Lovely childcare

Craft ideas for 4-year-olds to try in autumn! Enjoy creative activities with seasonal motifs and events.

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.

In autumn, when the heat eases and it becomes more comfortable, children grow even more in mind and body and become more dependable.

Four-year-olds may be starting to develop an awareness that they’ll soon be the oldest class.

Autumn also brings seasonal motifs and various events that children are surely looking forward to.

We’d love to incorporate these into craft ideas.

So this time, we’ve gathered craft ideas perfect for autumn.

We’re introducing ideas well-suited for four-year-olds, so please use them as a reference.

Because the things children make are treated as works, we use the term “seisaku (制作)” in the text.

Craft ideas for 4-year-olds to try in autumn! Enjoy craft activities themed around seasonal motifs and events (91–100)

Cosmos with straw stamps

Here’s an idea for making a small, cute cosmos field using a straw.

Cut eight evenly spaced slits into the end of a straw so the tips become the cosmos petals, then crease them so they fold outward.

Dab a little watered-down paint onto the opened tips and stamp them onto paper.

The key points are not to cut the slits too deep and to thin the paint to a nice, loose consistency.

With those two tips, you’ll get an easy-to-use stamp.

Draw the cosmos leaves and stems with crayons.

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Pom-pom mushrooms made from toilet paper rolls

Let’s use toilet paper rolls like stamps to decorate the mushroom caps! First, cut out the shapes of the mushroom stem and cap from construction paper.

Depending on the children’s ages, the teacher may want to handle the cutting.

Once the construction paper is ready, dip the open end of a toilet paper roll in paint of your choice and stamp it onto the cap with a tapping motion.

After you’ve created the pattern you like, combine it with the stem piece to complete the mushroom! It’s also a great idea to draw a face on the stem with a pen or add round stickers.

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Cosmos flowers with toilet paper rolls and finger stamping

How about using toilet paper rolls and the children’s fingers as stamps to create cute cosmos flowers? First, make several cuts in a toilet paper roll and bend the cut sections outward.

Dip it in paint and stamp it onto drawing paper—cosmos petals will appear! Then use finger stamping to fill in the empty center, and your cosmos is complete.

Afterwards, use pens or crayons to draw the stem and leaves where you made the flower.

If the teacher makes the cuts in the toilet paper rolls beforehand, the activity will go more smoothly.

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Grapes with balloon stamps

This is a grape craft using balloons that kids love.

Inflate a balloon, dip it in paint, and stamp to create grape shapes.

Once the paint dries, cut out the grape shapes and attach a paper leaf and stem to finish.

It’s best to use the paint without thinning it so the color goes on well.

You can use just one color, but using multiple colors like purple, navy, and pink will make the result more vibrant and three-dimensional.

Inflate the balloons only a little so they’re easy for children to hold.

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Making Grapes with Bubble Wrap

[Kindergarten/Daycare] September—Autumn appetite! Grape-loving art and crafts

Making Grapes with Bubble Wrap

This is a grape craft that uses bubble wrap, making the popping sensation fun.

Wrap bubble wrap around a toilet paper roll.

Cut purple construction paper into circles with scissors for the grape pieces, and have teachers use a hole punch to make holes in a few of them in advance.

Paint the bubble-wrap-covered roll with paint and roll it over the grape pieces to create a pattern of grape-like dots.

Finally, glue them onto a backing sheet along with a grape stem and a little caterpillar made by combining small circular pieces of paper.

You’ll end up with a lovely autumn-themed piece featuring random patterns.

Using bubble wrap as a tool is such a fresh idea!

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[Sponge] Autumn Sky Craft

[Kindergarten/Preschool] Easy tearing craft! September autumn sky: a painting/craft of an aerial stroll among mackerel clouds

[Sponge] Autumn Sky Craft

This is a craft project to create an autumn sky with mackerel clouds using a sponge and thin calligraphy paper.

Prepare an orange sheet of construction paper, then use a sponge soaked with paints such as orange and white to dab on curved patterns.

Because “autumn sky” might be hard for children to imagine, it’s recommended to show photos or have teachers demonstrate an example.

Once the paint is completely dry, tear the thin paper and paste the pieces on as mackerel clouds to complete the autumn sky! Try arranging it further by adding origami airplanes or portraits of children looking up at the sky.

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Sparkly-Eyed Owl

[Kindergarten/Daycare] October: Bright-Eyed Owls in the Dark – Art and Craft Activity

Sparkly-Eyed Owl

Here’s a craft idea for making “Bright-Eyed Owls” using aluminum cups.

Prepare by pre-cutting the owl’s small parts.

Have the children cut out an owl, a moon, and circles from construction paper.

Then cut each circle in half to make the wings.

Glue the aluminum cups onto the pre-cut owl to form the eyes, and attach all the pre-cut parts to complete the owl.

Prepare a background sheet and glue on the moon and the owl to create a nighttime scene.

When you shine a light on it, the eyes sparkle like those of a real owl you might see at night—it’s really fun!

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