[Autumn Activities] Nature Play and Craft Ideas for Fall to Incorporate into Childcare!
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.
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[Autumn Activities] Fall Nature Play and Craft Ideas to Incorporate into Childcare! (21–30)
Great for moon viewing! Pampas grass origami
Perfect for the Night of the Thirteenth Moon! Want to make pampas grass with origami? Prepare a 15×7.5 cm sheet of origami paper.
First, fold it in half lengthwise, matching the top and bottom edges—repeat this step three times to make a long, narrow strip.
Next, place the paper vertically, fold it in half top to bottom, and crease well.
Cut a vertical slit along one of the existing fold lines on either the left or right.
Then, take the top of the bundle that’s separated by the slit and fold it 90 degrees to the right.
Open the base to give the ears some dimension, then change the angle and fold the remaining sections diagonally.
Offset the overlapping ears and adjust the shape, and your pampas grass is complete.
Cute, freshly baked sweet potato
Let’s fold an autumn treat—sweet potatoes—using a single sheet of origami paper.
As you fold, be sure to make crisp creases.
By freely adjusting the angles, each person’s sweet potato will have its own unique shape, making it even more fun when you finish.
For the white areas, it’s recommended to add color using crayons or paint.
Fold in the corners to give your sweet potato a plump, rounded shape.
It could be fun to display them on an autumn-themed wall, or put them in a basket or bag and use them for pretend shopping play.
Cute! Horsetail Origami
Let’s make a cute horsetail (tsukushi) using 15×7.5 cm origami paper.
First, place the white side of the paper facing up and fold it into a square by bringing the top and bottom edges together.
Open it once the crease is made, then fold the bottom edge up to meet the crease.
Rotate the paper 90 degrees to the right and turn it over, then fold the top and bottom edges inward to make it into thirds.
Create the hakama (pleated trousers) look by making two step folds (valley–mountain) on the white section, then fold the top and bottom inward toward the center.
At this point, it’s easier if you squash-fold the right corner into a triangle.
Finally, fold all four corners of the brown section inward, and you’re done.
A cute autumn tree made of origami
Let’s make a simple autumn tree using origami.
Prepare two sheets of origami paper and create separate parts for the leaves and the trunk.
For the leaves, fold into triangles and squares, pressing firmly with your fingers to set crisp creases.
Following the creases, fold everything inward as if tucking it inside.
If it’s difficult, have an adult help.
Once you shape the corners into leaf-like points, the leaf section is complete.
For the trunk, fold along the center line to create a three-dimensional shape.
Attach the leaves and trunk together to finish.
It’s also nice to use different paper colors for a more autumnal look.
Bagworm made with a coffee filter
https://www.tiktok.com/@soiflhoiku/video/7305376784868969735After enjoying free drawing with markers on a coffee filter, turning it into a bleeding/absorption painting is a fun craft idea.
Once you’ve made the bleeding effect, let the coffee filter dry and cut it into leaf shapes with scissors.
Attach them with double-sided tape to the base of a mino (a straw raincoat) made from construction paper.
Then stick on the face and hat, also made from construction paper.
Finally, draw the face with a pen or crayon, and it’s complete! The patterns and marker colors create unique variations in each mino, which is really fun.
A bagworm papercraft made with an envelope
Let me share an idea for making a bagworm using a brown envelope.
Cut off the top of the envelope with scissors, then fold the top left and right corners to the back.
Stick on eyes made by layering white and black round stickers, and then decorate the body with colored paper or yarn to represent the case.
Tear the colored paper into small pieces beforehand, and cut the yarn into suitable lengths.
Finally, tape a piece of jute string to the back of the envelope, and it’s done.
In addition to colored paper and yarn, you could also glue on leaves or small twigs you collected on a walk for a cute touch.
Easy and cute way to fold an apple (origami)
Let’s make a fall favorite—an apple—using two sheets of origami paper.
Use one sheet for the fruit and the other for the stem.
Fold the paper for the fruit in half twice to make a small square, then open it back up once the creases are set.
Fold the top edge down to meet the horizontal center crease, and fold the bottom left and right corners in toward the center of the paper.
Fold both top corners into small triangles, then tuck in the left, right, and bottom corners to round the overall shape.
Cut a slit at the top center, then open the cut section to the left and right and fold them down.
The fruit is complete.
Next, use a small piece of origami paper to make the stem.
Fold the paper in half by matching the top and bottom edges, then start at the bottom right corner and fold diagonally, rolling it into a narrow strip.
Secure it with glue so it doesn’t come undone, and the stem is finished.
Attach it into the slit you made, and your cute apple is ready!