![[October] Craft ideas for fall you can use in childcare](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/6OgfcqCVhzI/maxresdefault.webp)
[October] Craft ideas for fall you can use in childcare
October is when you can feel autumn even more strongly, thanks to changes in nature and the climate.
This is a must-read for teachers who are thinking, “I want to enjoy autumn-specific crafts with the children!”
Here we introduce craft ideas perfect for October.
You’ll find a wide range of ideas: themes inspired by Halloween such as ghosts and pumpkins; and themes that feature autumn-only natural items and seasonal tastes like fallen leaves, acorns, mushrooms, and grapes.
We also introduce techniques that stimulate children’s five senses and curiosity, as well as fun ways to use materials that greatly expand their imaginative world—please use them for inspiration.
Because we focus on ideas for creating works that allow children to freely express their individuality, we use the term “制作 (seisaku)” as “creation” or “craft” in the text.
[October] Craft ideas for autumn you can use in childcare (1–10)
Grapes made with tissue paper
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUZpvd-L20W/Autumn is full of delicious foods, and it’s especially the season when many fruits are harvested.
How about making grapes, a seasonal fruit you can enjoy in autumn? Roll purple tissue paper into balls to create the many round grape berries in a cluster, and have the children stamp their handprints in green on construction paper, cut them out, and use them as grape leaves.
Glue the grape berries onto a backing sheet of the same color.
The number of berries and how they are arranged will change the size and appearance, giving each piece its own personality.
Frottage of fallen leaves
Speaking of autumn, fallen leaves are an essential motif.
The way leaves in various colors pile up beautifully on the ground is striking.
It’s also a season when people often design fallen leaves in their drawings, but by using real leaves, you can create even more realistic designs.
With a technique called frottage, you place fallen leaves under the paper and rub over them with colored pencils, which brings out the leaves’ textures and patterns.
It’s also fun that you can explore many variations—choosing different leaf shapes and different colored pencils to create a range of effects.
stylish tree
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjm_DQqJ-Rd/Perfect for the art-filled days of autumn! Here’s a stylish, artistic tree-making idea.
It’s a creative activity that draws out children’s free imagination, so why not try it at your nursery or kindergarten? The teacher cuts construction paper into leaf shapes, and the children freely color them with crayons or paint.
Next, tear craft paper (or similar) into branch and trunk shapes and glue them on.
Finish by arranging the colored leaves you made earlier.
If you have time, you can add a stamping activity using various recycled materials—kids will love it.
Spider web wreath
Here’s a spiderweb wreath I highly recommend as a Halloween party decoration.
Using a paper plate, let’s easily make a wreath.
First, cut out the center of the paper plate so you’re left with just the rim, and make several small slits around that rim.
On the remaining rim, attach Halloween-themed decorations—like jack-o’-lanterns and bats—made from origami or construction paper.
It’s also a great idea to add small torn pieces of origami paper as confetti-like decorations or use Halloween-themed stickers.
After that, hook black yarn into the slits you made in the plate, crisscrossing it from different directions to form a spiderweb pattern, and you’re done! Add a ribbon and you can hang it on a wall or anywhere you like.
Chestnut gathering with an original basket
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjz4r72NBln/This is a craft project to make in-season autumn chestnuts and a chestnut-gathering basket using construction paper and origami! Cut a piece of construction paper into a half circle to form the base of the basket, and have teachers pre-cut vertical slits.
Then weave thin strips of origami paper up and down through the slits to create a basket-like finish.
Decorate a backing sheet or wall with the origami chestnuts and the basket for a piece full of autumn vibes! You can adapt the basket idea for other seasons by changing the materials and colors, so be sure to give it a try.
A dragonfly made by dabbing paint with hands and sticking on stickers.
https://www.instagram.com/p/ChW0L0Drr9s/This is an autumn-themed dragonfly craft where you color by patting paint on with your palms.
Apply paint to your palms and add color all over by gripping and rolling a toilet paper tube.
Next, take the pre-cut dragonfly wing pieces and decorate them with your favorite stickers.
Then attach the wings and eye pieces to the painted body parts, and your cute dragonfly is complete! If you’re displaying them in a classroom, it’s also fun to thread a string through the tube and hang them so the dragonflies look like they’re flying.
Halloween Origami
You often see wreaths around Christmastime.
It’s also a great idea to decorate with a Halloween-themed version of one.
You can even make it using only origami, so it’s perfect if you want the children to take the lead in a craft activity.
Another feature of this Halloween wreath is how easy it is to add originality.
Try placing a ghost in the center of the wreath, or a black cat—come up with whatever designs you like.
There are many folding instructions available online, so it’s a good idea to look those up as well.
Autumn Origami: Acorns, Mushrooms, and Fallen Leaves
We’ll make classic autumn items—acorns, mushrooms, and fallen leaves—out of origami! For the acorn, first fold the paper into a triangle twice, then unfold.
Fold one corner toward the center twice.
Flip it over and fold both sides in so they go a little past the center line.
Fold the bottom corner up slightly, and it’s done! Next, for the mushroom, fold the paper into a square twice, then unfold and fold one edge up to the center.
Flip it over and fold both sides toward the center, then fold the bottom up, leaving about 1 cm uncreased at the bottom edge to create a flap.
Fold the corners of that flap inward and open them, then fold all four outer corners in; the mushroom is complete! For the fallen leaf, fold once into a triangle, then make accordion folds from one end and unfold.
Lightly fold along the initial triangle’s crease at a slight diagonal.
Open it up while keeping the diagonal fold section, then round off the corners with small folds; your leaf is finished!
Halloween ghost
Speaking of autumn, Halloween is a favorite among children.
How about making ghosts that even one-year-olds can enjoy? Prepare the parts for the ghosts—eyes, mouth, hands, and so on—in advance, and put double-sided tape on the back.
First, attach a sponge to the end of a chopstick and secure it with a rubber band.
Dab white paint on the sponge and use it to draw big ghosts on black construction paper.
Next, peel the backing off the tape on the parts and hand them to the children so they can stick them on.
It’s best to let them be as free as they like, both when drawing the ghosts and when placing the parts.
You’ll end up with wonderfully unique and adorable ghosts!
Bubbly little mushroom
Let’s use the bubble wrap lying around at home to make autumn-themed mushroom decorations! Draw the shapes you want on construction paper or cardstock and cut them out.
Then cut the bubble wrap to match those shapes and glue it on top.
After that, use permanent markers to color the bubble wrap.
You’ll create decorations that feel fresh thanks to bubble wrap’s unique texture.
Coloring the bubble wrap is also a sensory experience you don’t usually get, so kids are sure to enjoy it.
It’s a great craft that puts bubble wrap—often thrown away or hard to repurpose—to good use!
