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 (31–40)

Make and Play! New Year Hagoita (Battledore)

[7th New Year Hagoita] Make-and-play for parents and kids! Easy craft!

Make and Play! New Year Hagoita (Battledore)

Hagoita paddles that can be simply made with paper plates are easy for kids to create.

Prepare paper plates, wooden chopsticks, cellophane tape, and origami, and let’s get started.

Fold the left and right sides of the paper plate so they form an even shape.

Insert a chopstick inside to make a handle, then secure everything in place by taping it all around with cellophane tape.

Make sure to fasten it firmly so it doesn’t come apart easily.

Once you stick flower decorations on the surface, it’s complete.

Playing with a hagoita you made yourself can be fun and full of discoveries and new insights.

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Crayon Shimenawa

@sakurakusako_a
I made a shimenawa with crayons for New Year! It's pretty fast, so you might want to save it.#oilpastel #OilPastel crayon New Year #NewYearDecorations
♬ NEW KAWAII – So, shall we update? ver. – FRUITS ZIPPER

Let’s make a New Year’s decoration using a drawn shimenawa rope and ornaments! All the parts are flat, but by incorporating shading into the drawings, they’ll look three-dimensional.

First, draw the base shimenawa on white drawing paper.

Start by drawing a large circle, then place teardrop shapes along that line.

Next, fill the inside of each teardrop with a light green.

Once filled, add shading with dark green and white, then rub with a cotton swab to blend the crayon.

You’ll create the decorative parts in the same way, so draw your favorite motifs, such as plum blossoms or a Japanese-style ribbon.

Attach the parts to the shimenawa, punch a hole, thread a string through, and it’s complete!

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Twisted paper streamer made of decorative tissue paper

@hoiku.labo
Perfect for New Year’s: a twisted shimenawa made with flower paper 🎶 ⭐️Detailed steps and tips are in the comments⭐️Childcare Nursery teacher / Childcare worker Kindergarten Teacher Certified Childcare and Education Teacher #Nursery school #Kindergarten #Kodomoen #NurseryTeacherThings #IWantToConnectWithChildcareWorkers Life with children January #Shimenawa #ShimenawaDecoration New Year New Year tissue paper New Year’s craft
♬ Are You Ready – Deejay Meddy

A perfect New Year’s craft activity where you can make an authentic shimenawa just by twisting tissue paper.

The steps are simple: roll two colors of tissue paper into thin strands, twist them together, make two of the same, and form a ring.

The twisting process is great fine-motor practice as kids learn to control their strength, and they’ll also enjoy choosing the colors.

Showing a real shimenawa or a photo beforehand helps them visualize the result and complete the project smoothly.

Add New Year-themed decorations like pine or snakes at the end to instantly create a festive, eye-catching shimenawa.

It’s easy yet full of seasonal charm—highly recommended for parents and children to enjoy together over the New Year.

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Perfect for New Year! Cute origami osechi

[Origami] Osechi: How to make simple and cute New Year’s origami crafts — Winter origami, January origami, an easy folding method that even kids can do [Origami]

Perfect for New Year! Cute origami osechi

Let’s make osechi ryori—New Year’s dishes that taste great when everyone eats together—using origami.

Using black origami paper, make four folded box parts for the outer box and glue them together in a box shape.

Attach them while checking the balance.

Next, make four inner boxes.

Once you set the inner boxes into the outer box, the base is complete.

For the contents, fold shrimp, nori (seaweed), kamaboko (fish cake), kelp rolls, and kampyo (dried gourd strips), making firm creases as you go.

Before you start, reading a picture book about the New Year to learn about its origins and meanings will help you enjoy making them even more.

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How to Make a Kite You Can Enjoy Playing With on New Year’s

[Let's make and play] New Year's play (kite flying) #handmade toys #nursery teacher #child-rearing support #Osaka #Aiikuen

How to Make a Kite You Can Enjoy Playing With on New Year’s

Here’s an idea for making spinning tops with acorns—very popular as an autumn craft.

You can buy acorns online, but since they’re often found on the ground in season, it’s great to use ones you’ve collected.

If you do, be sure to wash them and disinfect them with boiling water to prevent bugs before using.

The method is very simple: just make a hole in the acorn and insert a toothpick.

If the acorn is hard and difficult to pierce, have an adult help.

Drawing faces or patterns with a pen makes them extra cute!

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[Childcare] Winter Projects You’ll Want to Try! Recommended Craft Ideas (41–50)

Spins great! A whirligig made from a milk carton

Spins Great! Whirligig Made from a Milk Carton – Handmade New Year’s Toy [Daycare/Kindergarten]

Spins great! A whirligig made from a milk carton

Open the milk carton and let it dry completely, then cut off the bottom part.

Cut off the spout, turn the inside outward, and fold it in half.

Sketch an oval shape, cut it out, and draw a daruma face on each side.

After sticking the pieces together with double-sided tape, paint the daruma.

Punch holes along the fold, thread a string through, and your buzzer spinner (whirligig) is complete.

Enjoy figuring out the timing for loosening and pulling the string.

Try challenging yourself to see how many times you can make it spin.

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New Year’s fun with traditional games! A milk carton bamboo-copter (taketombo)

[Handmade Toys] Let’s enjoy New Year’s with traditional games 🎍 Let’s make an easy bamboo-copter (taketombo) using a milk carton ^_^

New Year’s fun with traditional games! A milk carton bamboo-copter (taketombo)

Watch “New Year’s fun with traditional games! A milk carton bamboo-copter (taketombo)” on YouTube

A bamboo-copter is tricky to fly at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s lots of fun.

Here’s an idea for making one using a milk carton and a straw.

First, cut out one side of the milk carton, then cut it into a strip that’s about one-third the width.

Next, fold the strip in half, and about 5 mm from the valley fold, make mountain folds on both sides.

This completes the wing.

Then, cut a slit into one end of the straw and attach it to the wing as a handle.

If you color the white side of the milk carton with markers, it will look pretty when you fly it.

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