[For 3-year-olds] Perfect for September! A Collection of Craft Ideas to Enjoy Autumn Nature

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
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.

September makes craft time with children even more fun.

Here, we’ll introduce craft ideas for three-year-olds using seasonal themes like moon-viewing, mushrooms, and cosmos flowers.

Let’s enjoy autumn crafts together using stamp daubers, origami, and everyday materials.

Through activities that highlight each child’s individuality, their interest in autumn’s nature will grow.

You’ll find plenty of tips everyone can enjoy together, so please use them as a reference.

Because we emphasize ideas that harness children’s free imagination to create works, in the main text we use the term “seisaku” (制作, creation/production) rather than “seisaku” (製作, craft-making).

[For 3-year-olds] Perfect for September! A collection of craft ideas (61–70) to enjoy autumn nature

The autumn-colored caterpillar

Speaking of caterpillars, we usually think of green ones, but caterpillars dressed in autumn colors are adorable too.

Let’s make a version of the beloved children’s book character, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, using fall foliage colors.

On a sheet of white construction paper, you’ll stamp circles—but the stamp is a blown-up balloon.

Mix a few paints in your favorite autumn shades, press the balloon lightly into the paint, then dab and twist it on the paper to make circles.

Even two-year-olds can have fun bouncing the balloon to stamp! Cut out the circles, add a face, and it’s complete.

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utatane

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Flying dragonfly

Here’s a craft idea for making a dragonfly out of construction paper that you can throw and play with.

Fold a sheet of red construction paper in half and draw half of a dragonfly along the folded edge.

Cut along the lines with scissors and unfold to reveal the dragonfly shape.

Next, decorate it with stickers or crayons, and insert a paper clip halfway onto the head.

Now your flying dragonfly is ready to play with! It’s very easy, so give it a try as an autumn craft.

For children who can’t use scissors yet, let them enjoy creating patterns using a variety of techniques.

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sasashina

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Fallen leaves with spray paint

Leaves that change color from the lush greens of summer to shades of red and brown.

Those changed leaves eventually fall, tinting the paths with autumn hues.

Let’s recreate those fallen leaves using paint spray! Just dissolve paint in water, pour it into a spray bottle, and you’re ready.

Then spritz it onto paper towels to add color.

Once the colors dry, cut them into leaf shapes, and, if you like, add eyes or decorations with round stickers.

You’ll have bright, adorable fall leaves! Depending on the children’s ages, it may be best for the teacher to handle the prep up to filling the spray bottles with paint.

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SAKI

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Autumn for the arts

Let’s try creating artworks with an autumn-in-the-arts theme that lets children’s free ideas shine.

Using methods like finger painting and decalcomania, have them draw freely on drawing paper.

Mount the pieces on brown construction paper and add a frame-inspired arrangement.

Finally, make and attach facial features with stickers or illustrations, then add a brush or fallen leaves to finish.

Using actual photos of the children and real leaves enhances the autumn feel.

It’s also recommended to display the children’s works and hold an exhibition at your nursery school or kindergarten.

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mutō

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A tree made of fallen leaves

https://www.tiktok.com/@bunbun_hoikuen/video/7163869417552612610

October means autumn, and autumn means the season of falling leaves.

In this season when walks are especially fun, here’s a craft recommended for three-year-olds.

You’ll need a tree illustration drawn on construction paper, some fallen leaves, and glue.

Simply stick the leaves you collected during your walk onto any part of the tree illustration, and you’re done! It’s very simple, but this activity is great because children can enjoy their walk while interacting with natural autumn materials and create a tree they like.

For older kindergarteners, it might be fun to draw the tree illustration themselves.

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kepiko

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Making animals with fallen leaves

Making animals out of fallen leaves is fun, too.

I’ll walk you through the basic steps.

First, use construction paper to create motifs like the animal’s face.

Then hand those to the children together with fallen leaves, and let them freely create the body.

For example, for a lion, you can arrange leaves around the face to suggest the mane.

Beyond lions, prepare various creatures and enjoy the activity together! By the way, animals that pair especially well with fallen leaves include bagworms and hedgehogs.

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yamamoto

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Rabbit moon-viewing with footprint stamps

One of the events in September is the Mid-Autumn Moon Viewing (Tsukimi).

Picture the round, beautiful moon; the rabbit said to live on the moon—an essential character for Tsukimi; and the round, delicious moon-viewing dumplings.

How about making a “moon-viewing rabbit” that brings this scene to life? For the rabbit’s ears, use the children’s footprints.

Painting the bottoms of their feet will probably feel a bit strange, but that’s part of the fun.

Cut out the footprint stamps, paste them onto construction paper of the same color, and draw the rabbit’s face.

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utatane

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