Photo: Clothing Craft.

Childrens Crafts by Theme for ESL EFL English Students

The Magic Crayons offer various craft activities for children to engage with. They have a collection of craft ideas ranging from simple paper crafts to more intricate crafts using recycled materials. Some of their craft activities include making paper plate masks, creating unique weather mobiles, designing paper Halloween decorations, and building musical instruments. They also have step-by-step instructions for each craft activity with photos to help guide children through the process. Additionally, they provide ideas for adapting the crafts to different age groups and skill levels, so children of all ages can enjoy their craft activities.

Premium Kindergarten Crafts

Also available to buy from: Teachers Pay Teachers/The-Magic-Crayons

How to teach ESL Crafts

  • Step by step

    All the crafts on these pages we make with our 1-9 year old students. It is easier for children to follow instructions if broken down into steps. Eg, Number 1write your name. Number 2, colour Santa etc. Think of modeling as time invested in setting up the activity. If you do it well it well they will require minimal supervision once things are under way.

  • Oh, The Mess!

    Crafts are messy! As children love to make a mess make cleaning up afterwards easier by covering tables and floor with a plastic sheet. Teach the children to clean up after themselves! Complete the craft at the children's pace rather than yours. Spread it over a number of lessons if necessary.

  • Glue

    Avoid the tubs of glue that Japanese Kindergartens insist on using that the children stick their fingers into and spread all over the paper, desk and themselves. Instead use the blue pritstick type.

  • Be prepared

    Have a completed example of any craft you intend to do to show to the children. Be really excited about it! If the children are enthused and motivated they will concentrate on getting the craft done. Making one yourself in advance helps you when it comes to modeling too.

  • Grammar and Vocabulary

    When you show them the completed craft ask them how they would make it. What materials, coloured crayons, tape, actions etc will they need. They gain a huge amount of vocabulary this way and they realise it too! If you want to use the example craft again next year, consider laminating it. Or just bin it and make a nice new fresh one next year and save yourself the hassle of trying to store it.

  • Music

    Play soothing back ground music if you wish them to concentrate. Songs with lyrics that relate to the craft are also recommended.

    Naturally, we recommend Songs by The Magic Crayons.

  • Costs / Preparation Time

    Making and preparing crafts takes time and money and I'm not a fan of wasting either so... Most of the crafts within this blog will happily print on A3 or A4, use all the available paper space and can easily be printed or copied clearly. As I frequently prepare hundreds of these at a time they can all be cut out quickly using a guillotine with no tedious cutting out with scissors.

  • Paper

    Japanese craft paper sizes are often different to International Paper Sizes (A4, A3 etc). The coloured craft paper you see in within these blog pages are smaller than A3.

  • Exhibition

    Display completed crafts in the classroom or elsewhere in the school. Tell them this will happen in advance.

Making Crafts in Japanese Schools

  • How to organise craft materials

    Organisation

    Be organised in advance. Find, or make, a space where everything you need for the craft is laid out in the order you will use them. Have a spare of everything needed to make them to. Even your best student will forget scissors, glue and pencils at some point.

  • Make a mess!

    In a seeming contradiction to the rest of the advice in this page, do make a mess! Lets the kids get covered in paint, glitter in their hair and glue on hands. Allowing kids to be kids really does creat a memorable experience for them and want to rejoin your class next week.

Best Sellers

View all