10 Amazing Autumn/Fall Crafts And Activities For Kids

“Pumpkin spice to everything nice!”

This phrase sums up why I loved fall (autumn) as a child, more than the other seasons. If your child loves the colors of fall, pumpkins, and falling leaves, then he or she may also like using them to make interesting, unique fall crafts and activities that are reminiscent of the season!! MomJunction has included a few fall games that will let your kids enjoy the thrill of being outdoors, close to nature.

Fall Crafts And Activities For Children

If your child needs to create fall-themed crafts or art, you can try these. From simple paper crafts to somewhat time-consuming fall activities for kids, we have nine options you can choose from.

1. Hanging leaves of autumn

Orange, brown, green, pink, red, and yellow topped with clear blue of the sky.

The many colors of fall make the season oh-so-beautiful, which is why we will begin with the colorful craft of hanging leaves.

You will need:

• Chart or craft paper in pink, orange, yellow, green, and brown colors
• Scissors
• String
• Pencil

How to:

1. Draw leaves of different shapes on the colored paper. You can also print out fall leaf templates instead.
2. Cut out the paper leaves and segregate them.
3. Punch holes at one end of the leaves and pull the string through the holes.
4. Tie the open end of the string to a stick or a hanging rod.

The colorful, hanging leaves of autumn can now be used to deck your child’s room.

[ Read: Halloween Crafts For Kids ]

2. Paper plate owl

For some reason, we think of owls when we think of fall or Halloween. So, here is a craft that teaches you to make an owl using paper plates.

You will need:

• A white, plain paper plate
• Red and yellow colored sheets
• Crayons
• Scissors
• Glue
• Black sketch or marker

How to:

1. Cut out the nose, eyes, and paws of the owl from the red and yellow sheets of paper.
2. Place the paper plate on the table and fold one-fourth of it inwards, at the top. Fold one-third of the plate on the sides. The resultant should be something like the image.
3. Stick the yellow eyes, nose, and the feet to the folded paper plate.
4. Use crayons to draw the wings and the body. Notice that we have used fall colors here.
5. Use a black sketch to draw the eyeballs and eyebrows.

The paper plate owl is all set to deck your walls.

3. Popsicle Jack-O-Lanterns

Carving pumpkins to make Jack-O-Lanterns is an adult’s job. Children can try making their very own Jack-O-Lanterns using popsicle sticks!

You will need:

• A pack of 12cm popsicle sticks, minimum 10 in number
• Black craft paper
• Googly eyes
• Orange paint and paintbrush
• A leaf
• Scissors
• Glue

How to:

1. Paint all the popsicle sticks orange.
2. Place two sticks horizontally, parallel to each other. Keep them at a distance of 8cm.
3. Stick the remaining sticks on two horizontal popsicle sticks as shown in the image.
4. Cut out two triangles, one small and one big, from the black craft paper.
5. Stick the Googly eyes and then the two triangles on the popsicle sticks, to complete the face of Jack-o-Lantern.
6. Put the leaf above the goodly eyes, to complete the craft.

This Jack-O-Lantern is not so spooky and can stay in your child’s room too.

[ Read: Rainy Day Crafts For Kids ]

4. Bubble wrap fall tree

This is a creative way to make an autumn or fall tree using bubble wrap and toilet paper roll.

You will need:

• A small squared bubble wrap
• Oil paints and paintbrushes
• White cardboard paper
• Toilet paper rolls
• Glue

How to:

1. Choose autumn colors such as brown, yellow, orange, and green.
2. Paint a small portion of the bubble wrap in these colors, as shown in the image.
3. Place the colored portion of the bubble wrap on the white sheet, while the paint is still wet.
4. Allow the paint on the paper to dry and cut it in the shape of a tree.
5. Stick it to the toilet rolls, and you have a simple autumn tree ready.

5. Leaf prints

Here is a fun craft to make paper prints using leaves.

You will need:

• Broad or large leaves
• Oil paints
• White craft paper

How to:

1. Paint the leaves with different patterns. Mix and match the colors and create anautumn theme in the paintings.
2. While the paint is still wet, place the painted side of the leaf on the paper and press lightly to get the impression of the entire leaf.

6. Dab-a-tree

An easy way of making an autumn tree is just to dab it using a cloth or cotton. We have used toilet paper for a change!

You will need:

• One sheet of paper
• Black sketch
• Oil paints
• Toilet paper

How to:

1. Add autumn colors such as brown, yellow, orange, pink, or red on the palette.
2. Use the black sketch to draw the trunk of the tree. Paint it brown using the watercolor.
3. Add branches using the black sketch. See image.
4. Dab a piece of the toilet paper on the palette and create the outline of the tree’s crown. Add the leaves in yellow, brown, orange, and red to fill it.
5. You could also use your fingers to paint the leaves if you can.
6. Let the paint dry and put it on the wall!

[ Read: Wool Crafts For Kids ]

7. DIY fall tealight holder

If you have mason jars at home, and a garden filled with dry autumn leaves, you can make a tealight holder.

You will need:

• Mason jar
• 3-4 dried leaves, should be yellow and soft, but not crisp
• Glue
• Rock salt
• Twine

How to:

1. Clean the jar and pour a spoonful or two of salt in it.
2. Clean the leaves and brush them with glue on one side. Stick these leaves on the outside of the jar.
3. Tie the twine at the mouth of the jar.
4. Put the tealight inside the jar.

You can use leaves of different shapes on different jars for variation.

8. Black cat Halloween greeting card

Wish your neighbors and family in style, with this cool Halloween greeting card made by your kids. Note that time and patience are essential to making a greeting card, which makes this an ideal fall activity for older kids.

You will need:

• 1 black velvet craft paper
• 1 orange cardboard or greeting card craft paper
• Golden string
• Glue
• Blue sketch pen
• White paper
• Paper Punch

How to:

1. Cut three equal-sized rectangles from the black sheet. Cut them further on top, to make the ears for the cat. See image.
2. Punch holes out of the white paper and stick the tiny pieces of paper as eyes. Stick the eyes on the black rectangles. Use the sketch to draw the blue eyeballs for the cat.
3. Cut the golden colored string into three parts. Twist each string into a bow knot and stick below the eyes, for the nose and the whiskers.

Write a message inside the card and give it to your friends or family!

[ Read: Family Craft Ideas For Kids ]

9. Fall leaf wreath

This is an engaging fall activity for older kids and teens. Making a fall wreath is a lot of work, starting from the accumulation of the materials to arranging them circularly.

You will need:

• 1 grapevine wreath or metal wire
• Faux autumn leaves
• Faux berries
• Scissors
• Black string
• Glue gun

How to:

1. Use a hot glue gun to stick the leaves to the grapevine wreath. If the leaves are wired together, use a wire cutter to separate them.
2. Glue the leaves around the wreath, covering it completely. Keep the wreath in one place until the glue is dry and the leaves are securely attached to it.
3. Add the faux berries, and acorns if you have, in between. Let it rest and dry for an hour or two.
4. Hang it on the door or the wall.

10. Leaf painting

What use can dry leaves have? Well, they make great canvasses! Here is an activity that allows you to create intricate designs on dried leaves.

You will need:

• Dried leaves – pick leaves that are broad and as big as your palm
• Watercolors, paintbrushes

How to:

1. Choose light colors such as white and yellow that are visible on the green or brown leaves.
2. Pick designs that your teen can create – any pattern that is small enough to fit on a sheet will do.
3. You can create a pattern with spirals, hashtag symbols, waves, raindrops, stars, and lines.
4. Let the paint dry. Stick the leaves using glue in a scrapbook or a frame, if you want to put it on the wall.

Fall Games For Kids

Fall is perhaps the best time to be outdoors all day long and you could indulge your kids in outdoor fall activities .

11. Hay bale obstacle course

Hay bale obstacle course is a fun fall activity you can try when there are a group of kids. Also, it is a game you must play when visiting a farm or living on a farm.

You will need:

• Hay bales of different sizes

How to:

1. Use the bales to create a starting and an ending point of the course. Ensure that the entry and exit are marked.
2. You can stack two or three bales on top of each other or arrange them in patterns depending on the age and the skill level of the children.
3. The kids have to go through the obstacle course within a set time (use a clock to check it).

Make sure that the obstacle course is kid friendly – remove any stones, pointy objects from the region. Use mud or sand for soft padding at places where the kids are required to jump from a height.

[ Read: Arts And Crafts Ideas For Kids ]

12. Apple bobbing contest

Apple bobbing is a classic game played by children during Halloween.

You will need:

• Apples
• A trough or large basin
• Water

How to:

1. Fill the trough or basin with water and put the apples in it.
2. As apples are denser than water, they will float.
3. Set a one-minute timer and ask your kids to transfer as many apples as they can from the trough to a tray, using only their mouths.

The kid who can transfer most apples wins.

13. Broom limbo

Besides cleaning the house, a broom also acts as a mode of transport for witches.

Or at least that’s what the folklore says! Regardless of the myths, we do know for a fact that we can use a broomstick to play fun fall games with kids . Our favorite is limbo!

You will need:

• Soft broom with a wooden stick or a plastic handle

How to:

1. The objective of the game is to pass from under the broom without touching it.
2. Start by holding the broom a little higher than your kid’s height. Ask them to pass from under it.
3. Lower the height little by little each time and ask the child to pass from underneath it.

The game gets exciting when the broom is held at a much lower height. Also, this game exercises the child’s ability to bend the body and encourages them to get creative.

[ Read: Vegetables Craft Ideas For Kids ]

14. Scarecrow tag

A variation of the classic game of tag, this game turns the tagged kids into scarecrows.

You will need:

• Space to play
• Ideal for a group of 6-8 kids

How to:

1. Set boundaries within which the children can run and play.
2. One child will be the “scarecrow”. His objective is to tag all the other players.
3. When tagged, the children should freeze in the pose of a scarecrow, with arms stretched and feet wide.
4. They can only be set free if another kid, who has not been tagged yet, crawls from under the legs of the tagged scarecrow.

The game continues unless the same child is tagged more than twice. Then that kid becomes the new tagger.

15. Pumpkin tower

This is a harvest game that requires a lot of pumpkins. You can play this during Halloween too!

You will need:

• Pumpkins of different sizes – small to big
• A table

How to:

1. Place the pumpkins on a table in any order.
2. Ask the children to try and make a tower by stacking the pumpkins.
3. The child who makes the tallest pumpkin tower gets a gift!

[ Read: Tin Can Craft Ideas For Kids ]

Autumn is a good time to go out and enjoy the sun, the breeze, and the beauty of nature. In fact, it is the perfect time to introduce nature-themed activities to your kids. You can also plan outdoor events such as hiking, bicycling, brisk walking, and even long tractor rides on the farm. The bottom line is – if it is autumn, get out of the house and enjoy.

What’s your child’s favorite thing to do during the fall season? Tell us about it here.

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