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Hedgehog crafts for daycare and kindergarten! A collection of ideas to enjoy autumn in childcare

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
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.

Speaking of autumn, hedgehogs are also popular with children.

In fact, you can represent a hedgehog’s quills using fallen leaves, acorns, yarn, or origami paper! Here, we’ll share hedgehog craft ideas that children ages 1 to 5 can enjoy at daycare or kindergarten, tailored to each age group.

Beyond their cute appearance, choosing, sticking, and arranging different materials helps develop fine motor skills.

Enjoy the feeling of autumn nature with the children as you make prickly little hedgehogs together.

You’re sure to meet a variety of wonderfully unique hedgehogs! Because the children’s creations are treated as works of art, we use the term “production” (制作) in the text.

Hedgehog crafts for nursery and kindergarten! A collection of ideas to enjoy autumn in childcare (11–20)

[Ages 3 and up] Stick-and-paste hedgehog with glue

[Autumn Crafts for Toddlers♪] Perfect for fall! Spiky Hedgehog 🦔🍂 #preschoolcrafts #nurseryschoolteacher #teachingideas #traineenurseryteacher #teacherlife #constructionpaper #papercrafts #walldecor #Octobercrafts

[Ages 3 and up] Stick-and-paste hedgehog with glue

Introducing a hedgehog craft activity.

Hedgehogs are said to be cautious and laid-back, and they’re super cute, aren’t they? For this hedgehog craft, please prepare a hedgehog template and the quills in advance.

You’ll make the quills by cutting construction paper into vertical strips.

The children will use glue to attach the quill pieces onto the hedgehog template.

Finally, draw the hedgehog’s face with crayons to finish.

For the face, you could also use round stickers so kids can enjoy sticking them on—that might be a fun option!

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[Age 4] Spiky Origami Hedgehog

[Kindergarten/Preschool] Spiky Origami Hedgehog Art & Craft

[Age 4] Spiky Origami Hedgehog

Here’s a craft idea for making a hedgehog that uses accordion-folded origami to represent the spines.

First, prepare two sheets of origami paper.

Accordion-fold both sheets, then fold each in half.

Glue the inner folded sides and attach the two pieces together to form a half-circle.

Glue this half-circle onto a piece of construction paper cut into a hedgehog shape, and add a construction paper nose.

Finally, draw the face to complete your hedgehog.

Prepare a variety of colors and patterns of origami paper so children can choose their favorites.

You can glue the hedgehog onto a backing sheet and decorate around it, or use it as-is for a wall display.

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[Ages 2 and up] Hedgehog made with various stamps

Among living creatures, hedgehogs are a cute autumn motif that kids love.

Let’s make a hedgehog with stamping! First, cut the hedgehog’s body out of construction paper.

If you’re working with one-year-olds who can’t use scissors, a teacher or guardian should prepare it for them.

Next comes the kids’ turn: stamp onto the hedgehog’s body using forks or clothespins, however they like.

That’s all it takes to make an adorable hedgehog! If you stick it onto a sheet of paper with a drawn background, it will look even cuter.

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[Ages 3 and up] Hedgehog with masking tape

Let’s make a colorful, cute hedgehog using washi tape! First, cut out a hedgehog shape from construction paper.

Depending on the children’s ages, the teacher can handle this part, or draw guide lines and have the children do the cutting themselves.

Once you’ve cut out the hedgehog shape, simply stick strips of washi tape in various colors and patterns randomly over the area where the hedgehog’s spines would be—and you’re done! You’ll have a very stylish hedgehog with spines in all sorts of patterns.

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[Ages 4 and up] 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.

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