Fall has always been my absolute favorite season for crafting with kids. Here are 10 Simple Fall Crafts for Kids and Preschoolers. Something about the crisp air, the gorgeous changing leaves, and that back-to-school energy that just screams “let’s create something beautiful!” As a parent who’s spent countless autumn afternoons with glue-covered fingers and paint-splattered aprons, I can tell you that fall offers some of the most wonderful natural materials and inspiration for crafting.

What I love most about fall crafts is how they connect children to the natural world around them. Every walk becomes a treasure hunt for acorns, leaves, and pinecones. Every craft session becomes an opportunity to talk about seasons, colors, and the amazing changes happening right outside our windows.

I’ve gathered 12 of my tried-and-true fall craft favorites that work beautifully for both older kids and preschoolers. These are projects I return to year after year because they’re simple enough that little hands can manage them, but engaging enough to hold everyone’s attention. Let me share these autumn treasures with you!

1. Leaf Rubbing Art Adventures

This classic never gets old, and honestly, it’s pure magic for preschoolers! We collect leaves during our neighborhood walks – the more variety, the better. Back home, I place the leaves under regular paper and let the kids rub over them with crayons.

What makes this extra special is using different colored crayons for each leaf. We might use orange for the maple leaf, yellow for the oak, and red for the sweet gum. The kids are always amazed when the leaf shapes appear like magic under their crayons. These rubbings become beautiful autumn artwork that we frame and hang around the house.

2. Handprint Fall Trees

I absolutely love handprint crafts because they capture a moment in time – those tiny hands that grow so quickly. For fall trees, we paint the children’s hands and forearms brown for the trunk and branches. Once that dries, we use sponges or cotton swabs to dab on red, orange, and yellow paint for the autumn leaves.

Preschoolers get so excited seeing their hand transformed into a tree! We usually make several – one for home, one for grandparents, and sometimes one for their teacher. It’s amazing how each child’s tree has its own personality based on how they spread their fingers.

3. Paper Plate Scarecrows

This craft always brings out the giggles! We start with paper plates as faces and let the kids draw on features with markers or crayons. Then comes the fun part – adding yarn or raffia for hair, construction paper hats, and fabric scraps for patches.

What I’ve learned is to embrace the wonky, crooked faces the kids create. These imperfect scarecrows have so much more character than any store-bought decoration. We hang them around the house, and they never fail to make us smile throughout the fall season.

4. Acorn Cap Candles

During our autumn nature walks, we always collect acorn caps. Back home, we fill these tiny natural bowls with melted crayon wax to create the sweetest miniature candles. I handle the melting part while the kids choose which colored crayons to melt.

These aren’t meant to be lit, of course – they’re purely decorative. But preschoolers love arranging them in little scenes with their toy figures. It’s wonderful how something so small can spark such imaginative play.

5. Coffee Filter Fall Leaves

I’ve become obsessed with coffee filter crafts! For fall leaves, we fold coffee filters and color them with washable markers in autumn colors – reds, oranges, yellows, and browns. Then we spray them lightly with water and watch the colors blend together like magic.

Once they dry, we cut them into leaf shapes. The bleeding colors create the most beautiful, natural-looking autumn leaves. These are perfect for preschoolers because the folding and coloring are easy, but the final result always looks impressive.

6. Pinecone Turkeys

This has become our Thanksgiving tradition! We collect pinecones and transform them into adorable turkeys using construction paper feathers, googly eyes, and orange paper beaks and feet. The pinecone becomes the turkey’s body – it’s perfect because it already has that plump, round shape.

I love watching preschoolers figure out how to attach the feathers. They get so proud when their turkey can actually stand up on its paper feet. We make a whole flock and use them as our Thanksgiving table centerpiece.

7. Apple Stamping Art

Here’s where we turn snack time into craft time! We cut apples in half and use them as stamps with washable paint. The natural star pattern in the apple core creates beautiful prints every time.

Preschoolers are fascinated by this – they can’t believe their apple has a star inside! We make apple-stamped greeting cards, wrapping paper, and sometimes just big sheets of apple art. It’s a great way to talk about what’s inside fruits while creating something beautiful.

8. Corn Kernel Sensory Bottles

I fill clear plastic bottles with dried corn kernels (the kind you buy for fall decorations), add some small fall-colored pom-poms and maybe a few plastic leaves. These become wonderful sensory toys that make satisfying sounds when shaken.

Preschoolers love the sound and movement, and these bottles are perfect for quiet time or when little ones need something calming. Plus, they’re completely safe – no small parts that could be a choking hazard.

9. Handprint Corn Crafts

We paint children’s hands yellow and press them onto brown paper to create corn cobs. The fingers become the kernels, and we add green paper husks around the sides. It’s simple but so effective!

What makes this special is that we talk about where corn comes from while we craft. Preschoolers start to make connections between the food they eat and how it grows. These corn crafts look adorable displayed together on a bulletin board or refrigerator.

10. Paper Bag Pumpkin Patches

We stuff orange paper lunch bags with newspaper and tie them closed with green ribbon or yarn to create cute pumpkins. Then we draw on faces or leave them plain – both ways are adorable.

Preschoolers love the stuffing part – it’s great for developing fine motor skills. We make several pumpkins in different sizes and arrange them as our own little pumpkin patch on the kitchen table or windowsill.

11. Leaf Crown Masterpieces

This craft makes every child feel like autumn royalty! We cut headband strips from construction paper and let the kids glue real leaves or paper leaves all around them. The result is a beautiful leaf crown that they can wear proudly.

I’ve found that preschoolers love wearing their creations, so crafts they can put on are always a hit. These crowns are perfect for pretend play and make great props for autumn photos too.

12. Thankful Tree Wall Art

This one grows throughout the fall season, which makes it extra special. We start by painting or drawing a tree trunk and branches on a large piece of paper hung on the wall. Then, throughout the season, we add paper leaves with things we’re thankful for written on them.

For preschoolers who can’t write yet, they can draw pictures or dictate their thankful thoughts to an adult. By Thanksgiving, our tree is full of colorful leaves representing all the good things in our lives. It’s become a beautiful tradition that helps us focus on gratitude during the season.

Creating Autumn Memories One Craft at a Time

What I’ve learned through years of fall crafting is that the process is so much more important than the product. Yes, we end up with beautiful decorations and keepsakes, but the real magic happens during those moments when we’re sitting together, talking about the changing seasons, and creating something with our hands.

These crafts work beautifully for mixed age groups too. Older siblings can help younger ones, and preschoolers feel so proud when they can participate in “big kid” activities. Don’t worry about perfection – some of our most treasured fall decorations are the lopsided, extra-glue ones that clearly show little hands were hard at work.

Fall crafting has taught me to slow down and notice the beauty in this amazing season. Every yellow leaf becomes potential art supplies. Every nature walk becomes a treasure hunt. Every afternoon becomes an opportunity to create something beautiful together.

The supplies for these crafts are simple and inexpensive – most use things you probably already have at home or can easily find during your regular shopping trips. The memories you’ll create, however, are priceless.

So grab those little hands, embrace the mess, and dive into the wonderful world of fall crafting. Your home will be filled with handmade autumn beauty, and your heart will be filled with precious memories of creative time spent together. After all, childhood is fleeting, but the joy of creating something beautiful with your own hands – that’s a gift that lasts forever.