Autumn Crafts for Preschoolers

Here are 5 fabulous Autumn Crafts for Preschoolers that are easy, free or inexpensive and only take 5-10 minutes. As we all know we can’t keep 2 and 3 year olds sat still for more than that.

As part of our Autumn Crafts for preschoolers, we’re focussed on using natural materials that can either be recycled or composted after. Paying as much considering to the environment as possible. These crafts have two parts to them. The first part is getting outdoors and foraging for your materials. Take a bag, bucket or basket on your foraging walk. Maybe a pair of secateurs if you have them.

Crafting, especially with natural materials is a great way to spend time with your little ones. It’s provides a wonderful sensory experience as well as practising the ever important motor skills. Plus, most materials used can be put in the garden bin.

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Autumn Crafts for Preschoolers

 

1. Autumn Mobile. Forage for twigs, leaves and pinecones, bring them home and give them a brush or clean to get rid of any excess dirt or hidden creepy crawleys. You could create a long twig mobile or cross two twigs and tie with string to hold the cross shape. From your twig, hang natural ‘pendants’, these could be beautiful leaves or pine cones. Add an extra piece of string to the top to hang your mobile from the ceiling. Try use natural string for a rustic look, but any cotton or ribbon will do the job. 
2. Little Wreathes. We loved creating little autumnal and wintery wreathes last year. You can make them as big or small as you want. Cut out a circle from a piece of cardboard and then a smaller circle within to create the ring shaped base of your wreathe. Gently wind string around the ring which will give you places to tuck in the foliage. Go foraging for foliage, we loved collecting little pine branches from Newmillerdam. Trim your branches if needed and tuck under the string. Hang up and enjoy your natural, little wreath. 
3. Leafy Hedgehogs. Cut a teardrop shape from some card (cereal box?) , this will form your hedgehogs body. Hunt for some brown leaves, you’ll need plenty to stick on the body to create those spiky bodies. Use a pen to draw on a nose, eyes and a smile. You can stick them to a lollypop stick and use as puppets or to poke in to plant pots and hide under little bushes. 
4. Fairy Wands. These are totally adorble and a wonderful alternative to plastic, glittery wands found in shops. From a piece of cardboard, cut star shapes (maybe 8cm tall) from card. Forage for some dry and crispy leaves and a straight stick. Crinkle up the crispy leaves in to natural confetti and glitter. Cover your stars in a light later of glue and sprinkle on your natural confetti and glitter. Tape your stars to your stick to create your natural fairy wand. 
5. Forest Crowns. How much do your kids love being queen or king of the castle. Now let them be the queen or king of the forest. Create simple paper crown with A4 paper cut horizontally with a zig zag line and glue the ends together (sizing the crown off your child’s head). After foraging for lots of different coloured leaves, let your little one take charge of the glue and stick on as many leaves as they wish. They can wear their crowns with pride on their next forest adventure. 

 

These Autumn crafts for preschoolers use natural materials which are likely to breakdown, especially when indoors in our warm houses. Talk to your little ones about this so they know that their crafts will not last forever, but will go back to the ground to help new plants and leaves grow.

We would love to see your Autumn crafts, share your pictures on our Facebook group to inspire other families with their creations.