Fall Craft Activities

As days get shorter and more time is spent indoors than out, you may begin thinking about how you’ll keep your children busy. Fortunately, fall is a great season for making crafts. There’s plenty of inspiration to be drawn from the outdoors as the trees change color and leaves begin to fall. There are also the fun holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving to look forward to before winter arrives.

From scarecrows and pumpkins to turkeys and pinecones, this season offers a ton of inspiration for projects you and your child can enjoy together. Open up your craft drawer and test out your creativity with some of our favorite fall-themed craft ideas.

Paper Bag Scarecrow Puppet

A craft that doubles as a toy means your child gets to enjoy the fun of creating and playing with the final product! This craft is simple for preschoolers on up. All it takes is a small brown paper bag, colored card stock or construction paper, glue, scissors, and a large black marker.

You can print some templates for children to use as they cut out different parts of the scarecrow from the card stock, or they can wing it. First, have them cut out a hat shape and some “straw” for hair. Glue the hair to the underside of the hat, and then glue about one inch of the hat to the bottom of the bag. It’s important for the folded bottom piece to be face up.

Next, your child can draw or glue on shapes to form the scarecrow’s face: eyes, nose, and a great big smile. Cut out and glue on a large piece of colored paper for a shirt, and the puppet is ready for action!

DIY Pinecone Bird Feeder

How about a craft that encourages your child to interact with nature? With so many seasonal changes going on, it’s fun to keep their focus on the outdoors even as they spend more time inside. This pinecone bird feeder not only inspires your child to stay connected with nature, but could also help them make some feathered friends!

First, go on a hunt outside for pinecones. You may be able to find some in your own backyard, or take a quick trip to the park. Next, gather up the remaining supplies: peanut butter, popsicle sticks, string, and scissors. You’ll also need bird seed, which can be found in the pet aisle of most grocery stores.

To keep mess to a minimum, set a paper plate or tray in front of each child. Then, put a scoop of peanut butter into a small bowl and scoop of bird seed in another. Have children begin spreading the peanut butter onto their pine cones using popsicle sticks. After that, they can sprinkle the bird seed onto the peanut butter. If it isn’t sticking, just pat it in.

The last touch is to tie the string around the pine cone. Hang it in a visible place just outside the window. You and your children will love being able to greet the birds as they come by for a snack!

Watercolor Turkeys

Looking for a festive craft to set the stage for the Thanksgiving holiday? These turkeys are easy to put together and are a cute decoration for the home. Plus, you only need a few basic items to create something colorful and autumn inspired!

To begin, set aside white coffee filters, watercolor paints and paint brushes, glue, and construction paper. If you have any googly eyes on hand, they’ll add to the fun.

Explain to your children the filters will act as the turkey’s feathers. They can start painting the filters in any design using the watercolors. Whether they want to go for a fall color scheme or a rainbow effect is totally up to them!

Once the coffee filters have been painted, cut out a large and small circle from the construction paper. The larger circle is the turkey’s body, while the smaller one is its head. A diamond shape forms the beak—simply fold it down for an open-mouth effect. Don’t forget the eyes and of course the wattle, that red fleshy bit under the turkey’s neck.

Glue down the body and the head onto the painted coffee filter once it has dried. Then, add the eyes, beak, and wattle onto the face. If your kids are feeling extra creative, they can add legs and hats or other fall accessories—whatever suits their fancy! Clip these turkeys to your refrigerator or hang them in a space where the whole family can see them.

Once you’ve constructed the above crafts, don’t hesitate to look for more to help your children get in the cozy fall spirit! These kinds of activities not only signal the changing of the seasons for children but also spark the imagination and give tiny hands the opportunity to practice crucial fine motor skills.