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

Rolling it up is fun! Grape craft

[Kindergarten/Daycare] Easy Grapes Craft for September: Make Round Bunches You Can Put In

Crafts may seem difficult, but this is a simple project that even very young children can do.

How about making some delicious-looking grapes that are perfect for autumn? The basic method is just to roll paper into balls.

Use thin, easy-to-handle tissue paper and roll it into small balls.

Put the rolled pieces into a clear bag, tie the opening, add a leaf and a vine, and it’s done.

It’s also fun to make a lot and decorate your room.

Be sure to try it with your child—and with the whole family together.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Mushrooms with decoupage and finger painting

This is a mushroom wall decoration that incorporates decalcomania, a painting technique where you fold a painted sheet of paper in half or press another sheet onto it to transfer the paint.

Dab paint with your finger onto the mushroom cap piece, then fold it in half—this creates a unique pattern you can’t achieve by painting directly! Combine it with the mushroom stem piece and glue them onto a backing sheet; add motifs like autumn leaves and acorns to complete a fall-themed artwork.

Decalcomania is a method actively used in early childhood education, so be sure to give it a try!

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yuri

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Moon-viewing tanuki

Children are thrilled by the raccoons’ many different expressions! These wall decorations feature tanuki, which often appear in traditional Japanese folktales.

Pre-cut parts from colored construction paper—faces, bodies, tails, eyes, and so on—and let the children glue the pieces together.

They can work with the teacher, place the parts wherever they like, or even try the gluing from start to finish on their own—adjust the tasks to suit each child.

Just changing the eye placement or the balance between the face and body makes every raccoon wonderfully unique! Pair them with motifs like the moon or dango dumplings to add an even more autumnal feel.

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yuri

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Moon-viewing stencil

In September, when the moon looks especially beautiful, let’s try painting the moon using a stencil.

Prepare circular moon shapes in advance by cutting them out of construction paper.

Have the children add color on top using paint-dabbed balloons, stampers, or their fingers.

Simply coloring it nicely is fine, but if you also prepare construction paper cut into rabbit shapes and place one on the moon while stamping, then remove it afterward, you’ll get a picture where a rabbit appears to float within the moon.

The pop-pop stamping action is fun, so the children will enjoy the activity.

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SAKI

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Moon-viewing craft

Let’s create a craft themed around moon viewing (Otsukimi).

Prepare dark blue construction paper to represent a night sky with the moon.

Arrange pictures of the moon, rabbits, and moon-viewing rice dumplings (dango) on it.

You can draw each element, or you can make them with origami and glue them on—both are great options.

For the dango, you can also line up small balls made from crumpled tissue paper.

For the moon, try a collage style using torn pieces of origami or tissue paper, or make a stylish moon by cutting a circle from construction paper and adding color with marbling techniques.

Adjust the methods and techniques to suit the children’s ages.

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SAKI

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Grapes made with tissue paper

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.

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utatane

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Moon Viewing with the Raccoon Dog and the Dragonfly

Wall decorations for moon viewing are perfect for autumn when the Harvest Moon (Jūgoya) arrives! Prepare parts like pampas grass, moon-viewing dumplings, dragonflies, and the moon, and create a moon-viewing scene on the wall.

If you want to make a display that children will love, be sure to add animal motifs like raccoon dogs (tanuki) and rabbits! Teachers can prepare the pieces in advance, and then have the children stick them on or draw the facial features to complete it together.

It’s also a great idea to read a picture book and explain, “This is what moon viewing means.”

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yuri

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