[October] Useful for childcare! Autumn craft ideas, Part 2
October brings a stronger sense of autumn as the climate shifts after summer.
For teachers who are thinking, “I want to enjoy autumn-specific crafts with the children!”, we’re introducing perfect craft ideas.
From Halloween-themed ghosts and pumpkins to fall naturals and seasonal treats like fallen leaves, acorns, mushrooms, and grapes, we’ve gathered a wide range of ideas!
We also share fun ways to use materials that will greatly expand children’s worlds, so please use them for inspiration.
Because we mainly introduce ideas for creating works that allow children to freely express their individuality, we refer to them as “seisaku” (craft/creation) in the text.
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[October] Fall Craft Ideas You Can Use in Childcare, Part 2 (1–10)
Yarn Halloween Cup
Let’s make a yarn Halloween cup that will liven up the festivities by holding candy and small items! It’s a perfect idea for October crafts in daycare or kindergarten.
First, punch two holes along the rim of a paper cup and attach a pipe cleaner as a handle.
Next, stick double-sided tape around the outside of the cup and wrap yarn in your favorite colors.
Finish by adding a face—and you’re done! It’s a fun craft you can easily make with familiar materials.
Try different combinations of pipe cleaner and yarn colors to create your own variations!
Making sweets with autumn nature
How about making some cute sweets packed with autumn vibes? Use paper clay to shape donuts, fill cups, and mold it into whatever sweets you want to create.
Then decorate with acorns and nuts you’ve collected, and you’re done.
If you add beads or marbles, your sweets will look even more colorful and festive.
You can display your finished creations, or use them for pretend play like house or running a cake shop—it sounds fun either way.
Turn the memories of collecting acorns with your kids into a lovely keepsake.
Since small children may put acorns and nuts in their mouths, this activity is recommended for children aged 3 and up.
Three-dimensional owl
Let’s make semi-3D owls and create an autumn forest in the childcare room.
First, prepare a slightly large brown envelope.
Then, cut construction paper into an oval shape for the owl’s face.
If you draw guide lines with a pencil, children around age 4 and up can work on it, too.
Have the children freely create expressions for the face using crayons and paper parts.
After attaching the face parts to the bag, cut out and paste the owl’s wings and feet.
Next, draw the owl’s patterns on the body area.
Finally, stuff newspaper into the envelope to puff up the body, and it’s done! If you create a tree on the wall for the owls to perch on and display them, it will really enhance the atmosphere.
[October] Useful for childcare! Introducing autumn craft ideas [Part 2] (11–20)
A perfectly round owl made from a paper plate
Here’s a craft idea for making an owl using a paper plate and origami paper.
First, tear the origami paper into pieces of any size you like.
Let the children help with this step.
Next, prepare a paper plate, apply glue all over it, and stick on the torn pieces of origami paper.
Finally, attach the owl’s facial features and other parts, and it’s done! Adults can attach the parts, but you can also put double-sided tape on the back to make them like stickers so the children can stick them on themselves.
Punch a hole and thread a string through it, and it becomes a cute hanging decoration for autumn.
grapes
Here is how to make an origami grape with large, round, eye-catching berries.
You might think you have to fold each berry one by one, but with this method, you can make a strip of two berries from a sheet of origami paper cut in half.
Connect several of these grape berries to build up a full cluster.
Some of the finer folds can be a bit tricky, so take your time and fold carefully.
Combine the pieces while considering how the berries overlap, and finish by attaching a vine made from brown origami paper.
Then it’s complete.
playing camp
Speaking of autumn, many people probably head out for camping, right? And when it comes to camping, it’s all about tents, BBQs, and campfires.
This is a make-believe camping play set where you can create and enjoy all of those! There are plenty of fun ideas: a plastic tent decorated with drawings, handmade corn on the cob and yakisoba, BBQ ingredients made from construction paper, a campfire, roasted marshmallows, and more! It’s a play activity that will surely convey the fun of camping even to children who’ve never gone camping before.
Halloween monster balloon
For a Halloween-perfect origami project for three-year-olds, I recommend monster balloons.
Take the traditional origami balloon and give it a Halloween twist! The balloon has relatively simple steps with few folds, so you can enjoy making it together with your child.
Before inflating the balloon, let your child freely draw a face or add decorations they like to create their very own original ghost! Teachers looking to boost the fun Halloween atmosphere, and parents who want to enjoy handmade activities with their children, should definitely give this idea a try.