Preschool-aged children are wild about crafts, and what better way to celebrate and teach them about the fall season by creating some fall-themed crafts with them? Back when I taught preschool, my students always looked forward to craft time, and they learned a lot about the world around them through the crafts we created. Now, as a parent, I love creating different crafts with my own little preschooler. Here are some of my all-time favorite fall-themed crafts for the preschool age.
1 Apple Prints
Of all of the fall-themed crafts for preschoolers out there, this one is an oldie, but a goodie. In fact, I remember doing this one when I was a tyke. In order to create apple collages, simply cut different types of apples in different ways. You can cut them in half, in thirds, in quarters, lengthwise, widthwise and what have you. Fill a paper plate with a shallow layer of washable fingerpaint (I like using fall-themed colors) and encourage your youngsters to dip the inner part of the apple pieces into the paint and help them press the paint-covered part onto a sheet of paper. Easy peasy and you've got some simple, yet super cute, fall art that your kiddos will love.
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2 Leaf Rubbings
This is another popular fall-themed craft, but I share it because the kids always delight at it. Get your kids outside and let them collect some fall leaves. Tape a few leaves to a flat surface and tape a piece of paper on top of the leaves. Show your kids how to rub the side of a crayon over the paper - they will be amazed to see the leaf imprint that will come through! It is like magic each and every time, and I find their reactions to be quite magical, as well.
3 Fall Wreath Collages
On a fall nature walk, bring along a bag and encourage kids to collect some nature items; twigs, leaves, acorns and the like. Head on back inside and give your kids paper plates with the center cut out. Let the little ones glue their treasures around the remaining outer portion of the paper plate. Once dried, tie a ribbon or a piece of yarn through the plate and you've got yourself a nature-inspired fall wreath.
4 Pumpkin Seed Collage
Add some literacy learning into your craft making time. Let your kids help you clean out the inside of a pumpkin and set aside some seeds to dry. Once dry, print an upper- and lowercase letter "P" on a sheet of paper. Discuss the sound the letter "P" makes and explain that the word "pumpkin" starts with the letter. Then, your kids can glue the dried pumpkin seeds onto the letter P. My preschool students always loved this one, and I'm really looking forward to doing it with my little preschooler this year.
5 Fingerprint Fall Tree
Kids love fingerpaint, and this craft allows them to use it to create a festive fall tree. Paint your kids' forearms with brown fingerpaint and help them press it onto a piece of paper; this will become the trunk of a tree. Wash off their arms and then set out shallow bowls of green, red, yellow, orange and purple fingerpaint. Let your little ones dip their fingers into the paint and press them around the top of the tree trunk, creating the leaves of a fall tree.
6 Paper Plate Pumpkins
This one is super simple. Let your kids help you tear pieces of orange construction paper. Next, give them a plain paper plate and let them glue the torn paper onto the back of the plate. Help them glue a green rectangle to the top of the plate and you have a paper plate pumpkin.
7 Handprint Spiders
Turn little hands into big spiders. Dip both hands into black fingerpaint and then press them onto a piece of white paper. Make sure the fingers are extended open and that the hands are positioned so that the fingers are pointing outward in opposite directions. The palms should be touching one another. When the paint is dried, glue two googly eyes to the center and your kids hands have become a spider.
So many fun fall-themed crafts to do, so little time. Which crafts do you think your little ones will like the most?
