Autumn is one of my favorite seasons and a wonderful opportunity for crafts for kids. The leaves now echo the vivid colors of the summer, with orange, brown, and gold hues filling everything you see. We spend more time indoors as the weather gets cooler and the days get shorter. And with little ones, it's a great idea to find activities to keep them occupied and entertained.
Autumn crafts are simple, fun, and easy to do, plus they are a great way to celebrate all the vibrant colors of the season. Here is a list of ideas you can try or use as inspiration - and add your own twist to.
Do It Yourself Fall Crafts for Kids
1. Apple Suncatchers
Suncatchers are a great way to play around with the many colors of this season. All you need for this activity is:
- Sticky paper
- Colored tissue or cellophane paper (red, yellow, and green). You can make your own colored tissue using plain white tissue and some water or food colors. Alternatively, you can use leaves.
- Construction paper
Start by drawing an apple on the construction paper. Make the edge thick since you will cut out the middle to create a window. Next, cut out a piece of contact paper to fill the window space. Make sure to place it sticky side up. Cut up small pieces of the cellophane or colored tissue and place them in a container. Then place the apple on a flat surface such as the window and show your toddler how to stick the colored pieces onto the contact paper. Lastly, allow them to fill up the empty spaces on the apple window and enjoy the colorful scene.
2. Apple Stamping
This activity is another great craft for kids letting your kids get messy and still have fun. You will need:
- Apples
- Paper towels
- Paper
- Colors
A cutting tool (this can be a knife, cookie cutter, etc.)
Begin by slicing the apple in half and dry the inside using a paper towel. Next, prepare your colors. You can use food colors; this way, if your little one accidentally decides to eat their apple, they are safe. After dipping the apple in the paint, show your little one how to press the fruit onto the paper to create the print. Allow the paint to dry, then repeat the process with another color.
Alternatively, you can use a cookie cutter to cut out different shapes such as stars or bunnies, then repeat the whole stamping process. They can create a whole collage with these apple stamps.
3. Handprint Trees
This is a simple activity you can do with your infant or toddler. All you need is:
- Colors (red, orange, and yellow)
- Paper
- A paintbrush or sponge
- A pencil
Start by drawing a handprint onto a piece of paper and cutting it out. This will be your tree stencil. Next, place the tree stencil onto another piece of paper and paint the tree. Once the painting is dry, you can also glue on real leaves.
4. Fall Leaf Collages
If you live in a place where the leaves change color, leaf collages are among the best crafts for kids. They help your little one work on their motor skills while exploring various crafting materials such as glue and even glitter. You will need:
- Leaves
- Glue
- Paper
You can put the glue in a cup and let your toddler spread it onto the paper, then stick the leaves onto the paper. Let them play around with the design. They can stick leaves all over the paper or spell out words such as Autumn or Fall.
5. Fall Inspired Wreath
For this craft, you will need:
- Glue
- Styrofoam decorative pumpkins and balls
- Faux fall leaves
- A paper plate
To create the wreath base, cut out the middle of the plate, then spread glue all over the plate and stick the leaves onto your wreath. Use the bigger leaves on the bottom and place the smaller, more colorful leaves on top. Embellish the wreath with the decorative pumpkins and balls. Let it dry and hang it proudly over your door.
6. Autumn Sensory Bottle
For this craft, you will need:
- A plastic bottle
- Water
- 2-4 faux leaves, depending on their size
- Fall colored sequins
- Clear glue
Fill the bottle with water until it's ¾ full, then add the leaves and sequins, and use the clear glue to fill the rest of the bottle. Close the bottle and shake it well. The leaves and sequins will fall slowly when you put the bottle down. If you want the contents of the bottle to fall more slowly, reduce the water and add more clear glue.
7. Leaf Crafts for Kids
Leaves are a big part of fall, and there are so many things you can do with them. You can use them as stencils, draw details on them or transform them into other cool creations. Incorporate other crafting materials like Playdoh if desired. Here are a few leaf crafts to try.
You can make animals such as a hedgehog, lion, or even a turkey with leaves.
Draw a lion face and use the leaves to create the mane.
For the hedgehog, you can stick some leaves onto white paper and draw the hedgehog details onto the leaves.
For the turkey, draw and cut out a turkey and use the leaves for the tail, or take a tissue paper roll, glue some googly eyes and a beak and add leaves for the tail.
Similarly, paint a few leaves red with black spots to create ladybugs.
You can create sunflowers using leaves. Start by drawing a sunflower, then paint the stem and leaves green. Next, apply some glue onto the head of the flower and glue your leaves. Make sure to use some vibrant leaves to make the colors pop.
There you have it, a list of fun, simple autumn crafts you can do with your little ones. Remember, when working with young ones, they have a short attention span, and grabbing their attention long enough to complete a whole craft can be hard. So take short breaks often. That way they don't get too bored and still have fun. Enjoy your fall crafting!