[Childcare] November wall decorations and autumn craft ideas

A little mushroom with arms and legs

[Autumn Origami] How to fold a little mushroom with arms and legs (with voice-over) ☆ How to make cute mushrooms out of paper / Tatsukuri

In season for autumn! Here’s a fun idea for a little mushroom character with arms and legs.

When you hear “mushroom,” what comes to mind? Nameko, shiitake, king trumpet (eringi), shimeji—there are so many varieties.

Mushrooms, which often appear at home on the dinner table and in school lunches, are ingredients that are in season in autumn! This time, let’s make a mushroom character with arms and legs using origami.

You’ll need one sheet of origami paper in your favorite color, a quarter-sized piece of origami paper, and a pen.

The key step is creating the mushroom’s rounded shape! Give it a try.

Cute squirrel

Easy origami squirrel folding! Cute enough for a 3-year-old to make♪

Let’s make an adorable squirrel using two sheets of origami paper.

First, fold the first sheet in half into a triangle and open it, then slightly fold the corners along the crease.

Flip it over and fold up the opposite corner as well.

Fold both side corners up toward the center.

Fold each of the two top corners inward toward the center to make the ears, and slightly fold the face and mouth areas inward to make them rounded—this completes the face.

Next, fold the second sheet in half into a triangle, open it, and fold both side corners inward to meet the center crease.

Fold the two bottom corners toward the center too.

Fold the whole piece in half, offset slightly, then tuck in the bottom corners to round the shape—this completes the body.

Finally, glue the face and body together and draw the squirrel’s face, and you’re done!

Grapes with a perfectly round stamp

Grapes are a popular autumn fruit among children.

Let’s express grapes using construction paper and stamps made from lactic acid drink containers.

First, as prep, cut out the overall shape of a grape cluster from construction paper.

Also prepare plenty of purple circles.

Using a variety of purple shades will make the final result look beautiful.

Have the children freely glue the circles onto the grape cluster, then use the lactic acid drink containers to stamp round shapes on top.

The overlap of the paper circles and the stamped circles creates an artistic finish.

Hang them up with purple raffia (suzuran tape) for display.

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Squirrel Wreath

How about making a super-cute squirrel wreath to feel the autumn season? As prep work, the teacher should cut construction paper into 3.5 cm-wide strips.

Choose autumnal colors like yellow, orange, and red.

Have the children stamp patterns on the paper with cotton swabs or decorate it with stickers.

Once the decorating is done, apply glue along a 2 cm-wide section and form each strip into a loop.

After making nine loops, thread a string through their centers to connect them and shape them into a circular wreath.

Next, glue acorns onto the wreath and attach a squirrel face made from construction paper to finish it off!

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Colorful acorns

Let’s all make acorns with a touch of humor in their expressions.

First, as prep work, cut out lots of acorn shapes from cardboard.

Have the children start by tearing construction paper.

Prepare autumnal colors like brown, orange, and purple.

Next, glue the torn paper onto the nut portion of the acorn.

Layer the pieces to create colorful acorns for a fun, lively finish.

Once the glue dries, add round stickers to make the eyes.

Fold some origami to make little acorn caps, too!

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Autumn, flushed crimson with stamps

Let’s depict a tree with bright red autumn leaves using stamping.

Prepare a square sponge that fits comfortably in your hand for the stamp.

Also, have a stencil with a tree shape cut out.

Place the stencil over drawing paper, then dab red, orange, and yellow paint with the sponge.

Stamping without leaving gaps will give a clean finish.

Once you’ve stamped, remove the stencil and let the paint dry.

Finally, add the tree trunk and some fallen leaves, and your splendid tree is complete.

It’s a project with lots of stamping, so it’s sure to be a hit!

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A bug made only of masking tape

Let’s use masking tape to create cute bagworms.

Make tree branches and animals out of construction paper, then attach them to the wall so it looks like they’re hanging from the branches.

Give the animals’ bodies rounded brown shapes.

Then randomly stick on torn pieces of masking tape over them to create a bagworm-like look.

Make your favorite animals and decorate the wall with all kinds of bagworms.

It’s also nice to add items that evoke the start of winter, like scarves or knit hats.

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Wool yarn inchworm

How about making a cozy bagworm using yarn? First, cut open a milk carton and build a small rectangular box.

This will be the bagworm’s body, so adjust the size to something easy for children to handle.

Next, have the kids glue short pieces of yarn onto the carton.

Layering lots of yarn creates beautiful colors and conveys the yarn’s warm texture.

Once the glue dries, attach the bagworm’s face to the top of the body—and it’s done! Be sure to let the children draw the facial expressions themselves.

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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.

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Sweet potatoes made with paint and scrap paper

As an autumn activity, some preschools may go on sweet potato digging outings.

Here’s a way to create three-dimensional sweet potatoes that children love.

First, prepare paper for the outer surface and paper to stuff inside.

Newspaper or paper used as cushioning in online shopping packages works well.

Next, crumple the inner paper and shape it like a sweet potato.

Observing a real one or looking at picture books will make it easier for children to imagine.

Then wrap the inside with the outer paper, paint it with the color of a sweet potato, and let it dry.

You’ll have a one-of-a-kind sweet potato where you can feel each child’s individuality in the way they painted it!

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