[Autumn Activities] Nature Play and Craft Ideas for Fall to Incorporate into Childcare!

Autumn Discovery Adventure

[2-year-olds] Autumn Discovery Explorers!

Let’s go for a walk with the children and look for lots of signs of autumn in nature! A fun way to make the walk even more exciting is with a little walking bag.

You can easily make one using a milk carton and plastic gift ribbon.

Decorate it freely with permanent markers and stickers to create your own original bag.

Let’s enjoy discovering autumn together with the kids—acorns, pinecones, and beautifully colored leaves.

Put your favorite natural treasures in the walking bag to take home, and once you’re back, everyone can share and say, “Look what I found!” This will surely deepen their interest in autumn’s nature.

Let’s touch and grow familiar with the many aspects of autumn that are unique to this season, and feel the changes it brings.

Let’s go harvest autumn delicacies!

[For 2-year-olds] Let's go autumn taste hunting!

Let’s make and harvest autumn treats like sweet potatoes, grapes, and persimmons.

First, wrap crumpled newspaper with origami paper to create sweet potatoes and persimmons.

For the grapes, crumple small pieces of paper to make the individual grapes, then glue each one onto a piece of construction paper cut into a grape cluster shape.

The crumpling activity is perfect for encouraging fine motor skills in two-year-olds! Once the foods are made, display them like the real thing: tuck the sweet potatoes into crumpled newspaper “soil,” hang the grapes from a vine, and stick the persimmons onto a “tree.” This can help children learn how foods grow.

Try harvesting the foods you made together and play with them.

Through these uniquely autumn experiences, we hope to deepen children’s curiosity and interest in fall foods.

Transform in autumn nature!

[Ages 3–5] Transform with Autumn Nature!

Let’s have fun making your favorite crown using colorful leaves! Stick lots of fallen leaves you found on a walk onto a headband that you’ve prepped with double-sided tape, and you’ll have a crown in no time! Since you can choose leaves in your favorite colors outdoors as you make it, it really sparks the imagination—“Which leaf should I use?” We also recommend trying acorns and pine cones.

And it’s not just crowns—making other items like a walk bag or a cape would be exciting too! Once you’re done, everyone can transform and put on a little show together.

Making dumplings

Full Moon Dumpling Making (Morishima Nursery School)

When it comes to the full-moon night of Otsukimi, you can’t go without dango! Dango are easy to make together, even with small children.

Knead dango flour and water well until the dough is about as firm as an earlobe.

Next, roll the dough into dango balls—let the kids help with this step! They’ll have fun doing it like making mud balls.

Once they’re rounded, boil them in boiling water.

The dumplings will float to the surface; from that point, boil for about 3 more minutes, then drain and cool them in cold water.

After they’ve cooled, drain thoroughly and arrange them into the traditional Otsukimi dango shape—and you’re done! You can also leave the decorating to the kids.

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Acorn balancing toy

How to make a balancing toy using acorns

Let’s make a balancing toy (yajirobee) using acorns! You’ll need three acorns.

It’s best to choose ones that are as nicely shaped as possible.

First, to prevent any insects inside the acorns from coming out, boil the acorns starting in cold water.

After the water comes to a boil, continue boiling for about 20 minutes, then remove the acorns and cool them in water.

Next, use an awl to make one hole in the bottom of two of the acorns.

In the remaining acorn, make two holes near the bottom.

Insert bamboo skewers into each hole.

If you apply glue before inserting them, they’ll be less likely to come out.

And that’s it—your acorn yajirobee is complete!

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