7 Simple Fall Activities for Kids
Fall is the perfect time to frolic outside and plan family outings. It is finally cool enough to enjoy the outdoors and there is always a lot of things to do to fill the time. Today, I’m going to share some fall activities for kids, plus a free printable!
I love fall so much. Maybe it’s the cozy sweaters or the roasting of marshmallows that makes me crave fall. Either way, autumn is a great time to do activities with your kids.
I love finding activities that my kids can do that are not only educational, but also involve nature. It’s amazing how simply going outdoors opens up a whole new world of fun!
Things are falling from the trees- leaves, sticks, acorns and giving way to so many hands-on projects.
The colors of autumn are warm and make beautiful seasonal pictures for kids to artfully color.
I’m not a super crafty person, so both my talents and craft supplies are limited. That doesn’t mean that I don’t find ways to allow my kids to get creative.
I’m going to share several fall activities that your kids will enjoy, that don’t include glitter. 😉
Leaf Coloring Activity
This is a tried and true activity that is about as simple as it comes. As the leaves fall, send your kids out to grab some off of the ground.
It is so simple, but as the kids color the leaves and the veining begins to show on their paper, it’s like magic to them.
Their faces will light up with excitement as they begin to see actual leaves appear on their page. It’s so simple and something worth doing every year.
What you need for this activity
- Fallen leaves
- Crayons
- Paper
Have them look for leaves of different sizes and shapes. They only need a handful of them, so have them choose the perfect ones.
- Once they have chosen their leaves, have them lay them out on the table with the vein side up.
- Lay a piece of printer paper over the leaves
- Take crayons in fall colors- red, green, orange, yellow- and color over each leaf in different colors. You can even make a rainbow leaf
- Hang the leaf colorings up on the wall or refrigerator for them to see
Pine Cone Bird Feeders
As the weather shifts and the leaves fall, the birds begin to fly south. A few will stay around for the winter, but their food source will be limited.
During the late fall, early winter a great activity to do with your kids is make pine cone bird feeders.
This activity is simple and your kids will love it. Not only do the birds appreciate the feeders, but so do the squirrels.
One of our favorite things about this project is that we get to watch the birds all winter from our windows. In the Midwest, winter weather can last into the spring season, so it’s nice to see birds outside of our windows when we are weary of the cold.
What you will need for this fall activity
- Pine cones
- Peanut Butter
- Twine
- Bird Seed
Steps for Making Pine Cone Bird Feeders
- Bake your pine cones to kill bugs
- Tie a length of twine to the top of your pine cone so you can hang it outside
- Place a small square of parchment paper on the table where each kiddo will do his/her craft
- Put a large spoonful of creamy peanut butter on one corner of the parchment paper
- Pour Bird seed in a dish large enough to roll the pine cones in
- Have kids smear peanut butter on the pine cones, smearing in the direction of the pine cone petals
- Once covered, roll the pine cones in the bird seed.
- Hang outside for birds to enjoy!
Autumn Scavenger Hunt
My kids love searching for things. Every season, they have different critters and objects they look for. They have memories of exploring our yard and flipping over rocks to find creatures hiding underneath.
Scavenger hunts are a great activity for kids to get them outside. I made a homeschool bundle specifically for this purpose.
You can have your kids each use a different card and checklist and go on a hunt. Or, you can search for things together and all use the same card and checklist. These can be used over and over as the season wears on.
This is a great science add-on as you study the autumn season, plants and how they change in the fall, and what small insects that hide in your yard.
These cards make a great “once a week” game to get your kids moving and outside, or you can do one card/day for a full school week and have a fun scavenger hunting week.
One of the best parts is that these cards can be used over and over as the season wears on. Things you couldn’t see in September might appear in October!
Egg Carton Collection
This fall activity for kids is about as “hands off” as you can get as a mama. As you scramble eggs for your crew, keep the empty cardboard cartons. You will need one per child for this activity.
Once you have enough egg cartons, let your children paint or color their carton in fall colors. You can skip this part, if you’d like.
Have your children go on a fall scavenger hunt outside with their cartons. They can look for nuts, seeds, rocks, or really anything having to do with nature. When they find something they think is interesting, have them put it in their egg carton.
They can organize their finds by putting each category of things in their own section. The kids can add to their collection as the season wears on.
Tissue Paper Tree Fall Activity
Do you remember doing tissue paper crafts as a kid? It seems like this is an oldie, but a goodie.
One of the great things about this activity is that it takes kids a little bit to complete it, which means you don’t have to think of multiple crafts for the day. This craft will take them awhile to finish.
Kids love this fall activity because they get to work with glue. I know glue can be a mess, but it’s worth it because these turn out really pretty. If you must, you can use a glue stick, but I find that the tissue doesn’t stick as long when you do.
Supplies you will need for this activity
- Fall colored tissue paper cut into little squares- if you have older children, cutting these squares is a great job for them!
- Card stock paper- cut these into the shape of a tree and tree trunk
- Adhesive- I prefer a regular bottle of Elmer’s glue
- Pencil- the eraser works great for pressing the papers onto the tree
Steps for completing this activity
- Cut tree shapes out of card stock
- Cut tissue paper into 1 inch squares
- Have kids put some glue on a section of their tree. Don’t glue a huge section because you don’t want the glue to dry before you can put the tissue paper on.
- Wrap a square of tissue paper around the eraser of a pencil.
- Have your child press the tissue onto the tree with the pencil
- Fill the tree canopy with “leaves”
- Allow the tree to dry
- Hang and Enjoy!
Leaf Collages
Leaf collages have to be one of the best fall activities for kids. They get to be in charge of hunting down the leaves they want and glueing them on to their paper.
Kids love doing this simple activity, even the older kids. There’s something about the colors and shapes of the leaves that make the final product very pretty.
You can have your kids create a forest by drawing tree trunks and glueing a leaf up top to act as the tree canopy. Or, you can just let them glue in whatever way they want! It’s up to you!
Fall Garland Activity for Kids
As the leaves fall, gather up the most beautiful ones in your yard. Make sure they aren’t too crunchy or else they won’t work for the garland.
Take your hole punch and punch a hole on each side of the leaf- both the left and right side.
Have your kids string the leaves up with kitchen twine or yarn and create a fall garland.
Hang the garland over a window so the light can illuminate the drying leaves.
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Free Fall Lacing Cards
These lacing cards are a great addition to your fall craft basket. Print these cards off, cut them out, and laminate the cards. Add random hole punches around the perimeter and give your child some yarn or a shoe string. They can lace around the cards.
You don’t have to laminate them, but I always recommend it because it makes them last longer. I also prefer printing them on a card stock to give them a bit more durability.
