In the age of social media, video games, cable TV, and Pokémon Go, activities like walking in the woods, collecting bird eggs, or climbing trees seem less engaging. According to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average 8 to eighteen year old spends more than 53 hours a week engaged with entertainment media. You might need to bundle up, but autumn is the perfect season for teachers and parents to inspire children with art and craft projects.
Fall and Nature Themed Arts & Crafts Projects for Kids
While modern technology has a pivotal role to play in our children’s lives, autumn offers an opportunity to get kids involved in “green exercise.” Encourage young learners to get outside and collect some natural arts and crafts supplies. These simple projects are a great way to engage their creativity during the fall season.
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Acorn Necklaces and Bracelets
Searching for acorns in the natural world is almost as good as making fall acorn art and craft projects. Acorns are versatile and decorative. There are a variety of art and craft projects that utilize acorns, from creating fall wreaths, which can also incorporate twigs, berries, pine cones, chestnuts, and other natural goodies foraged from the great outdoors, to painting acorns or covering them with yellow fabric to create miniature Halloween pumpkins. However, one of the easiest acorn projects is creating acorn jewelry. String the fallen acorns like beads to create necklaces or bracelets. Take it a step further and add color, glitter, or have the children paint the letters of their names on the acorns. Art is all about originality, right?
Pine Cone Ornaments
Making an ornament out of a pine cone is a lot like looking up at the sky and attempting to determine which animal a cloud looks like. It’s all about using the imagination. Pine cones can be turned into all sorts of holiday arts and crafts decorations, from Thanksgiving turkeys to white-tipped Christmas trees. A cluster of pine cones can be used to create a beautiful fall centerpiece, a garland for the fireplace, or a hanging front door decoration.
Leaf Prints
Think back… Chances are you made leaf prints at school when you were a kid. It’s a classic fall arts and crafts project. Come autumn, forget “To Do” lists and magnets, refrigerators across the nation are decorated with pictures of leaf rubbings, printed leaf flags, and colorful leaf people. How easy are leaf prints to create? Kids color on one side of the leaf, and then press it on a piece of construction paper. It’s a hands-on project that never gets old.
More Arts & Crafts Projects and Ideas
Looking for more ways to engage with the early childhood learners in your life, or for a fun project to try? Be sure to stop by the Early Childhood category page. For more inspiration and seasonal craft projects, visit the Celebrations & Seasons category.
Read More: Celebrations & Seasons
