Fall is the perfect time for hands-on fun with your preschooler! These simple and engaging fall crafts for young kids will not only keep little hands busy, but also help develop fine motor skills, color recognition, and creativity. Using everyday materials and nature-found objects, these crafts are designed with preschool-aged kids (ages 3-5) in mind. Perfect for rainy days or weekend fun, these preschool crafts are easy to set up and allow your child to explore the colors and textures of fall.
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Elena Abrosimova | Canva
1. Autumn Crowns
Let your preschooler become royalty with their own handmade autumn crown. Using leaves, flowers, and other natural materials, they can create a fun and festive crown to wear throughout the season. Simply collect the materials during a nature walk and attach them to a paper band that fits your child’s head.
What you’ll need:
- Long strips of construction paper or cardstock (to form the crown)
- Fall leaves, small flowers, pine needles, or grass
- Glue stick or tape
- Stapler (for securing the crown)
Skills developed: Creativity, fine motor skills, and exploration of textures.
Tip for parents: Ask your child to choose materials of different textures and colors for their crown. It’s a great way to develop their sensory awareness and explore nature.
 Daisy Liang | Canva |
2. Leaf Rubbing Art
Leaf rubbing is a classic fall craft that preschoolers will love! Kids can explore textures and shapes with this simple fall craft. Collect leaves of varying shapes and sizes, place them under a piece of paper, and gently rub crayons (it's easiest to do this with the paper peeled off and the crayons placed long side down) over the top to reveal the leaf’s texture and patterns. It's almost magic!
What you’ll need:
- Leaves
- White paper
- Crayons (with the paper peeled off)
Skills developed: Sensory exploration, creativity, and fine motor skills.
Tip for parents: Encourage your preschooler to use multiple colors and overlap the leaf rubbings to create a pretty collage of leaf textures.
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Odua Images | Canva
3. Leaf People and Animals
Preschoolers love using their imagination, and this craft allows them to create little characters out of fall leaves, acorns, pinecones, and small sticks. Let your child arrange the leaves to form faces, insects, animals or whatever they can dream up! Then help them glue the pieces onto cardstock to bring their leaf creation to life. One of our favorite fall crafts for young kids!
What you’ll need:
- Leaves, acorns, small sticks, and stones
- Glue
- Cardstock or sturdy paper
Skills developed: Imagination, fine motor skills, and creativity.
Tip for parents: Ask your preschooler to tell you a story about their leaf characters — this will help with language development and storytelling skills.
@macaronikidnational Nature has so many treasures for little minds to get creative! Head to MacaroniKID.com for more ideas. #MacaroniKID #familytime #family #kids #toddlers #toddler #preschoolactivities #familyfun #rockpainting #rock #nature #fyp #forfun #create #creative #doodling #doodle #kids #kidsoftiktok #momlife #mommydaughter ♬ Akon's Beautiful Day - Akon
4. Painted Rocks
Collect rocks on a nature walk, then turn them into art! Your preschooler can paint rocks in fall colors or any colors that catch their eyes! This open-ended craft is perfect for little ones who like to explore and create at their own pace. Branch out — pun intended — and paint found pinecones and acorns too.
What you’ll need:
- Rocks and other found natural materials
- Paints
- Glitter (optional)
- Sealant (if you want to make the artwork last)
Skills developed: Fine motor skills, creativity, and exploration of textures.
Tip for parents: Set up a special "nature display" at home! Help your child arrange their decorated rocks, pinecones, and acorns in a designated spot, like a windowsill or an outdoor garden, to show off their creations. It’s a great way to encourage pride in their work.
 Stock Planets | Canva |
5. Fall Leaf Collage
This easy fall leaf collage is a perfect process art project for toddlers and preschoolers of all skill levels. Gather leaves in different shapes, colors, and sizes, and let your child arrange and glue them onto cardstock or cardboard and then paint them however they'd like. It’s a great way to teach toddlers and preschoolers about the diversity of nature while allowing them to create their own art.
What you’ll need:
- A variety of leaves
- Cardstock or paper
- Glue stick
Skills developed: Fine motor control, color recognition, and creativity.
Tip for parents: Turn this easy activity into a counting game by asking your preschooler to glue a specific number of leaves on the page. Or use it to help them learn colors by sorting the leaves into color groups before gluing.
These simple preschool crafts using materials found in nature or at home are perfect for ages 3-5 with the added benefit of helping develop important skills like fine motor control, creativity, and color recognition. Plus, they make for beautiful homemade fall decorations you can proudly display!
