[Childcare] Fun for October! Craft ideas recommended for 4-year-olds
Four-year-olds become even more dependable in autumn.
You’ll probably start to hear conversations like, “Next year you’ll be in the oldest class!” Their crafting activities also gain depth, as they grapple with how to express their own ideas and offer imaginative suggestions that make the most of their creativity.
This time, we’ve put together October craft ideas we’d love to try with four-year-olds.
We’ve prepared a variety of ideas—from seasonal materials and motifs to projects that draw out their originality.
Please use them as a reference.
Since the children’s creations are treated as works, we use the term “seisaku” (production/art-making) in the text.
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[Early Childhood Education] Fun for October! Recommended Craft Ideas for 4-Year-Olds (1–10)
Grape picking in the room
Let’s make grapes—an autumn treat—using chain links, a classic birthday decoration.
The method is the same as for chain garlands.
Cut paper into long strips, form them into rings, and link them together to create the fruit.
First, connect about four rings horizontally, then add vertical chains hanging down beneath them—use this image as a guide while you build.
Once the cluster is done, attach a stem and connect leaves with pipe cleaners to finish.
If you draw guide lines on construction paper, even 4-year-olds can try cutting the long strips themselves.
When you’re finished, be sure to display it on your room’s wall!
Totoro taking a walk among the autumn leaves
This is an art project featuring Totoro, a character beloved by children.
Cut out tree parts from drawing paper and glue them together.
Cut various origami papers into strips, glue the ends together to make teardrop shapes, and attach them to the tree as leaves.
Fold Totoro from a single sheet of origami and just draw the face.
Since it only takes one sheet, be sure to have the kids try making Totoro too.
Finally, glue the tree and Totoro onto a backing sheet, and you’ll have Totoro walking among the autumn leaves! Because there are quite a few steps, we recommend doing the tree and Totoro on separate days.
Pumpkin Paint
Color your pumpkins! Enjoy “pumpkin painting” this fall.
For this craft, we’ll use small pumpkins that are easy for children to handle.
Once you have your pumpkins, acrylic paints, and brushes ready, start painting the pumpkins freely.
Although pumpkins may seem green, try painting them in your children’s favorite colors—blue, pink, red, white, and more.
After enjoying the coloring, use them as Halloween or autumn decorations.
When they’ve finished their role as decor, repurpose them for other crafts like vegetable stamping!
[Childcare] Fun for October! Recommended Craft Ideas for 4-Year-Olds (11–20)
Halloween pumpkin and bats
Let’s try making pumpkins and bats using toilet paper rolls.
Following the guidelines, cut the main body pieces and the bat wings out of construction paper.
Attach the pre-made facial parts to the main body piece, wrap it around the toilet paper roll, and you’re done.
For the bat, don’t forget to attach the wings.
If the children are around four years old, they might enjoy trying to cut out the smaller facial parts themselves.
Some materials or shapes can be hard to cut, so please support the children to make the activity easier for them when needed.
Bat made by winding yarn around and around
How about making a fluffy, cute bat with yarn? It’s perfect for Halloween crafts, so give it a try! First, stick double-sided tape onto a toilet paper roll, then wrap your favorite color of yarn around and around.
Black is the classic bat color, but kids who don’t like it can choose any color they like.
Next, attach wings and ears made from construction paper, plus eyes and a mouth, and you’re done! If you thread a string through the roll, it’s easy to hang, so you can turn it into a hanging ornament or a garland!
Let’s build a 〇〇 tree together!
Let’s use our hands and feet to boldly spread paint and create an autumn tree! For October projects, we recommend designs inspired by the vivid colors of maple and ginkgo leaves.
Handprints resemble maple leaves, so be sure to give them a try.
You can also use footprint stamps to express the texture of the tree trunk, or stamp handprints on drawing paper and cut them out to make leaves.
Through the process of attaching leaves to the tree, this activity can nurture the imagination of 4-year-olds.
You can also adapt this project to suit different seasons, so please try it out.
Halloween art made with handprints
Here’s a Halloween craft idea you can make using children’s handprints.
First, have the kids cut the base paper into a circle.
Next, paint orange on their palms and green on their middle fingers, then stamp onto the base.
Using pre-made parts—circles, triangles, stars, and hats—let them decorate the base however they like.
Finally, add jack-o’-lantern face pieces to the orange handprint and write “Halloween” in the empty space to finish.
It’s a wonderful idea that they can also enjoy taking home.