It’s the best time of year! It may still be hot and humid in many places across the country, but September is here—and whether or not the weather wants to cooperate—I’m ready to switch into fall mode. Give me all things pumpkins, pretty fall leaves, scarecrows, apples, and cozy sweaters for the next few months.
Fall signals the start of a busy season for many families with back-to-school responsibilities and adjusting to new routines after summer. So, if you’re looking for a fun way to ring in the new season with your little ones (or just keep them occupied for a little while), we’ve rounded up 16 creative fall crafts for kids. They’re great for after-school days or weekends.
Read on for 16 easy and fun fall crafts for kids!
1. Fall Popcorn Trees
This project only requires a few supplies, which are likely items you already have around your house. Just pop some popcorn and dip the kernels in colorful paint. Then, use printer and construction paper to create a pretty fall tree. The finished product will look so cute on the fridge!
Source: A Little Pinch of Perfect
2. Paper Bag Scarecrow
Start by filling a brown paper lunch bag with newspaper. Then, use construction paper to add a face, hat, and straw hair to bring this friend to life! Fun for kids ages five and up, this easy-to-complete scarecrow craft is also relatively mess-free.
Source: Crafts By Amanda
3. Leaf Silhouette Art
This craft comes with a helpful leaf template you can download and print at home. Younger kids can simply color or paint the leaves in fall shades, while older kids can get more creative. Try using washi tape, glitter, yarn, and other crafty materials to add more dimension to the leaf silhouettes.
Source: The Best Ideas for Kids
4. Pumpkin Halloween Countdown
Halloween is right around the corner, and if your LOs are already excited for spooky season, consider creating a countdown. Download the free pumpkin face template. Then, add stapled-together paper punch circles. And that’s it! This craft will help them gear up for October 31.
Source: The Suburban Mom
5. Watercolor Fall Leaf Wreath
This fun project results in a cute piece of home decor to spruce up any space! The fall leaf wreath is easy to make with construction paper, watercolor paint, glue, and a ribbon for hanging. If the painting aspect of this craft is too much for your little one, go on a scavenger hunt to find real fall leaves and glue them together onto a paper wreath to dress up your family’s front door for the season.
Source: Happiness Is Homemade
6. Unicorn Pumpkin
A fun twist on classic Halloween pumpkin decorating, this craft is the perfect fall accessory for any unicorn-obsessed kiddo. Simply paint a real or faux pumpkin white, and use store-bought accessories to complete the unicorn’s look. The best part? This DIY requires no carving!
Source: Best Friends for Frosting
7. Fluffy Fall Slime
Kids love slime, so why not make a fall-themed version? Combine shaving cream, Elmer’s glue, baking soda, food coloring, and saline to create this light and airy slime. It’s a great sensory activity for the little ones. (Editor’s Note: Though this slime isn’t as gooey as other recipes, here’s a helpful hack to get slime out of clothes after playtime.)
Source: Little Bins for Little Hands
8. Apple Pie Paper Plate
Nothing says fall like a crisp apple pie, and this cute craft exemplifies just that. This DIY uses real apples, which are cut in half as paint stamps for the pie base. The pie base is made from a paper plate and layered with construction paper to create the top crust. This is a great craft for toddlers or preschoolers to keep them entertained—plus, it doesn’t take too long to complete!
Source: A Little Pinch of Perfect
9. Pumpkin Sun Catcher
This pumpkin sun catcher is a great project to help little kids practice scissor skills. It requires construction paper, tissue paper, contact paper, and a downloadable pumpkin template which is provided. Once finished, this can be stuck to a window with tape or hung with a ribbon to catch the pretty fall light.
Source: The Suburban Mom
10. Felt Leaf Finger Puppets
This is the perfect craft for a rainy fall day! These leaf finger puppets can be crafted using small pieces of felt fabric and embellishments like beads and googly eyes. Once the project is complete, these tiny friends are perfect for encouraging imaginative play.
Source: Crafts By Amanda
11. Pencil Eraser Stamped T-Shirt
Not only is this DIY a fun activity, but this stamped T-shirt can be worn all season long as we gear up for Halloween. Dip a pencil eraser in colorful paint. Then, use the eraser to create a festive pumpkin on any white tee. Finish the design with a puffy paint embellishment. (Editor’s Note: Before your child wears their new shirt, wash it inside out in a normal cycle and tumble dry.)
Source: Gluesticks Blog
12. Fall Sensory Bottles
These sensory bottles are the perfect activity for preschool-aged children. Start with a recycled water bottle or jar. Then, fill the vessel with fall-themed items you can find on a family scavenger hunt. After adding colorful leaves, acorns, pinecones, and other natural objects, just add water!
Source: Little Bins for Little Hands
13. Leaf Printed Autumn Banner
This banner captures the season’s changing colors by taking real fall leaves and using them as paint stamps on cardstock pieces. String the pieces together to create a festive fall banner that can be hung on a mantle, on a bookshelf, or on a kid’s bunk bed. (Editor’s Note: Use laminating sheets to preserve the painted leaves on the banner to ensure you can reuse it for several seasons!)
Source: Happiness Is Homemade
14. Fall Playdough
Similar to the fall slime recipe linked above, this fall playdough DIY is easy to make because it only requires six household ingredients: vegetable oil, water, food coloring, salt, cream of tartar, and flour. To keep your homemade playdough soft over time, wrap it in saran wrap and store it in an airtight container after play sessions.
Source: The Best Ideas for Kids
15. Paper Plate Black Cat
To prepare for spooky season, create this black paper cat with just a few household items. The Crafts By Amanda instructions include a helpful pattern that provides all the shapes you need to make this adorable friend. Because this project entails a lot of painting, be sure to outfit your child with a smock!
Source: Crafts By Amanda
16. Fall Printable Activity Pack
This printable fall activity pack includes more than 20 pages of fun learning exercises to keep kids engaged. With do-a-dot pages, number puzzles, and sorting and writing activities, this set is perfect for preschool-aged children. Though the digital download is free, you can “name a fair price” for the pack and pay the creator for these fabulous, fall-themed pages.
Source: A Little Pinch of Perfect
