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

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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Make it with origami! A New Year’s mini wreath

[Origami] New Year Mini Wreath – Festive Japanese New Year Decoration

Make it with origami! A New Year’s mini wreath

Let’s make a New Year’s wreath that’s perfect for decorating at the start of the year.

Prepare 16 sheets of origami paper: four different patterns or colors, four sheets of each.

Fold each sheet into a square twice, then unfold to create crease lines and shape the parts.

When folding a triangle in half, make sure both sides are even.

Hold the piece so that the overlapping section is on top, and assemble by inserting both the front and back of one piece into the pocket of another.

Repeat to make 16 parts in total.

It may be easier to connect them in sets of four first, and then form the entire wreath at the end.

Attach a string and hang it indoors to enjoy the New Year’s decoration.

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paper-clay kagami mochi

New Year’s Craft: Easy-to-make Kagami Mochi for preschoolers aged 3–4

paper-clay kagami mochi

Let’s make a handmade kagami mochi that brings warmth and a sense of the season—perfect for New Year’s decor.

Prepare clay, a clay board, paints, brushes, and a clay spatula.

Divide the clay into three equal parts and designate them as large, medium, and small.

For the mandarin orange part and the leaf part, knead the appropriate paint colors into the clay.

Shape the large and medium portions into the two tiers of the kagami mochi.

Place the mandarin on top, refine the overall shape, and your kagami mochi is complete.

Let it dry thoroughly before displaying it, and welcome a wonderful New Year.

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Lovely translucence! Easy New Year’s decoration

Easy New Year’s decorations to make with kids! The translucent look is beautiful.

Lovely translucence! Easy New Year’s decoration

This is a beautiful seasonal craft that showcases the glossy shine and clarity unique to resin.

The video carefully demonstrates the process of tinting resin and pouring it into plum blossom shapes, and it also discusses tips for coloring and suggestions for substitute materials, making it approachable even for beginners.

As an educational element, it introduces how mixing colors nurtures color sense and how fine finger movements can promote brain development—resulting in a project that’s “fun to make and delightful to display.” A cute New Year’s craft with a satisfying sense of accomplishment.

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Pop-up! Shishimai Lion Dance Toy

New Year’s games and Setsubun fun! A pop-up Shishimai (lion dance) toy [craft] [handmade toy]

Pop-up! Shishimai Lion Dance Toy

The lion dance popping out of a paper cup is so cute! Let’s get started by preparing a paper cup, chopsticks, yarn, vinyl (plastic) tape, construction paper, double-sided tape, and scissors.

Poke a hole in the bottom of the paper cup big enough for a chopstick to pass through.

Cut a plastic bag to fit the mouth of the cup and tape it around the rim of the cup.

Reinforce it from above with vinyl tape, push the tip of the chopstick through and secure it with tape, then make the lion dance face out of colored construction paper and attach it.

Wrap the entire paper cup with construction paper, and you’re done.

This is a craft that even little kids can enjoy for New Year’s, so give it a try!

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