Get kids excited for September! A collection of ideas to enjoy autumn events and activities
September is a month full of fun, with many events and activities at nurseries and kindergartens as we enjoy the autumn season.
There are plenty of activities and events to enjoy with children, such as moon-viewing, grape picking, and collecting acorns.
Here, we’ll introduce ideas for indoor activities and events that are filled with the unique seasonal feel of September.
Through finger plays and craft activities, let’s incorporate experiences that connect with autumn’s nature and foods to nurture children’s curiosity.
You’re sure to find hints for creating heartwarming memories.
September childcare gets exciting! A collection of ideas (1–10) to enjoy autumn events and activities
Full moon rabbit made from a single sheet of origami
Perfect for moon-viewing events! Here’s an idea for a full-moon rabbit made from a single sheet of origami paper.
Autumn is the season for tsukimi (moon viewing), right? Some of you might prepare pampas grass and moon-viewing dumplings at school or at home and enjoy the beautiful moon.
This time, let’s make a full-moon rabbit that’s just right for such an event.
What you’ll need: yellow origami paper, scissors, glue, and a pen.
Some steps are a bit tricky, so it’s best to work together with a parent or teacher for safety and ease.
Be sure to give it a try on this occasion!
How to fold tsukimi dango (paper craft)
Moon-viewing dango are essential sweets for the autumn full-moon night.
Prepare one sheet of origami paper, fold it into a triangle, then fold both sides up toward the center line.
Align the tip with the bottom corner, fold, and gently puff it out to form the dango.
A small slit with scissors is also a key step.
Fold the corners to shape the dango into a round form.
Finally, make the stand for the dango, attach the dango on top, and you’re done.
Try making these with children as the full-moon night approaches!
Autumn origami acorn
A big hit with kids! Here are some fall origami acorn ideas.
When you head out for a walk in the park, feeling the cool autumn breeze, you’ll often find acorns scattered on the ground.
Don’t children go hunting for them as if they’ve discovered treasure? This time, let’s make those beloved acorns with origami! All you need is one sheet of origami paper and a pen.
You can choose from long, slender acorns or round ones—the choosing itself is exciting.
Be sure to give it a try!
Moon-viewing tanuki
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch6onb-uIl0/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.
Moon Viewing with the Raccoon Dog and the Dragonfly
https://www.instagram.com/p/CE8vHkgFIAn/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.”
The smeared moon and the footprint-shaped rabbit
https://www.instagram.com/p/CiPIyW-OYvV/This is a cute craft idea that uses a paper plate as the moon and children’s footprints as rabbits.
First, take the children’s footprints on black construction paper and draw the rabbits’ ears and faces.
After wiping their feet clean, have them make the moon using yellow paint.
Encourage them to spread the paint over the surface with their hands or fingers.
If you put the plate and paint in a sealable bag, you can keep things mess-free.
Once the moon is finished, glue it onto the background and add pampas grass and rice dumplings to complete the scene.
It’s also a great idea for an autumn wall decoration.
Hand Play in September
How about trying some handplay songs that are perfect for September? There are plenty of songs to enjoy this month, like “Tonbo no Megane,” which is about dragonflies you often see outside around September, and “Dango Dango Kuttsuita,” which fits perfectly with moon-viewing season.
Each one involves movements and hand shapes that match the lyrics, so even if it’s your first time, you can learn them quickly.
As you sing and play, imagine what September and autumn are like, and have fun!
