[Childcare] Perfect for October! Autumn crafts to enjoy with 5-year-olds
October is packed with events like sports day, field trips, and Halloween.
Some five-year-olds will also be celebrating Shichi-Go-San.
How about making some lovely crafts to help children enjoy October even more? We’ve gathered ideas themed around these events, as well as ones kids can use on the day itself.
We’ve also included craft ideas with slightly more complex steps that five-year-olds can handle.
It would be great if they could take a few days and work on them until they’re satisfied.
Since items made by children are treated as works, we use the term “seisaku” (production) in the text.
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[Childcare] Perfect for October! Autumn crafts to enjoy with 5-year-olds (11–20)
Newspaper print stamp Halloween pumpkin
These Halloween pumpkins made with newspaper stamps are perfect for October crafts! First, sketch a pumpkin shape on construction paper, fold it in half, and cut it out.
Next, layer it over black construction paper and temporarily tape the top to hold it in place.
Dab paint onto a balled-up piece of newspaper and stamp it on.
The colors pop more if you don’t dilute the paint with water, so give it a try! To finish, add motifs like a pumpkin face, bats, or ghosts.
Cutting out the pumpkin can be a bit tricky, but it will spark a 5-year-old’s imagination—so encourage them to give it a try!
Recommended for Halloween! Message Card

Speaking of autumn, it’s the season when mushrooms are delicious.
So let’s make a mushroom out of origami.
First, fold up the bottom edge of the origami paper.
Make sure the folded section and the remaining white section are the same width.
Turn the paper over and fold the left and right edges in to meet at the center.
Open the pockets on both sides and squash them into triangles, then fold the corners on both sides of each triangle inward.
To finish, fold the corners of the stem and the lower part of the cap to round them off.
It would also look cute if you draw a face on it.
Witch hat for Halloween

Here’s an idea for making a chestnut in just seven folds.
First, to create the creases, fold the origami paper in half into a square twice.
Once folded, open it with the colored side facing up.
Fold the bottom edge up to meet the center crease, then flip the paper over and fold both top corners in toward the center.
Finally, fold both bottom corners toward the center to finish.
Turn the origami to the front, and if you draw small black dots on the white part with a pen, it will look even more like a chestnut—highly recommended.
If you want a rounder shape, lightly fold the corners to the back.
Cute, freshly baked sweet potato

Let’s fold an autumn treat—sweet potatoes—using a single sheet of origami paper.
As you fold, be sure to make crisp creases.
By freely adjusting the angles, each person’s sweet potato will have its own unique shape, making it even more fun when you finish.
For the white areas, it’s recommended to add color using crayons or paint.
Fold in the corners to give your sweet potato a plump, rounded shape.
It could be fun to display them on an autumn-themed wall, or put them in a basket or bag and use them for pretend shopping play.
Cute! Horsetail Origami

Let’s make a cute horsetail (tsukushi) using 15×7.5 cm origami paper.
First, place the white side of the paper facing up and fold it into a square by bringing the top and bottom edges together.
Open it once the crease is made, then fold the bottom edge up to meet the crease.
Rotate the paper 90 degrees to the right and turn it over, then fold the top and bottom edges inward to make it into thirds.
Create the hakama (pleated trousers) look by making two step folds (valley–mountain) on the white section, then fold the top and bottom inward toward the center.
At this point, it’s easier if you squash-fold the right corner into a triangle.
Finally, fold all four corners of the brown section inward, and you’re done.
Make with Origami! Autumn Insect: Cricket

When it comes to autumn insects popular with children, crickets come to mind.
Prepare one sheet of origami paper.
Fold it in half into a triangle twice, then stand the triangular section up and gently squash it into a square.
Fold the left and right sides toward the center line, then fold the entire top triangular section forward.
Open up the folded part and spread it so it becomes a diamond shape.
Once you’ve made the cricket’s head and legs, it’s done.
Some children may find the squashing-into-a-square step difficult, so please have an adult help them in that case.
Finish by drawing the eyes.
Make crickets with different expressions, line them up, and enjoy!
[Childcare] Perfect for October! Autumn crafts to enjoy with 5-year-olds (21–30)
Autumn Origami! How to Fold a Mushroom

Prepare two sheets of origami paper, round stickers, and glue to make a cute, original mushroom.
We’ll create it in two parts: the cap and the stem.
For the cap, fold the paper into a triangle, then fold the corners to shape it like a mushroom cap.
For the stem, make a triangular crease, then fold the left and right corners toward the center twice.
Tuck the tip into the crease, adjust the shape, and round it out to complete the stem.
Glue the cap and stem together, add the round stickers, and enjoy making your own original mushroom!


