[Childcare] Autumn craft ideas
We’ve gathered fall craft ideas that are perfect for childcare!
Autumn is a comfortable season with plenty of chances to go for walks and play outside.
Children are likely to pick up all sorts of intriguing things—acorns, pinecones, leaves, and more.
In this article, we introduce crafts that use found items as materials, as well as projects made with construction paper, origami paper, and recycled materials.
We’ve collected a wide range of ideas—from toys kids can play with after making them to decorations for wall displays—so try choosing activities that suit the children’s ages and have fun creating together!
- [Childcare] For 5-year-olds! Autumn craft ideas
- [November] Enjoy with 3-year-olds! Craft activity ideas recommended for autumn
- Grape craft ideas to enjoy in childcare! Have fun making autumn fruits
- Hedgehog crafts for daycare and kindergarten! A collection of ideas to enjoy autumn in childcare
- [Childcare] Recommended for 3-year-olds! Craft activity ideas
- Even 1-year-olds will be captivated! A collection of craft ideas to enjoy the art-filled autumn
- September: Autumn crafts! Ideas you can use in childcare
- Exciting September crafts for 4-year-olds! A special collection of fun ideas with autumn-themed motifs
- [Autumn Activities] Nature Play and Craft Ideas for Fall to Incorporate into Childcare!
- [October] Craft ideas for fall you can use in childcare
- Get kids excited in November! A collection of play and craft ideas using autumn’s natural treasures
- Preschool: Autumn-Themed Craft Ideas Recommended for November
- [For 3-year-olds] Perfect for September! A Collection of Craft Ideas to Enjoy Autumn Nature
[Childcare] Autumn Craft Ideas (171–180)
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.
Cosmos flowers with paper cups and paint
Let’s transform a paper cup into a cosmos flower! Make several large cuts from the rim down toward the bottom of the cup.
After cutting, spread the segments outward, paint them with colors to create the cosmos petals, and let them dry.
Once the paint is dry, glue a crumpled piece of yellow tissue paper onto the cup’s bottom (the flower center) to finish.
You can stick the flowers onto a large sheet of construction paper or poster paper and draw in stems and leaves afterward.
It’s also great to skip the stems and leaves and cover a wall with lots of cosmos flowers made by the children.
Adjust who makes the cuts in the paper cups depending on the children’s ages—teachers may need to handle this step.
Paper tape hedgehog
This wall decoration features an adorable hedgehog with colorful, spiky quills! Hedgehogs are popular animals that often appear in picture books, and in recent years they’ve grown in popularity as pets too, so kids are sure to have a great time with this activity.
Once you’ve prepared the hedgehog-shaped construction paper as the base, simply cut strips of paper tape and stick them on freely.
When you’re done, draw in the eyes and nose to finish it off.
For cutting the paper tape, you can tear it by hand, use scissors, have the teacher pre-cut it, or choose whatever method best suits the children.
Rabbit moon-viewing with footprint stamps
One of the events in September is the Mid-Autumn Moon Viewing (Tsukimi).
Picture the round, beautiful moon; the rabbit said to live on the moon—an essential character for Tsukimi; and the round, delicious moon-viewing dumplings.
How about making a “moon-viewing rabbit” that brings this scene to life? For the rabbit’s ears, use the children’s footprints.
Painting the bottoms of their feet will probably feel a bit strange, but that’s part of the fun.
Cut out the footprint stamps, paste them onto construction paper of the same color, and draw the rabbit’s face.
Mushroom with a balloon stamp
Would you like to try making mushrooms by stamping with balloons? Have an adult inflate the balloons.
The key is to blow them up a bit smaller so they’re easy for children to hold.
Dip the balloon in paint and stamp it onto construction paper in the color of your choice.
It’s more fun if you use several colors of paint.
Finally, attach the stem pieces and your mushroom is complete.
You can draw patterns on the stem or add a face to create a unique mushroom all your own.
Perfect for autumn wall decorations, too.
[Childcare] Autumn Craft Ideas (181–190)
Autumn fruits with balloon stamps
Let’s use balloons like stamps to make delicious autumn fruits! On white drawing paper, dab paint onto the paper using a paint-covered balloon.
Once the paint dries, cut the paper into the shapes of your favorite fruits to match the paint colors.
Prepare separate paper to make stems and leaves, then combine them with the fruit shapes to finish! Have the children do the balloon stamping, and let the teacher handle any tasks that involve using scissors.
Pop-out roasted sweet potato
A unique craft idea features a roasted sweet potato popping out from a campfire.
You can make the mechanism using two paper cups and twine.
Since the mechanism involves making holes, it’s best for the teacher to handle that part.
The children can draw campfires and roasted sweet potatoes on the cups, or cut and create them with origami! It’s really fun to pull the string and see a piping hot sweet potato pop out from the campfire, and the kids will likely be absorbed in playing with it.
You can also stack three or more paper cups, or adapt the design with seasonal motifs for even more fun!
