Lovely childcare

[October] Craft ideas for fall you can use in childcare

9 years of experience as a nursery school teacherShibata Risa
I am an active nursery school teacher with 9 years of experience. After graduating from university, I worked at a daycare center. The time I spent happily with children—playing piano, singing songs, and doing finger-play—are priceless memories to me. Currently, while raising three children of my own, I work at an after-school day service, engaging with children and providing individualized developmental support. Drawing on my diverse experiences as a childcare worker and as a mother, I hope to express and convey my thoughts through writing.

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] Preschool-ready! Autumn craft ideas (81–90)

[Ages 1 and up] Easy Hedgehog with Fork and Sponge

Hedgehog Craft: Easy to Make Even for Infants Using a Fork or a Sponge

[Ages 1 and up] Easy Hedgehog with Fork and Sponge

Let’s have fun making a hedgehog that squeaks “peep-peep,” using a fork and a sponge.

Prepare disposable plastic forks, sponges, a base sheet of construction paper, a hedgehog template, paints, and a palette.

Apply paint to the entire back side of the fork and press it onto the hedgehog template as you paint.

A rubbed, scratchy-looking texture helps create a more three-dimensional effect—this is a key point.

When dabbing paint with a sponge, the strength of the pressure you apply to the paper will change how the color appears.

This craft is perfect for one-year-old children who are exploring textures—give it a try!

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[Ages 2 and up] Let’s make a hedgehog with newspaper!

[Preschool Craft] Make a Hedgehog with Newspaper! Easy Preschool Craft♪

[Ages 2 and up] Let’s make a hedgehog with newspaper!

Making newspaper hedgehogs is perfect for two-year-olds who enjoy using their hands.

Prepare construction paper, a hedgehog template, glue, newspaper, and scissors, and get started.

You can cut the newspaper with scissors, but tearing it by hand to represent the hedgehog’s spines or fur is also recommended.

Since two-year-olds aren’t yet familiar with using scissors, be sure to check their grip and how to open and close the scissors before proceeding.

Using tissue paper or origami to make a colorful hedgehog can also be a great way to help them enjoy colors visually.

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[Ages 4 and up] Colorful and cute hedgehog

[Preschool Craft] Easy with construction paper! Cute hedgehog | Cute hedgehog on construction paper

[Ages 4 and up] Colorful and cute hedgehog

Three-dimensional, colorful hedgehogs are a craft that even four-year-olds can enjoy making while exploring colors.

Sketch the shape of a hedgehog and cut along the traced lines.

Cut colored construction paper, fold it in half, and use glue to attach it to the body.

Incorporating the act of folding in half helps children become more aware of creating symmetrical folds.

Apply glue to one side of the halved paper and stick it onto the hedgehog.

You’ll end up with an adorable, colorful, three-dimensional hedgehog.

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Swirly Grapes

[Craft] Twirling Grapes

Swirly Grapes

When it comes to the king of autumn flavors, grapes surely take the crown.

Let’s make a seasonal craft by rolling construction paper.

Prepare construction paper, scissors, and glue.

Cut the construction paper into a teardrop shape to create the base for the grapes.

Cut long, thin strips of construction paper and roll them tightly with your fingertips to form grape shapes.

Glue the rolled “grapes” onto the base in a three-dimensional way, making sure there are no gaps.

Finally, cut and roll green construction paper to make the stem and cluster top, then glue it on to finish.

Try making it while paying attention to finger dexterity, size, and overall balance.

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Easy grapes—just put them in a plastic bag

Simple grape decoration you can make just by putting it in a plastic bag – autumn wall display – tissue paper origami ❤︎ DIY grape paper craft / easy to make / Autumn decoration ❤︎ #857

Easy grapes—just put them in a plastic bag

Let’s make grapes by crumpling tissue paper—an activity kids can enjoy from around age one.

Prepare a clear plastic bag, tissue paper, and a pipe cleaner.

Shape the clear plastic bag into a triangle, then crumple the tissue paper into small balls to make grape berries.

Put the berries into the bag and twist the opening closed with the pipe cleaner.

Once your 3D grape cluster is done, add a leaf made from a handprint and create a wrinkled pattern on it to finish.

This is a craft that children around one year old, who love squeezing and crumpling, can enjoy.

Give it a try!

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