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] Recommended craft ideas to try in winter (141–150)

[Origami] Snowman

Origami: Snowman with a hat and scarf from a single sheet [Origami] Snowman with hat and scarf (using only one sheet)

[Origami] Snowman

This origami snowman is perfect for December, when it’s also the season of snow.

A snowman is made by placing one snowball on top of another, right? With a clever folding method, you can express the two stacked snowballs using just a single sheet of origami paper.

You can also make a scarf around the snowman’s neck.

If you use polka-dot or patterned paper, the pattern becomes the scarf, making it extra cute.

You can draw the eyes and mouth yourself, so each snowman has its own personality.

You can stick them on a wreath or a calendar, so try arranging them in different ways to expand the range of your creations.

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Liquid-free snow globe

I tried making a snow globe without using any liquid [Handy life hack Christmas DIY]

Liquid-free snow globe

Here’s an idea for making a snow globe without using liquid glue or water.

You can easily make it with an empty plastic candy container and small ornaments from a 100-yen shop.

First, apply adhesive to the bottom of the container and arrange the ornaments.

Put beads—like those from a bead cushion—into the container, then close the lid, and it’s done.

By rubbing the snow globe and a plastic sheet (like a clear file) together and holding the sheet over the globe, the beads inside start to move.

Give this handmade snow globe a try—you can enjoy a science experiment–style play experience too.

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Snow globe made from a plastic bottle

How to make a snow globe

Snow globe made from a plastic bottle

Here’s how to make a snow globe using a plastic bottle.

Prepare an empty bottle from a lactic acid bacteria drink, decorative pom-poms, beads, glitter, liquid glue, and a hot glue gun.

Put the beads and decorative pom-poms into the empty drink bottle.

Fill the bottle about halfway with liquid glue, then add water.

Color a piece of paper with colored pens, place it into the bottle, and let it tint the liquid.

Mix everything together, then top up with water to push out any air, and you’re done.

Close the cap tightly and secure it with a hot glue gun so it won’t open.

Wrap vinyl tape around the top to finish.

Decorating with washi tape might make it even cuter!

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a one-horned ogre

February is when the cold really sets in.

On the calendar, there’s Setsubun, an event that marks the arrival of spring.

When it comes to Setsubun, the star of the show has to be the oni (ogre/demon).

Oni can be scary for children, but ones made with origami are super cute! The steps are very simple, and if you fold slowly, kids can follow along without making mistakes.

The little horns that pop out from the back after folding are adorable, too.

It’s also fun to choose different colors—use red origami for a red oni, blue origami for a blue oni, and so on.

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Crayon-resist painting: Ramen

Piping hot ramen is something you especially want to enjoy in winter, isn’t it? Let’s make such appetite-stimulating ramen with a resist painting technique.

For the toppings like nori, green onions, and egg, use scissors and glue, and create them together with the children.

Next, draw the noodles with crayons in the soup area of the ramen bowl.

If you paint soup-colored watercolor over the crayon, it will instantly turn into a splendid bowl of ramen! Once the paint dries, add the toppings.

If you also draw steam with a white crayon on the background paper, it will enhance the atmosphere even more.

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