You want to harvest as many fall memories as you can while your kids are little and simple autumn activities create opportunities to do just that. You don’t need a long list of craft supplies or a full day packed with things to do to create core memories for your family, either.
We’re taking the guesswork out of planning fall activities for your preschooler or toddler with these simple ideas.
Crafty Fall Activities to Do With Your Toddler or Preschooler
These are simple and stress-free autumn crafts for your toddler or preschooler. You won’t need a ton of supplies, but you’ll both have a ton of seasonal fun.
Paint a Fall Leaf T-Shirt
This fall craft gives your little one a fun new wardrobe piece they can sport with pride. Make a fall leaf t-shirt alongside them and you’ll have matching autumn outfits for the season.
Supplies
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Plain white T-shirt
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Fabric paint
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Paper plates to hold paint colors
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Fall leaves (collecting the leaves is another fun layer to this fall activity)
Directions
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Spend a few minutes outside collecting the prettiest fall leaves you can find.
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Pour one paint color into each plate so you have plenty of room.
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Use the leaves as “stamps” to create realistic leaf patterns on your shirts.
You can use other fall items for this craft as well. Rocks, twigs, acorns, and small pumpkins make fun stamps.
Cut Out Handprint Turkeys
This fall handprint activity is a bit different from your usual turkey craft. There’s no paint involved, but it’s still fun for little ones.
Supplies
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Brown, orange, red, and black construction paper
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Additional construction paper colors for your turkey’s tail (any colors you like will do)
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Scissors
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Glue sticks
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Googly eyes
Directions
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Use brown construction paper to cut out your turkey’s body. A figure eight shape will help you get a head and body all in one cut.
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Use black, orange, and red paper to cut out the feet, a beak, and a wattle.
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Glue your pieces together and set aside.
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Trace your child’s hand on 4 additional pieces of paper and cut them all out. You might try yellow, green, red, and orange or any colors you like.
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Arrange the hand cutouts on the back of your turkey to look like a large, fanned turkey tail. Glue them all at the base of the body.
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Pop on your googly eyes and your turkey is done!
Paint Autumn Rocks
Painting rocks might sound simple to some, but it can be a blast for little ones. Collect a few flat or interesting rocks and help your toddler paint them in fun fall colors. Once you’re finished and your rocks are dry, you can spend an afternoon hiding them around your neighborhood or your local park.
Candy Corn Tissue Paper Activity
A fall activity that doubles as fine motor skill development and color identification? Yes, please! This simple candy corn tissue paper craft encourages skill development in your young child and gives them a chance to make a fall craft.
Supplies
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White, yellow, and orange tissue paper
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A printed (or drawn) outline of a piece of candy corn
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Glue stick
Directions
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Let your child help you tear the tissue paper into tiny pieces.
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Use a glue stick to add one piece of tissue paper to each third of the candy corn to show your child where each color should go.
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Watch as they sort the colors and practice their gluing skills to craft a textured candy corn picture.
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Repeat this activity with other fall icons like leaves, pumpkins, and acorns.
If you're attempting to draw your own candy corn shape, just aim for a slightly rounded triangle shape and you're golden!
Make Handprint Trees Together
Most kids love handprint activities, and this fall craft is an interactive way for your child to make adorable autumn art with their sweet little hands.
Supplies
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Paper
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Black marker
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Red, brown, orange, and yellow paint
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Paint sponges
Directions
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Use the black marker to trace your child’s hand on paper — this is the base of your tree.
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Help them dunk sponges into the paint and create leaves for the “branches” — the outlines of their fingers.
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Once the painting is dry, your child will have an art piece unique to them.
Craft a Fall Wreath
This activity is easier than it sounds because it's a fall wreath made of actual fall items from your yard. You and your child will gather small autumn items — think leaves, acorns, and pinecones — and glue them around the rim of a paper plate (cut the rim away from the body of the plate for a real wreath look) to make an autumn wreath that’s truly natural.
For younger toddlers, adults can place the glue and help them add items. Or for a glue-free option for little ones, let them use fall stamps to decorate their fall paper plate wreath.
Paint Pumpkin Characters
Do you have a little one obsessed with Paw Patrol? How about a little girl in her Disney Princess era? This is the autumn craft for you! All you’ll do is gather mini pumpkins (real or faux) and have your preschooler help you paint the faces of their favorite characters on the pumpkins.
You can still do this craft without artistic talents. Just make the characters interpretive, like painting them the colors of the Paw Patrol cast or adding the signature icons of the Super Mario characters. Or if you have a younger toddler who doesn't watch shows, just paint cute or funny faces together.
Fall Activities for Young Kids That Don't Require Any Supplies
Make Fall “Soup”
You may have heard of stone soup, and this is a lot like that. Grab a pot or bowl and a large spoon you no longer use and head outside with your toddler. Let them help you gather “ingredients” and make a fall soup of twigs, leaves, grass, and other natural materials.
Do Some Good Together
It’s never too early to teach your children the importance of giving back and helping others. With the holiday season fast approaching in autumn, it’s a wonderful time to start showing them what that looks like.
Have your preschooler help you make fall-inspired food for neighbors, pass out fall cards or crafts in a nursing home, or host a fall bake sale to raise money for a cause you care about.
Go On a Fall Photo Scavenger Hunt
This fall scavenger hunt is all about collecting visuals of the items on your list. There’s no pressure to find everything and no mess of random items when you’re finished.
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Make a list of fall items you want to search for.
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Take a nature walk or a stroll through your town looking for the items.
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Use your phone to snap photos of everything you find.
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You can print the photos out and make a scrapbook of your adventure.
Cozy Fall Activities for Everyday Fun With Your Littles
Bake Autumn Cookies Together
How about an autumn activity that’s a win-win? If you spend the afternoon baking fall-flavored cookies together, you’ll get to satisfy your sweet tooth that evening. Find some simple recipes you can make together that have your favorite fall flavors for a cozy day of baking with your little helper.
If you're not a baker and mixing ingredients alongside reckless little toddler hands isn't your thing, pre-made cookie dough is still a fun option!
Wash Mini Pumpkins
It sounds simple, but your toddler might really love this little sensory activity. Grab a few mini pumpkins (or gourds) and have your toddler wash them in a small basin filled with lukewarm water. You can add bubbles or soap to make it more engaging and give them a little brush, sponges, or a washcloth.
They’ll love this task-oriented activity and you’ll love being able to sit back and watch them work. While you’re together, talk about the importance of cleaning or share some fun facts about fall.
Prep an Autumn Sensory Bin
Sensory bins for the win! This quiet, engaging activity can be prepped with autumn themes in mind so your toddler can get a feel for the season.
Start with our guide to DIY sensory bins and then fill your bin with fall-inspired items for your child to explore. Fall fillers might include things like corn kernels, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, coffee grounds, dried tri-color pasta, or birdseed. Then add items like:
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Pom-poms in fall colors
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Leaves (real or faux)
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Acorns
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Small pinecones
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Tiny plastic pumpkins
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Cinnamon sticks
Use appropriate filler materials for your child's age — avoid those that could be a choking hazard for young toddlers who may put filler in their mouths.
Create a Fall Sticky Wall
If it’s a rainy, dreary fall day outside, bring the beauty of autumn inside! Contact paper and faux fall leaves come together in this activity for a decorative sticky wall craft full of fall colors. Follow this fall tree sticky wall tutorial from Toddler Approved to give your preschooler endless fun as the gloomy day drags on.
Make a Fall Lookbook
As you’re making fall memories, crafting keepsakes, and taking photos this autumn, slowly add them to a fall lookbook you can cherish forever. All you need is a binder with sleeve protectors or a traditional scrapbook to keep all of your autumn art and fun nature finds.
Sit down together on all those cozy fall afternoons and chat about your fun memories as you add to your autumn lookbook. What a fun gift to pass along to your little one later in life to help them recall those intentional moments with you.
Make Memories All Autumn With Your Toddlers or Preschoolers
Chances are that some activities might involve some frustration from nap-ready toddlers, or you'll get imperfect crafts because you ran out of glue in the process. But that’s more than okay. Because the memories you’re giving your little one along the way are priceless and so worth the effort.
