[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.
- [October] Craft ideas for fall you can use in childcare
- Craft activity ideas for 4-year-olds
- [For 4-Year-Olds] Recommended in November! Autumn-Themed Craft Activities
- [For 4-Year-Olds] Fun to Make! A Collection of Halloween Craft Ideas
- Craft ideas for 4-year-olds to try in autumn! Enjoy creative activities with seasonal motifs and events.
- Exciting September crafts for 4-year-olds! A special collection of fun ideas with autumn-themed motifs
- [Childcare] Perfect for October! Autumn crafts to enjoy with 5-year-olds
- [Childcare] For 5-year-olds! Autumn craft ideas
- [For 4-year-olds] Ideas for group games and craft activities that can be done indoors
- Recommended for 5-year-olds’ September crafts! A collection of ideas to enjoy autumn
- [Crafts for 3-Year-Olds] A Collection of Fun Ideas for Autumn! Let's Incorporate Seasonal Motifs
- [Childcare] Perfect for 3-year-olds! October craft ideas
- October origami for preschoolers: a collection of seasonal ideas
Childcare: Fun for October! Recommended craft ideas for 4-year-olds (21–30)
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.
Wobbly fun! Paper-cup bagworm
Hang these on the wall to meet lots of colorful, fun bagworms! First, prepare two sheets of origami paper in your favorite colors, then tear each one vertically into roughly four strips.
Next, apply glue to one end of a torn strip and randomly stick it onto the side of a paper cup near the bottom.
You can alternate the two colors or group the same color together—either is fine! At this point, also attach the bagworms’ eyes made from construction paper or origami.
Finally, use an awl to make a hole in the bottom of the paper cup, thread through some kite string for hanging, and secure it—that’s it! Please make sure that a kindergarten or nursery teacher, or a guardian, handles the hole-punching with the awl.
Make and Play! Bagworm Kendama
How about turning a kendama—where you balance the ball on the top or on the side cup—into a bagworm (minomushi) version? First, crumple up some newspaper into a ball and shape it with vinyl tape to make the kendama ball.
At this time, attach one end of a piece of kite string (both ends tied in firm knots) to the ball as you tape.
Next, tape the other end of the string to the outside bottom of a paper cup.
Then cut out eyes and a fallen-leaf-like body for the bagworm from construction or origami paper, and stick them around the cup—and you’re done! The ball is easier to catch than with a regular kendama, so kids can have lots of fun playing with it.
Make it with handprints! Wobbly bagworm
Here’s a craft idea for making bagworms using children’s handprints and footprints! First, create the bagworm’s body out of colored construction paper.
Next, take origami paper in your favorite colors and tear it into long, thin strips.
Paste the strips onto the body with glue, and use the child’s handprints to make a cute outfit.
Draw the face, attach a piece of yarn to hang it, and you’re done! You can also decorate with yarn instead of or in addition to origami paper.
Making lots in different colors and displaying them looks super cute, so it’s highly recommended.
Be sure to have fun tearing and pasting together with the kids!
Cosmos wreath you can make with origami
Use four 7.5 cm origami sheets for the cosmos and four 15 cm sheets for the base.
First, fold a 7.5 cm sheet into a triangle, then cross the left and right corners inward and fold so they overlap neatly.
Fold the folded sections back to align with the outer edges, crease well, then open those parts and squash-fold them flat.
Tuck both corners of the squashed section to the back, and cut small triangular notches into the three top corners—this completes one petal piece.
Glue four pieces together to make the cosmos, and place a round sticker in the center.
For the base, fold the top and bottom corners to the center of the paper, then fold the whole thing in half by overlapping top and bottom.
Aligning with the top left and right corners, fold the bottom edge up on each side; once creased, squash-fold those sections.
Make four of these, glue them into a circle, and attach the cosmos to finish the wreath.
Making the cosmos in different colors will look bright and festive.
Yarn Winding! Bagworm Ornament
Let’s try making a bagworm craft that also lets you have fun with yarn.
First, glue colored construction paper onto white construction paper and cut it into an egg shape.
Make small slits around the edge, then wind the yarn around and around, tucking it into the slits as you go.
Wrap gently so the paper doesn’t warp, but firmly enough that the yarn doesn’t loosen and come off.
Once you’ve finished wrapping the yarn, decorate the case with round stickers, draw the face with a pen, add a touch of pink to the cheeks with blush, and you’re done!
Autumn wall display! Mushrooms and bagworms
This is a wall decoration of mushrooms and bagworms that’s fun to stick on with glue.
First, make the parts.
Using construction paper in your favorite colors, cut out mushrooms in various shapes.
If you’re working with small children, please cut them in advance.
After cutting slits in the mushrooms, cut separate pieces of construction paper to serve as the stems.
Next, make the bagworms.
Have the children help with what they can, like drawing the eyes.
Now for the assembly.
Tear pieces of construction paper and glue them onto a background sheet to form the bagworm’s body.
Add the eyes and a little hat, too.
Finally, overlap the mushroom pieces at the slits and glue them so they become three-dimensional—that’s it, you’re done.