Parenting Today Presented by The Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning
Fall is in the air, and it’s time to put up the decorations! Have your kids help create some masterpieces of their own that highlight the season with these 10 great crafts.
Pony Bead Pumpkins
Pumpkins are everywhere this time of year, so embrace the theme and have your kids practice their fine motor skills with this bead craft. They’ll use pipe cleaners to form a pumpkin shape, then thread beads on each section. For the stem at the top, use green and brown pipe cleaners and twist into shape! You can make these pumpkins in a variety of sizes for a fun display around the house.
Styrofoam Cup Spiders
Add some spooky crafts to your weekend plans with these spiders. Have kids help paint Styrofoam or paper cups black/orange/brown/yellow, then thread colored pipe cleaners through the sides for the legs. Paint eyes on the cup (or use googly eyes), add a pipe cleaner mouth, and stand them up around the house for a festively creepy vibe.
Ghost Rockets
This craft is a great fall activity and will let the kids practice their art and science skills. Using small film canisters, decorate the outside with ghost eyes and a mouth. Then, prepare your science ingredients: corn starch, alka seltzer tablets, and water. After carefully filling the canisters with cornstarch and water, put in a few pieces of an alka seltzer tablet, quickly close up the lid, and let them blast off!
Leaf Painting
To keep the littlest ones busy with a fall craft of their own, try this leaf-painting project. Have the kids collect leaves from the backyard or nearby parks or hiking trails, then set up a painting station. Tape the leaves gently to a paper, then put out a variety of fall-colored paints and let your toddler go crazy! After they’re done painting (all over the paper and the leaves), peel off the taped leaves to reveal their white silhouettes left behind.
Popsicle Stick Scarecrow
Rather than dealing with the mess of actual straw to make a scarecrow, try this cleaner version that your kids will love. Glue seven sticks together to form a flat face base (hot glue works best), then place one stick across at an angle for the bottom of the hat. Paint the hat portions brown, then use paint and paper to decorate the rest of the scarecrow’s face!
Autumn Mobile
If your family loves exploring nature, then this craft is a perfect way to display the natural décor that your kids have probably gathered on their adventures. Using several long sticks as the base, hang other items at varying lengths using twine or fall-colored string. Lightweight items like leaves can be glued to the string, while heavier acorns and bark can be tied on securely. Let kids hang these in their rooms during the fall season to bring some of the outside in!
Owl Pinecone
Owls are one of the spooky animals that pop up in fall décor, so let your kids make their own owl decorations by using pine cones, foam, colored feathers, and googly eyes. Kids can paint the pinecones or add glitter as an owl body base, then attach feathers of their choice. Make quintessential big-owl-eyes by gluing googly eyes on top of some yellow foam circles (or buttons). Add a nose, and you have a festive owl friend!
Autumn Leaf Mason Jar Candle Holder
Older kids will appreciate a craft that can be used as a sophisticated centerpiece throughout the season. Use Mod Podge to coat an area of a mason jar until it’s sticky, then place a leaf on top (use real or fake leaves!). Cover with more Mod Podge for it to stick, then move on to the next area while overlapping leaves. After the whole jar is covered, give it one final coat of Mod Podge and let it dry completely. Tie some ribbon or raffia on the top, place a candle inside, and watch the glow of fall colors!
Fall Handprint Wreath
Nothing gets kids more excited than covering their hands in paint! Take advantage of this enthusiasm by making a fall wreath that features their handprints in green, red, orange, and yellow alongside real (or paper cutout) leaves. Your wreath shape is easy to make by cutting the center out of a paper plate and painting in an array of festive colors; just glue on the handprints and leaves and display!
Bubble Wrap Corn
Dried corn is a great fall decoration, so enlist your kids to make some faux pieces too! Cover paper tubes with bubble wrap, then paint each “kernel” with yellow, white, brown/blue, or red to resemble the multicolored corn seen at harvest time. Use a paper bag to recreate the husks around the outside!
Try one of these fun fall crafts with your kids today!
Parenting Today is presented by The Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). The Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) serves children ages 0-12 with 200+ providers across the City. Learn more: ccap@seattle.gov or call (206) 386-1050.
