It’s Fall!
My girls enjoy nature and fall, crinkling leaves and all the crisp smells. We’re all about the holidays that accompany fall too. We even decorated for Halloween at the beginning of September. Anyone else?! In addition, I love to use nature for free craft supplies as I am a frugal mama here. I hope you can partake and enjoy some of these simple crafts for fall that involve nature too!
Favorite Fall Crafts
Sweetgum Tree Ball Spiders
It will come as no surprise that the first idea is a spider. We love all things spooky and Halloween. I made these growing up and they’re always a fan favorite. At the end, tie a piece of thread to the top and hang them up!
What you need:
-Sweetgum tree balls
-Pipe cleaners cut in half
-Googly eyes
I hot glue gunned the eyes prior to getting the supplies out. Then, my girls went to town creating patterns for their legs. They made ten spiders, the exact number of sugar gumballs that I prepped. I think they would have created even more if I made them!
We found tons of the sweetgum tree balls at Coffman Park, closest to the big kid playground and the stream. It also has a great toddler playground with size appropriate climbing opportunities as well as a bridge, tunnel and the cutest toadstool picnic table.
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Fall Faces
This is a fun way to let your kids be creative by constructing their own faces made of things found out in nature.
What you need:
-Cardboard box
-Glue
-Leaves, flower petals, flowers, ivy or anything you can forage from your yard.
I tasked my girls with finding a variety of colors and textures in our backyard. I broke down a box and traced an oval and cut it out with scissors. My oldest has a hard time deciding when faced with a lot of choices, but it was great practice. My middle had a plan right away. It’s crazy how each child is so different and how they are unique in their own ways!
We love Highbanks Metro Park. Walkthrough the back doors of the nature center (which is awesome!) and be awed by the lookout. Take the walking path to the right and you’ll find a secret spot just off the trail on the left by the fence to capture cute fall pictures. Where is your favorite place to see fall leaves change color?
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Nature Paint Brushes
This fall craft was almost too pretty to use (well I thought so, the kids went to town!) Half the fun in these is the scavenger hunt like task of finding what we need.
What you need:
Sticks
Flowers
Rubber bands
Paint
Paper
You want the sticks to be tough and thick so they don’t break. The different types of flowers allowed for different textures. We are saving our creations to use as wrapping paper for gifts.
We love to view the flowers in the meadow at Homestead Park in Hilliard. The playgrounds are great too! If you have a stroller, it’s difficult to stay up with the kids, just a tip.
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Eyeball in a Haystack
This is the easiest activity on the list. Depending on the difficulty level you would like to achieve, you can add one eyeball or more for your kiddos to find in the hay. The Dollar Store is a great resource for this one. This can occupy them for quite some time!
What you need:
Hay
Plastic eyeball(s)
Container
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Leaf Stick Decorations
This was a great activity to help my three-year-old use her fine motor skills and also to learn her strength without ripping the leaves too much. The best part is this is a totally free activity!
What you need:
Sticks
A variety of leaves in all shapes and colors
Find a thin, yet sturdy stick and press end into the ground. Explore and find leaves.
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Marble Acorns
This fall craft turned out cuter than I imagined. My girls enjoyed the scavenger hunt for the acorn tops. It was a great counting and matching activity as well.
Obviously, the hot glue gun is hot and should only be used by an adult or with supervision.
What you need:
-Acorn tops
-Hot glue gun
-Marbles
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We hope you found a fall craft that you can easily do this season with your little ones! For other ways to enjoy fall with your kiddos, click here.
