Autumn is one of the most generous seasons for little crafters. The world outside suddenly fills up with the most wonderful materials — crunchy leaves in every shade of red and gold, smooth acorns, rough pinecones, tiny twigs, and bumpy gourds. And the best DIY fall crafts for kindergarten are the ones that start with a walk outside to collect these natural treasures. So before any crafting begins, go outside together. Fill a basket. Talk about what you find. That part is as important as the making. This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
A few years ago I went through a phase of making creative craft videos for children — and autumn was always my favourite season for it. The natural materials, the colours, the textures — everything just works so well on camera. So some of the videos you will find linked throughout this post are ones I made myself. I hope they inspire a few good crafting sessions at home or in the classroom.
Leaves — The Classic Autumn Craft Material
Leaves are the most iconic material for fall crafts for kindergarten — and with good reason. They come in beautiful shapes and colors, they are completely free, and they work for so many different DIY projects. Also, collecting them is a joy in itself. Pressing them flat between books, sorting them by color or size, or simply crunching through a pile — leaves make autumn feel real and tangible for young children.
With leaves you can make rubbings by placing a leaf under thin paper and rubbing a crayon over the top. You can dip them in paint and print them onto paper or fabric. You can glue them onto card to make animals, trees, or faces. Also, threading a collection of leaves onto string with a blunt needle makes a beautiful natural garland for a window or doorway.
Video inspiration:
Supplies that help:Leaf rubbings are one of the simplest and most satisfying fall crafts for kindergarten — and all you need are the Crayola 64 Count Crayons 2-Pack with the built-in sharpener, and a sheet of thin paper to place over the leaf. For the paper itself, the Colorations Construction Paper 600 Sheets in 7 Colors is a great bulk option — plenty of sheets for printing, gluing, and experimenting without worrying about running out. When it comes to sticking leaves onto card or paper plates, the Elmer’s Disappearing Purple Glue Sticks 12-Count are a reliable choice — washable, child-safe, and the purple color shows where the glue has been applied so nothing gets missed.
Also, the LIVINGO Kids Safety Scissors 3-Pack have blunt tips and a soft comfort grip that makes cutting much easier for small hands. For turning collected leaves into little creatures, the fulasiteu 2500PCS Self-Adhesive Googly Eyes in 48 Styles are endlessly useful — stick two eyes on a leaf and suddenly it has a personality of its own.
The Crayola Ultra Clean Washable Markers 40-Count are broad-line and washable — perfect for adding mouths, arms, and other details to finished leaf characters. And for punching out neat autumn shapes from card or colored paper, the UCEC Paper Punches Set with Maple Leaf Shape make the whole process so much faster and more satisfying for little crafters.
Autumn Fruits and Nuts — Nature’s Little Treasures
Chestnuts, acorns, hazelnuts, walnuts, rosehips, and various seeds are some of the most satisfying things to collect in autumn. They are the right size for small hands, they have wonderful textures, and they spark curiosity about where food comes from and how trees grow. Also, sorting and counting them is a fantastic early math activity.
With acorns and chestnuts you can make tiny creatures — googly eyes and pipe cleaners are all you need to turn an acorn into a little bug or a chestnut into a hedgehog. Walnuts can be painted and turned into tiny boats, mice, or festive decorations. Also, pressing rosehips and seeds into air dry clay makes beautiful nature impression tiles. And threading nuts with holes drilled by an adult makes a lovely natural necklace or garland.
Supplies that help: For sticking acorns, chestnuts, and nuts onto card or paper, the Elmer’s Washable Liquid School Glue Bundle with Glue Stick is a great combination — the liquid glue works especially well for heavier materials like lentils and beans, where a glue stick simply would not hold. Also, speaking of lentils — the Jiva Organics Organic Mixed Dal 2LB is a wonderful and unexpected craft supply.
The mix contains several different types and colors of lentils, peas, and beans, so little ones can sort them by color, fill time with the sorting alone, and then glue them onto card to create mosaics, patterns, or autumn shapes — just like in the video. And for making the base of a chestnut hedgehog or the body of a little nature creature, the Play-Doh Jewel Colors 12-Pack is a perfect foundation — press a chestnut into a ball of Play-Doh and it stands up beautifully as a little hedgehog body, ready for toothpick spines and a googly eye nose.
Pinecones — Endlessly Versatile Autumn Crafts
Pinecones are one of the most satisfying materials for DIY fall crafts for kindergarten. They have a wonderful texture, they smell amazing, and they can be turned into so many different things. Also, collecting pinecones is an adventure in itself — they can usually be found under pine and spruce trees from early autumn onward.
With pinecones you can make birds by adding felt beaks and googly eyes. You can roll them in glue and then in birdseed to make a hanging bird feeder — a project that keeps giving long after the craft session is over. Also, painting pinecones in gold, white, or autumn tones makes beautiful seasonal decorations. And standing a pinecone on a circle of card and adding paper or felt details turns it into a tiny owl or hedgehog.
Supplies that help: Pipe cleaners are a versatile supply for fall crafts with kids. The flexible chenille stems can be used to create all kinds of details and shapes—for example, they could be used to make spider legs for a fun Halloween craft. This 200-piece set comes in 20 different colors, making it useful for a variety of creative projects.
Googly eyes are another fun addition to fall crafts and can instantly bring leaf and nature-inspired creations to life. This set includes 1,000 self-adhesive googly eyes in four different sizes, making it easy to find the right size for everything from tiny crafts to larger creations.
Pumpkins and Gourds — Beyond the Jack-o’-Lantern
Pumpkins are one of the most joyful materials for kindergarten fall activities — and there is so much more to do with them than carving. Also, small decorative gourds are particularly good for young children because they are easy to handle and come in the most wonderful shapes and textures.
With pumpkins you can paint them in any color — white pumpkins painted with watercolors look magical. You can use stickers, washi tape, and foam shapes to decorate without any sharp tools. Also, pressing pumpkin seeds into paint and using them as stamps makes a lovely print activity. And cutting open a pumpkin together — scooping out the seeds, counting them, rinsing and roasting them — turns a craft activity into a science and cooking lesson all at once.
And if you end up with extra pumpkin after decorating, these pumpkin recipes are a wonderful way to use it up — the whole family will love them.
Here are a few video ideas for inspiration:
Supplies that help: Paper plates are a simple and versatile base for many kindergarten fall crafts. Kids can paint, decorate, and turn them into pumpkins, animals, autumn wreaths, and other creative projects. These microwave-safe, soak-proof paper plates come in a 100-count pack.
Colored cardstock is useful for cutting out leaves, pumpkins, animal shapes, and other details for fall crafts. This set includes 50 sheets in 50 assorted colors, giving kids plenty of options for creative projects.
Watercolor paints are great for adding color to fall crafts. This set includes 12 vivid colors, a mixing palette, and two brushes, and could be especially useful for painting paper plates or creating colorful autumn artwork.
Paint brushes are another essential for kindergarten craft projects. This 12-piece set includes different brush sizes with kid-friendly ergonomic handles, making it suitable for painting with watercolors and other types of craft paint.
Apples — Stamping, Decorating, and Creating
Apples are one of those classic kindergarten fall materials that can inspire all kinds of simple, hands-on activities. Of course, apple stamping is a fun favorite: cut an apple in half, dip it in paint, and press it onto paper to create colorful apple prints.
But there are plenty of other ways to bring apples into fall crafts. Cut-out apple shapes made from colored paper can be turned into a simple decorative garland or string of apples, while crumpled tissue paper gives children an easy and engaging way to fill in an apple-shaped outline. They can simply glue the little paper balls onto the shape until the whole apple is covered.
You can also use real apples for sensory activities, such as comparing different varieties, looking at their colors and shapes, or tasting different kinds of apples. There are plenty of ways to turn this familiar fall fruit into a creative kindergarten activity.
Supplies that help:
Tissue paper squares are perfect for simple kindergarten crafts where kids can scrunch small pieces of paper into little balls and use them to fill shapes, pictures, or patterns. This set includes 3,000 one-inch squares in 30 assorted colors, so there are plenty of pieces for colorful fall projects and classroom activities.
Corn and Corn Husks — Texture, Color, and Counting
Dried corn — especially the colorful Indian corn varieties — is a wonderful sensory material for kindergarten fall activities. The texture of the kernels, the crinkle of the husks, and the range of colors make it endlessly interesting. Also, removing dried kernels from a cob is genuinely satisfying for small hands and develops fine motor skills.
With dried corn husks you can make simple dolls by gathering and tying the husks into a doll shape — a traditional craft that connects children to older ways of making. Also, gluing individual corn kernels onto card to create patterns, pictures, or mosaic designs is a wonderful concentration activity. And painting dried corn cobs and using them as rolling stamps creates beautiful textured prints.
Supplies that help:
The 8mm wooden beads come in a mix of colorful and more natural-looking shades, making them a versatile addition to fall crafts. They could work especially well as a base for creating a corn craft, with the different colors offering plenty of creative possibilities.
These larger 16mm wooden beads are also available in colorful and natural-looking versions. Their larger size could make them a good option for bigger kindergarten crafts, including a simple corn project or other autumn decorations.
Dried Flowers and Grasses — Pressing and Preserving Autumn
Pressing flowers and grasses is a quieter, more contemplative kindergarten fall activity — and one that teaches children to look closely at the natural world. Also, the results are genuinely beautiful and last for years. Even very young children can participate in the pressing process, and the waiting involved teaches patience in a natural and meaningful way.
With pressed flowers and grasses you can make bookmarks by laminating a pressed leaf or flower between two pieces of sticky-back plastic. You can glue them onto card to make greeting cards or picture frames. Also, arranging dried grasses and seed heads in a small vase or jar makes a lovely nature display that the child can be proud of for the whole season.
Some of these craft ideas may be a little more advanced than what you would typically expect from a kindergarten activity, but they can still be a great source of inspiration. You can always simplify the materials or steps and adapt the idea to suit younger children and their abilities:
A Few Tips for Autumn Nature Crafting With Young Children
The best kindergarten fall activities are the ones that start with exploration rather than a finished product in mind. So go outside first, collect what you find, and then see what the materials suggest. Also, having a few basic supplies always ready — glue, paint, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, and card — means you can respond to whatever the children bring in.
Keep the focus on the process rather than the result. A five-year-old’s leaf creature does not need to look like the one in the video. And displaying finished work on a wall or window — even temporarily — gives children a sense of pride and accomplishment that encourages them to keep making things.
Ready for Autumn?
DIY fall crafts for kindergarten are at their best when they stay close to nature. So fill a basket, go outside, and let the season do the work. The materials are already there — all you need to do is look.
Looking for more autumn inspiration? This Halloween kitchen decor guide has plenty of spooky and festive ideas to bring the season into every corner of the home.
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