Summary of activities you can use in childcare in September: autumn-themed play such as crafts and fingerplay.
September is when you start to feel autumn little by little through changes in nature and the weather.
Many teachers at nurseries and kindergartens may be thinking about enjoying autumn-specific activities with children that feel a bit different from summer.
So this time, we’re introducing activity ideas recommended for September.
We’ve gathered a wide range of ideas, including craft activities featuring autumn nature and motifs, songs, finger plays, picture books, and indoor games!
We’re also introducing activities related to the moon-viewing festival and Respect for the Aged Day, so find activities that suit your setting and incorporate them into your September childcare.
Enjoy the season of autumn together with the children as you experience it.
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Summary of activities for childcare in September: autumn-themed activities such as crafts and finger plays (41–50)
three-dimensional bagworm
Here’s an autumn-themed bagworm craft that captures the feeling of the season.
Prepare three sheets of origami paper and let’s get started.
For the bagworm’s face, fold one sheet into a triangle to make a crease.
Open it, then fold the corners toward the center line.
Fold again along the creases and flip it over.
Match the corners to shape the bagworm’s face.
For the “mino” (the bag/casing), the key is opening the mouth of the pouch.
If it’s difficult, have an adult help.
Make two of these in the same way, then glue them together to complete the bag/casing.
Finally, glue the casing and the body together to finish.
Draw a face to create your own cute, original bagworm.
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.
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.
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.
A whirling-spiral vineyard
This is a fall craft making grapes using spiral swirls! Cut construction paper into long, thin strips and roll them up to make the grape berries.
Depending on the children, you can prepare pre-cut strips or have them cut along drawn lines—adjusting the starting point of the task works well.
Next, apply glue to a triangular (inverted) grape base and stick on the rolled spirals.
Add leaf parts made by flattening some of the rolled spirals, and you’ll have a three-dimensional bunch of grapes! Decorate by sticking them on the wall or hanging them from parts that look like grapevine branches.
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.”
Dragonflies and Rabbits Moon Viewing
When you hear about events in September, what comes to mind? For many people, it’s moon-viewing, isn’t it? This dragonfly-and-rabbit moon-viewing piece skillfully captures the joy of that tradition.
Rabbits are a classic motif for tsukimi, but if it’s just a rabbit, the moon, and dango, it can feel a bit lacking in impact.
The shapes are a bit complex, so it’s slightly more work, but adding decorations like rice plants and clouds instantly makes it pop—so definitely give it a try.
