children are surely full of excitement.

Plus, winter-specific activities and warm, cozy motifs add color to everyday life.

In this article, we’ll introduce craft ideas to enjoy during the winter season.

If your ideas have been getting repetitive or you’re looking for a hint, please use this as a reference.

Since the things children make are treated as works, we use the term “seisaku” (production) in the text.

[Childcare] Projects to try in winter! Recommended craft ideas (61–70)

Daruma’s Mayudama Rolling

[Easy!] Daruma Doll Mayudama Rolling [New Year’s Craft]

Daruma’s Mayudama Rolling

A mysterious toy with a marble inside that moves as if it’s alive when you roll it: the Mayudama Roller.

In this idea, it’s made with a daruma motif.

First, cut three strip-shaped pieces measuring 1.5 × 10 cm from red construction paper.

Layer the three strips radially and glue them together at the center.

Gather all the ends, place a marble inside, and glue the ends together to form a sphere.

Then stick on a white round sticker with a face drawn on it to finish.

Try rolling it down a slope and have fun!

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Daruma doll made from a toilet paper roll core

Craft with toilet paper rolls and origami★ Easy! Stylish and cute Daruma-making tutorial★ Perfect for New Year decorations♪ New Year ornaments★ Display together with a cow♪ New Year Year of the Ox 2021 recycle

Daruma doll made from a toilet paper roll core

The Daruma doll, which gets back up no matter how many times it falls, is displayed at New Year’s to pray for a year of health, safety, and good fortune.

This Daruma, perfect for the New Year, can be easily made from a toilet paper roll.

Cut the roll in half, then trim the four corners with scissors to round the shape.

Cover it with origami paper from the top, and snip the corners to fold them inward as you go.

Make the eyes, mouth, and patterns with origami paper and stick them on—using round stickers is also recommended.

Display your finished Daruma and welcome a wonderful New Year!

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Winter oden shop pretend play

Winter Oden Shop Pretend Play 🍢 – Handmade Yarn Toys [Nursery/Kindergarten]

Winter oden shop pretend play

On cold days, some families might gather around a pot of oden.

So let’s make oden ingredients that look just like the real thing and have fun playing pretend shop.

By cleverly using materials like yarn, toilet paper rolls, and felt, you can create delicious-looking oden pieces.

The key is to add small touches, such as coloring them to look like the flavors have soaked in, or giving them a soft, fluffy finish.

Kids will likely enjoy dabbing on color with a sponge, too.

Put them in a toy pot, and when you lift the lid, you’ll have oden that looks good enough to eat.

The children are sure to be delighted by pretend play with such realistic oden ingredients.

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Winter origami! Cute kotatsu

[Winter Origami] How to Fold a Kotatsu [Origami]

Winter origami! Cute kotatsu

Here is an introduction to making a kotatsu out of origami.

First, fold a sheet of origami paper in half in the color you like.

Since it’s a kotatsu, a patterned paper might be cuter.

Then fold back about one-third.

After folding, unfold it, fold it to half that width, and return it.

On the back side, fold back one-third as well.

Next, fold the back diagonally to create the kotatsu’s slope, and the main body is complete.

Now make the tabletop for the kotatsu.

Use a quarter-size sheet of origami paper for this.

Next, make the mandarin orange, which is essential for a kotatsu.

This one is very small, so have an adult help you.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Three homemade kites!

[Craft] Introducing Recommended Homemade Kites for the New Year [Nursery/Kindergarten]

Three homemade kites!

Let’s make kites that are perfect for New Year’s.

It’s also a lot of fun to go out and fly the ones you’ve made.

I’ll introduce three types of kites.

The first is a twirly, spiral kite.

It’s great because you can practice cutting curves while making it.

The next kite is made by stapling construction paper into a paper-airplane-like shape.

You only need a stapler and a hole punch for this one.

The third kite uses a plastic shopping bag.

First, fold an A4 sheet of paper and draw lines to make a template.

Then cut the plastic bag based on that template.

If you draw a picture on it before assembling, you can create a one-of-a-kind kite.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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