September, when we start to feel autumn’s arrival, is the perfect time to enjoy exciting indoor activities with children! Even as the summer heat lingers, the subtle signs of fall begin to appear—so try fun, memorable activities like crafting dragonflies, celebrating the moon-viewing festival, or making letters for Respect for the Aged Day.
In this article, we introduce recommended indoor play ideas for September that nurture children’s imagination.
Why not fully savor the charm of autumn together with kids through seasonal, rainy-day-friendly recreations you can enjoy with peace of mind?
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- [Parent-Child Rec] Recreational activities and games for parents and children to enjoy together—also great for sports days.
Indoor Play Ideas for September! Autumn Recreational Activities Kids Will Love (1–10)
Making Moon-Viewing Rabbits with Torn Paper Collage
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The torn-paper collage activity of making “moon-viewing rabbits” involves drawing a circle on construction paper to represent the moon, then letting children freely tear and paste paper to cultivate their expressive skills.
By adding drawings of dumplings and rabbits around the moon, they can enjoy the seasonal theme while creating, and also develop fine motor skills and a sense of color.
Using construction paper folded in half helps them naturally learn about three-dimensionality and balance.
The sense of accomplishment when they see their finished work is immense, making it a fun autumn craft that boosts creativity and concentration at the same time.
Let’s finish making the moon-viewing dumplings!
@lienkashii Moon-viewing playtime 🎑✨ We launched little “dango” and stuck them onto the sanpō stand to complete our moon-viewing dango 🎑 The kids were seriously taking aim and doing their best—it was a huge hit 😊💜 1) Cut the bottom off a certain yogurt container 2) Cut the bottom off a balloon 3) Tie the balloon’s mouth 4) Attach the cut bottom of the yogurt container to the cut bottom of the balloon 5) Make dango out of tissue paper 6) Load the dango into the end of the container (don’t overfill) 7) Pull the balloon’s mouth and launch 💨 We’ll keep posting about the charms of our preschool, our teachers, and helpful tips for childcare 🎶 Please follow us → @lien_kashii3550 🤲#MoonViewingPlay#Nursery schoolActivityPlaySeptember#Indoor Playinfants under nursery age#classRecommendationNursery teacher / Childcare worker#NurseryTeacherThingsAspiring childcare workerChildcare student
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The “moon-viewing dumpling” completion game is a hands-on craft activity that playfully builds dexterity and concentration.
By combining a plastic bottle or yogurt cup with a balloon, you make a device that launches dumplings.
Children form dumplings out of tissue paper, pack them into the container, and shoot them out.
Carefully avoiding overpacking helps develop a sense of control and spatial awareness.
Watching the launches provides both a sense of accomplishment and the fun of play, and kids can freely customize colors and shapes.
It’s an activity that lets them fully enjoy creativity, ingenuity, and the joy of hands-on experience.
Balloon stamp play
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Balloon stamp art is a creative activity where beautiful patterns are made by dabbing a paint-covered balloon onto paper.
Lay down newspaper, prepare containers that can get messy, and set out the paint in advance.
Because the elasticity and shapes of balloons vary, each press creates a different effect, nurturing children’s imagination and sense of color.
It also stimulates the senses and lets them experience the joy of free expression through play.
With a bit of adult support, children can still create patterns on their own, enjoying the process while developing a sense of accomplishment and a desire to create.
Sweet potato digging pretend play
“Sweet potato digging pretend play” is an activity that lets children recreate an autumn harvest experience indoors using newspaper and construction paper.
By crumpling newspaper into sweet potato shapes, wrapping them with construction paper, and making vines out of yarn, you can create a realistic look.
Place the “potatoes” in a field made from a tissue box and duct tape, and have the children dig them out—the process boosts fine motor skills and concentration while stimulating imagination.
Because it offers a simulated experience of nature and the seasons, it’s a recreation packed with ideas that lets kids enjoy learning and play through all five senses at the same time.
Disaster Preparedness Exercises ‘Bousai Ninja’
Disaster Preparedness Exercise “Bôsai Ninja” is a fun movement activity that combines ninja-themed music and motions with disaster preparedness, allowing children to learn safety awareness while having fun.
By bringing hands together, pretending to throw shuriken, and imitating ninja moves—incorporating jumps, spins, and crouching—it enhances overall physical abilities while naturally teaching safe actions to take in emergencies such as earthquakes and fires.
Moving in time with the music also boosts concentration, making it a perfect activity for children to experience both the joy of physical movement and disaster preparedness training at the same time.
Make and fly a bamboo-copter
Making a bamboo-copter (taketombo) from a milk carton is a play activity that nurtures dexterity and creativity at the same time.
Cut the carton into a rectangle, color it, staple a straw to fix it in place, then shape it into wings so you can enjoy launching it.
The moment a toy you made yourself takes to the air brings a sense of accomplishment that sparks children’s curiosity, and by experimenting with force and angle, it also leads to hands-on learning through trial and error.
It’s safe to enjoy indoors, and by playing with color combinations and decorations you can create highly original pieces—an activity that fosters concentration and ingenuity.
Let’s make dragonfly glasses
Did you know that “dragonfly” alone is a summer season word, but “red dragonfly” is an autumn season word? Let’s make seasonal “dragonfly glasses” and peek into a colorful world! They’re easy to make: craft glasses out of construction paper and simply attach colorful cellophane to the lens area.
To finish, add a dragonfly’s body and wings to the glasses.
After you’re done, trade with each other and enjoy the colorful views.
It’s suitable for children in lower elementary grades and up.
Just make sure an adult helps with cutting out the lens area using a utility knife.