Lovely childcare

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

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.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

Autumn is a season full of nature that can be put to good use in childcare.

It’s also a time when we can really feel children’s growth, isn’t it?

As it becomes more comfortable to spend time outdoors, many preschools and kindergartens likely enjoy activities like collecting nuts and gathering fallen leaves.

You want to introduce lots of new activities but can’t find any ideas…

For those with that concern, we’ve gathered recommended nature play and craft ideas for autumn.

Enjoy them together with the children and savor the fruitful season.

The experiences they have at your center will become precious memories for them.

[Autumn Activities] Autumn Nature Play and Craft Ideas to Incorporate into Childcare! (91–100)

Hand play ‘Donguri Korokoro’

Donguri Korokoro (with actions) [Japanese song/children’s song]

Hand play 'Donguri Korokoro'

The classic acorn song “Donguri Korokoro”! There’s a hand-play version of this classic acorn song, too.

Roll your arms in circles to show the acorn tumbling.

Wiggle your arms like a little snake to make the loach the acorn meets in the river.

Cross your arms in front of your chest to create a gentle, warm feeling.

Even infants will get excited by these movements, so try singing “Donguri Korokoro” with lively actions! It’s also recommended to use picture books or a sketchbook theater to show the children what the scenes look like.

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Hand Play “Baked Sweet Potato: Rock, Scissors, Paper”

[Hand Play Song • Autumn] Baked Sweet Potato Rock-Paper-Scissors [Teacher Hiromi]

Hand Play “Baked Sweet Potato: Rock, Scissors, Paper”

Speaking of autumn, it’s the season of hearty appetites, right? Roasted sweet potatoes, loved by both kids and adults, are one of the tastiest autumn treats.

Here’s a game called “Yakiimo Gu-Chi-Pa,” where you sing a roasted sweet potato song while doing a hand game and then play rock-paper-scissors.

You show “Gu” (fist) to mimic the rumbling sound of an empty stomach, “Chi” (scissors) with an ‘ouch, hot!’ gesture to show holding a hot sweet potato, and “Pa” (open hand) to show that you’ve eaten it all and it’s gone—singing as you go, and finishing with everyone doing rock-paper-scissors.

It’s also fun to speed it up to make it more challenging!

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If you drop a pine nut from above…

[Osanpo Hana-iku] Winged Seed Flying (Natural Propeller Play)

If you drop a pine nut from above...

In autumn, you often see pine cones on pine trees and scattered along the road.

A pine cone is made up of many overlapping scales.

Between each pair of scales, there’s something thinner than the scales themselves wedged in—that’s the pine cone’s seed.

These seeds have something like a wing attached, and if you open your hand and drop one, it falls with a peculiar motion.

Its movement is different from a leaf or a petal falling—a great autumn discovery! You can try this not only with pine cones but also with maple and Japanese maple seeds, so if you find some, give it a try.

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Pine cone experiment

What happens if you put a pine cone in water? -Pine Cone in Water Experiment-

Pine cone experiment

Pinecones you see when you go for a walk in autumn.

Kids’ eyes sparkle at pinecones, right alongside acorns.

Did you know that if you soak a pinecone in water, it gets smaller? Its shape changes in the water, slowly closing up like a bud.

Children will surely be surprised to see it looking so different from a usual pinecone! Once it dries and the moisture is gone, it returns to its original form, so try the “pinecone experiment” together with the kids.

It’s a great learning opportunity, and you can also prepare various items and try soaking them in water too!

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Let’s eat acorns

How to eat acorns • Tasty • Picked up at the park • Natural snack ❤︎ Let’s Eat! / autumn / chinquapin ❤︎ #310

Let's eat acorns

Do you know shii nuts? They’re cone-shaped nuts with a pointed tip, very similar to acorns.

And guess what—you can eat them! You crack the shell and eat the peanut-like kernel inside.

The taste is similar to chestnuts, so they’re easy to enjoy.

You can eat them raw, but they’re even tastier sautéed in butter or microwaved.

There are lots of recipes using shii nuts on popular recipe websites, so be sure to check them out!

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