Get kids excited for September! A collection of ideas to enjoy autumn events and activities

Moon-Viewing Crafts While Playing Games (For 5-Year-Olds)

[Daycare Craft] 'Moon Viewing on the Night of the Harvest Moon' Demonstrated by a Nursery Teacher. Mid-Autumn Full Moon = Tuesday, September 21

For five-year-olds, we recommend a Moon Viewing craft they can enjoy as a game.

First, the teacher prepares yellow construction paper cut into a circle with the center removed, yellow cellophane cut to match the size of the paper, and other pieces of construction paper cut into shapes for Moon Viewing decorations.

Tell the children, “Let’s find yellow things and decorate the moon!” and have them decorate the moon while playing a ‘yellow item’ scavenger hunt.

Good yellow items to prepare include yellow round stickers, star-shaped stickers, and yellow-patterned masking tape.

As the children search for yellow items, let them stick them on the cellophane however they like.

When they’re done, combine it with the construction paper that has a cut-out center to complete the moon! Then add the other decorations to finish the Moon Viewing display.

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SAKI

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Moon Art

[Make it with kids] No-mess hands! Moon art with paint play 🌕 #preschoolcrafts #preschoolteacher #teachingideas #futurepreschoolteacher #teacherlife #crafts #withkids #wallartproject #constructionpaper #paint

This is a fun moon-viewing craft using paint.

Beforehand, prepare a black backing sheet with pre-attached parts of a rabbit, pampas grass, and rice dumplings.

Put a white sheet of drawing paper into a bag, drop a few colors of paint onto it, and seal the bag.

Have the children spread the paint by using their hands and fingers on top of the bag.

Because the paper is inside the bag, their hands, clothes, and surroundings won’t get dirty, so even one-year-olds can work safely.

Once the paint has spread, take the paper out of the bag, let it dry, and cut it into a circle like a full moon.

Finally, stick it onto the backing sheet to finish!

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sasashina

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Play around picture books

[For toddlers] The Harvest Moon is coming soon! Play activities inspired by picture books

When it comes to indoor activities, reading is the go-to, and autumn means reading, doesn’t it? I think many preschoolers love read-alouds and picture books.

Here, we won’t just read books about moon viewing; after reading, we’ll have fun making the items that appear in the stories using clay or colored paper.

Since it’s right after reading, their imagination and motivation to create might be higher than usual! You can make classic moon-viewing dumplings out of paper clay, craft rabbits, or create a perfectly round moon with yellow paper—I can just picture everyone giggling and having a great time.

Be sure to prepare moon-viewing-themed background music to set the mood.

It should be fine for children ages 4–5 and up.

Play song ‘Perfectly Round Moon’

Childcare magazine "Monthly Hiroba" September issue: Play for ages 0–2, "Perfectly Round Moon"

September is known as the time when the moon looks most beautiful.

Since long ago, people have looked at the moon’s craters and imagined all sorts of things—like a rabbit pounding mochi or a crab raising its claws.

This is a play song that turns those imaginings into fun.

It’s an activity even very young children—who may not yet understand what the moon is—can enjoy.

By singing it to them, parents can help their children become aware of the moon; when they do, they might observe it while wondering, “I wonder if there’s a rabbit up there.”

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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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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stylish tree

Perfect for the art-filled days of autumn! Here’s a stylish, artistic tree-making idea.

It’s a creative activity that draws out children’s free imagination, so why not try it at your nursery or kindergarten? The teacher cuts construction paper into leaf shapes, and the children freely color them with crayons or paint.

Next, tear craft paper (or similar) into branch and trunk shapes and glue them on.

Finish by arranging the colored leaves you made earlier.

If you have time, you can add a stamping activity using various recycled materials—kids will love it.

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miyabi

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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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