There’s nothing better than crunching through leaves, looking for natural toys on a crisp fall day. Why not make use of nature’s offerings and keep your little one busy with some easy fall crafts for toddlers? They’ll love the colors and textures and will have fun, too. An added bonus is that some of the crafts you and your toddler make can double as seasonal mantel shelf decorations – your tot will love seeing their handiwork on display.
From easy-peasy leaf art to natural wind chimes, we’ve got something to suit your child. We've even designed some exclusive PishPosh woodland critters masks that you can download and decorate with your little one.
The best bit about easy fall crafts for toddlers? Spending quality time together. So, get out for a walk, forage for nature’s gifts, grab some paint, glue, paper and a few pipe cleaners and get ready to be inspired by our toddler crafts for fall.
Keep reading for easy fall craft ideas for toddlers or scroll to the bottom of the page to download your free mask templates!
1. Create A Fall Leaf Crown
Fire their imagination and create a fall leaf crown fit for a little king or queen! First, collect an array of fallen leaves on your walk or trip to the park.
Get your little one to color in a strip of white card. Next, allow them to apply glue with a glue stick along one long edge. Stick the leaves along the length and allow them to dry. Finally, measure the card to fit their head and staple together.
2. Use Leaves And Bark To Create Wax Rubbings
Head outside and show your toddler the different textures and patterns that appear in nature. Search for a variety of leaves and trees and compare their veiny patterns and tough barks.
Either take some paper and wax crayons with you or collect some leaves to take home so that you have a hard surface such as a table to create your rubbings more easily.
Here’s what to do: place a piece of white paper on the tree bark or on top of a leaf. Hold the wax crayon sideways (take off the paper wrapping) and move it back and forth over the paper. Don’t press too hard. You should be able to see the pattern of the bark or leaves come through on the paper!
3. Dream Up People, Faces And Animals With A Leaf Collage
Collect a wide variety of leaves of all different colors, shapes and sizes. Give your child a large piece of paper and encourage them to create leaf people, leaf animals (cats, dogs, butterflies, mice and birds are all great ones to try) and faces. The leaf collage possibilities are endless!
Next, glue the leaves down, use pens and pencils to color the backgrounds or to add scenery, and stick on craft wiggly eyes, sequins, feathers and pom poms.
4. Paint Some Pine Cones Or Acorns
Remind your toddler to appreciate nature with some simple pine cone or acorn craft. It’s great fun finding and collecting pine cones and acorns, as well as a sensory treat – they look beautiful, feel interesting and smell gorgeous.
Take them home and get out the paint! Allow your toddler to paint their cones or acorns different colors. Or, they can dip them in the paint and roll them across the paper to create beautiful art or use small cones as paintbrushes for a mark-making extravaganza.
Once the cones are dry, place them in a bowl and use them as a table centerpiece or scatter across your mantel.
5. Make A Lion Leaf Face
It’s so easy to make the king of the jungle from a sheaf of beautiful autumn leaves. Head to the park and challenge your toddler with finding as many different coloured leaves as they can.
Why not compare leaf sizes and colors while you’re out and about? Ask what their favorite leaf is and why. Talk about the changing of the seasons.
Back at home, draw a lion’s face and ask your child to arrange the leaves around it to create the lion’s mane.
6. Press Leaves Into Air-Dry Clay To Make Beautiful Imprints
Don those boots and collect a variety of autumn leaves. Search for ones with prominent veins to create interesting imprints. Roll out the air-dry clay to a thickness of about 3-4 mm. Pop your leaf on top and roll it flat into the surface of the clay.
Help your toddler cut out their leaf using scissors or a knife and nestle the clay leaf in some tin foil while it dries. Larger leaves can be curved to create little bowls.
Next, gently remove the leaf and admire the pattern left behind. Allow the clay leaves to dry overnight. Finally, get painting!
7. Put On A Show With Some Leaf Puppets
These adorable little guys are so easy and fun to make. You and your toddler can then play with them for hours afterwards, creating characters or even making up a play!
Find some large leaves that will be big enough to draw or paint faces on, or use stick-on wiggly eyes from a craft kit. Now, glue your leaf on to a lolly stick and you’re good to go. Make a few of these whimsical characters, give them names and you’ll have a whole troupe.
8. Hang Up Some Pretty Fall Wind Chimes
These wind chimes or mobiles look so pretty inside and outside your home and are great fun to make. First, get out on a walk and find some sticks, pine cones, acorns, leaves, berries, rocks and anything else your toddler would like on their wind chime. You can also add beads, pom poms and feathers from a craft kit.
Next, get them painting or playing with their rocks, pine cones and leaves while you assemble the sticks. Either use one long stick or tie two shorter sticks together with twine to form four spokes.
Now you can decorate your strands (one in the middle of your cross and two on each spoke).
Tie on the rocks and cones, thread on your beads and secure everything with knots (your child may need a little help here). Hang up outside to catch that crisp fall breeze or inside as a beautiful decoration.
9. Have A Hoot With A Leaf Owl
This is one of the easiest fall crafts for toddlers. Cut out an owl shape using construction paper, then glue on layers of leaves to create your owl’s feathers. Draw on some eyes and a beak or add some wiggly eyes from a craft kit. Simple and effective.
10. Attract Feathered Friends With A Pine Cone Bird Feeder
All you need for this craft is a large pine cone, bird seed, peanut butter and string.
Pop the bird seed in a foil try and allow your toddler to run their fingers through it, check out the different types of seeds and even sort them into different piles.
When they're bored with that, select your pine cone and get out the peanut butter. Slather the butter all over the cone – your little one will love this bit! – leaving the top part clear for easier handling later on.
Next, roll the cone in the bird seed until it’s completely covered. Now, tie on your string, hang from a tree and watch the birds enjoy their feast!
11. Download our free templates to make your own woodland creatures masks
The PishPosh team have designed these adorable woodland creature mask templates (featuring our very own PishPosh koala!) for you to download and enjoy with your little one. Set your toddler free with paints and crayons, or decorate with leafs & other fall treasures. Happy crafting!
Download Here
