September: Autumn crafts! Ideas you can use in childcare
In September, when the season gradually shifts from the hot summer to autumn, there are many chances to feel the change of seasons through nature and living creatures.
This is a must-read for teachers at daycare centers and kindergartens who are thinking, “We want to incorporate crafts that let children feel autumn!”
Here are some recommended craft ideas for September.
We’ve gathered a wide range of ideas—from those that incorporate familiar autumn elements for children such as fallen leaves and acorns, to ones that use unique techniques that stimulate the five senses.
With a bit of adaptation, these activities can be enjoyed by children from infants to the oldest kindergarteners, so please make good use of them.
Since we emphasize project ideas that make the most of children’s free imagination, we use the term “制作 (seisaku: creation/production)” rather than “製作 (seisaku: craft/production)” in the text.
[September] Fall crafts! Introducing ideas you can use in childcare (1–10)
Let’s paint autumn trees with handprints
Why not try making an “autumn tree” with handprint stamps? Paint your palm with brown paint and press it right in the middle of a sheet of drawing paper—pop!—and you’ve got a handprint trunk.
Once the trunk is done, use yellow, red, and orange paint along with a ball of crumpled aluminum foil to dab on the autumn leaves.
If you don’t have foil, a sponge works as a substitute.
Dabbing on the colors is surprisingly fun, so I highly recommend it!
Dragonfly with Rainbow Glasses
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cho1mbMpqg-/Let’s make a dragonfly wearing vibrant rainbow glasses, just like in the children’s song “Tonbo no Megane”! First, freely paint a white sheet of drawing paper with paints.
Combine different colors to create your own original rainbow.
Once the painting is done, cut the painted paper into shapes for the dragonfly’s eyes and wings.
Combine them with another sheet of paper pre-cut into the body shape, and stick black round stickers on the eyes—the rainbow-glasses dragonfly is complete! For middle and older kindergarten classes, it’s great to let the children handle all the steps themselves.
For younger children, it’s recommended that teachers prepare the cut-out parts in advance.
Handprint and footprint stamp production
At daycare centers and kindergartens, it’s common to make crafts using handprint and footprint stamps that let you see children’s growth! If you’re planning autumn-themed projects, how about making mushrooms or squirrels with footprints, and bagworms with handprints? Kids enjoy making handprints and footprints, and if they like stickers, it’s also fun to add patterns with stickers.
Display the finished pieces in the hallway, and parents can see them at pick-up time—they’re sure to be delighted!
Bubbly little mushroom
Let’s use the bubble wrap lying around at home to make autumn-themed mushroom decorations! Draw the shapes you want on construction paper or cardstock and cut them out.
Then cut the bubble wrap to match those shapes and glue it on top.
After that, use permanent markers to color the bubble wrap.
You’ll create decorations that feel fresh thanks to bubble wrap’s unique texture.
Coloring the bubble wrap is also a sensory experience you don’t usually get, so kids are sure to enjoy it.
It’s a great craft that puts bubble wrap—often thrown away or hard to repurpose—to good use!
Dragonfly’s glasses
How about making colorful, cute dragonfly glasses as a craft activity at daycare? You can use colored clear file folders from the 100-yen shop for the wings and colored cellophane for the lenses.
It’s fun to let the kids draw patterns on the wings with permanent markers or decorate them with sparkly stickers to create designs they like! The feel of cutting a clear file—something they don’t usually handle—might also feel fresh and interesting to them.
And after making them, they can have lots of fun playing with the see-through dragonfly glasses toy!
Frottage of fallen leaves
Speaking of autumn, fallen leaves are an essential motif.
The way leaves in various colors pile up beautifully on the ground is striking.
It’s also a season when people often design fallen leaves in their drawings, but by using real leaves, you can create even more realistic designs.
With a technique called frottage, you place fallen leaves under the paper and rub over them with colored pencils, which brings out the leaves’ textures and patterns.
It’s also fun that you can explore many variations—choosing different leaf shapes and different colored pencils to create a range of effects.
Torn-paper collage of fallen leaves
Let’s express autumn with torn-paper collage! Torn-paper collage is not only easy to make, but also a great craft for stimulating the brain by using your fingertips.
Prepare a base sheet with a tree trunk drawn or pasted on it, and freely create autumn foliage by tearing origami paper in fall colors and pasting the pieces.
You can also use color pages from newspapers instead of origami to give it a stylish finish.
No two works will ever be the same.
How about decorating the wall with these unique pieces and enjoying a little exhibition together?
