The seasons are changing and fall weather is in the air! What better way to celebrate than with some fall crafting. We’ve got three fun and festive crafts that little hands can create on their own and then decorate the home for the season.
Leaf Garland
As the leaves start to tumble from the trees, head outdoors to collect them. Look for variations in leaves; big, small, skinny, wide. And varying colors too; red, yellow, brown. Help your child identify what kind of tree the leaves are coming from as well.
Choose a color pattern by alternating colors and sizes of leaves, or choose to use all the same color and size. Using light weight string and an embroidery needle (less sharp than a traditional needle), “sew” the leaves at the top by the stem. Puncture the leaf from the back side, and then back through, crossing over the stem. Make your garland thick and full, or sparse and spread out – there are no rules! Once completed, hang over windows, in doorways or across picture frames – any place that needs a little fall decor.
Pumpkin Painting
Pumpkin carving is tough. It’s hard for little hands to do safely, it’s messy and your pumpkin is a gonner with in a few days of carving it!
Instead, paint your pumpkins! And the best part is that you don’t have to wait until Halloween to get started. Choose your paint colors; stick with traditional fall colors, or go for deep jewel tones – again, there are no wrong answers! Set up thick paper or newspaper, paint, pumpkin and kiddo and turn them loose. Choose patterns to paint, alternate colors, paint the entire pumpkin, it’s up to the painter. Using a cohesive paint color scheme will ensure that you kids have fun AND you can use their hard work as a festive display too.
Handprint Art
One of our favorites here at Youthland Academy is any kind of hand print art! Fall crafts are so fun to use hand prints for – you can make so many festive items out of those sweet little hands.
If you live in an area that doesn’t have any falling leaves yet for the leaf garland described above, make your own leaves! Use little hands to stamp yellow, orange, red and green “leaves”. Cut out and string into garland.
The classic hand print turkey is always a hit! Create a pallet with brown for the palm, red, orange and yellow stripes for the feathers. Dip little hands with the palm in brown, and each finger in a different color paint (if this is too complicated – stick with all brown and add another color detail later). Once dry and using a marker, add a beak, eyes – even a pilgrim hat to complete your turkey.
The sky is the limit with hand prints. Create pumpkins, trees, apples – almost anything that reminds you of the season can be created out of sweet little hands!
Need some more fall themed fun? Check out our 5 Fall Activities!
