Whether you want to engage in creative projects, introduce children to exciting new seasonal adventures, or just savor the refreshing autumn breeze, these enjoyable fall activities for kids cater to every interest.
We browse the internet, search our past activities in our sensory class, and collect the best fall crafts and activities for kids of all ages. We are sure you will find just the right autumn activity to make with your kids at home or in the classroom, be it with toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, or older kids.
toddler-friendly fall projects Using Paint
This post is all about awesome fall activities for kids! with a special focus on leaves, pumpkins, acorns, and corn. Find fall arts and crafts, fall science activities, fall sensory play activities, and lots of other fall learning activities
Drip Paint Pumpkin
One of my favorite activities to do with pumpkins is standing a pumpkin over a cup and pouring acrylic paint over and over, allowing it to drip and create a marble effect. Let it dry for a few days, or wash it off and start again.
Make a Giant Pop art apple
Cut out a giant apple from cardboard or thick painter’s paper. Using a Sharpie, divide the apple into different sections. Then, decorate using different paint and art materials. We used painsticks for ours.
Apple Stamping Process Art Activity
Cutting apples in half and using them as stamps is a fun apple-themed activity that kids of all ages love. Toddlers love to stamp and discover the star shape on the paper, while older kids love to make their own designs using various shapes.
Check out my post and find out my trick to hold this apple easier when painting.
Apple paper plate
One of my favorite crafts for little ones is painting a paper plate. Toddlers can explore the paint and be free when painting. Then, an adult traces and cuts the handprint, making it look like the stem. It’s a beautiful way to save the size of the handprint as they start this new school year.
Autumn Process Art
Kids express their creativity best when they are free to create. Grab some trucks or cars with thick wheels, some red and yellow paint, and set up paint with a car station. Squirt the paint around the page and let the kids drive the tricks over the paint. See if they can make new colors! The fall colors will combine to create a fun science experiment (mixing colors) combined with art.
Puffy Paint Pumpkins
One of my favorite process art activities with pumpkins is making different puffy paint colors. All you need is shaving cream and washable paint. This activity is so fun because when done, all you can do is wash the pumpkin and do it again all season long.
toddler-friendly fall projects Using Glue
Glue is a favorite art supply! Here are some ideas to use glue as your main art element to use this fall.
Mixed Media Leaf Collage
Set out leaves with fabric scraps, tempera paint, glue, and colored construction paper. I had a prompt at the table, but children could use the materials however they chose.
Fall wreath Craft
This has been our proudest craft this year. I had purchased a bag of orange and green Styrofoam balls and fall leaves for a sensory bin, and when I saw a tutorial to do a leaf crown with a paper plate, I thought a wreath could be fun, too! So we got to it and honestly, it came out a lot better than I thought. I loved it so much that I placed it at the entrance of our house.
Apple Sun Catcher
Creating a sun catcher is a lot of fun and the kids love it. To make this craft all you need is contact paper, tissue or cellophane paper, and construction paper.
Nature Inspired fall activities for kids
I love to involve nature when I can when doing activities. Nature activities engage so many senses, and kids can explore and get creative with their finds.
Leaf Monsters
Go on a nature walk and collect a bunch of leaves. Then, sit down on a picnic mat, grab some paper and glue, and see if you can make up a little monster or critter bug using the leaves. Finish your bug with some googly eyes to give it some character!
Nature crown
Leaf crowns are a fall art classic and if you don’t have access to natural leaves, you can do faux leaves or replace them with flowers. All you need is some construction paper, double-sided tape, and your nature finds.
Using the construction paper, create a long rectangle. You might need to tape two strips together for the crown to go all around. Then add the double-sided tape round and have your child decorate it with the leaves or nature finds.
Create a nature crown by collecting leaves, twigs, and other small items to decorate a paper crown. If, like us, you don’t have many autumn-colored leaves around, you can use faux leaves.
Nature Rubbing Activity
Nature is full of textures, you can use paper and crayons to transfer these textures to paper. The most common activity is using leaves to transfer the vein’s markings onto the paper but I love to let the kids roam free in the forest and find all types of things they can rub with their crayons. Their favorite is tree trunks!
Paint a dried branch
There is something about sticks that kids of all ages love to collect. Bring some of those home and then set up a painting station. Feel free to add extra art materials like ribbons and pom poms to decorate it.
Playdough nature invitation to play
I love to mix playdough with natural materials found outdoors. Autumn is a great season to find different materials to add on. Pinecones make great patterns, seeds bring a natural element of math to an activity and color leaves are all around.
Create a Backyard Treehouse Picnic
If you have a treehouse, playhouse, porch, or even a cozy blanket under a tree, turn snack time into a simple fall picnic.
Kids love it when ordinary routines feel like a special event, and a treehouse picnic is one of those easy fall activities that feel magical without requiring much prep.
Pack a small basket with apple slices, popcorn, cinnamon toast, pumpkin muffins, or warm cider. Then give each child a small job, like setting out napkins, serving snacks, or helping clean up crumbs.
I loved this treehouse picnic idea from The Treehouse Nest, a company that builds custom treehouses for families. They also shared more fall activities to do with kids if you want more cozy backyard ideas.
Pack apple slices, popcorn, cinnamon toast, pumpkin muffins, or warm cider, and give each child a small job like setting out napkins, serving snacks, or helping clean up.
fall activities for kids using Science
Fizzy Fall Paint
Do you know what happens if you add baking soda to paint and then, instead of water to wet your paintbrush, you use vinegar? To create fizzy paint! and it is such an amazing experience it is my favorite from this whole list!
Cinnamon-Scented Oobleck
Oobleck is the messiest and my favorite sensory science experiment. For this activity, we added red food coloring and cinnamon to create a scented fall experience. A must-try this season!
Fall Sensory Play
Sensory play is my favorite type of play, and I have tested it throughout the years in my sensory class. It is a toddler favorite, and kids of all ages love it because they get to become little scientists as they discover the different properties of each material presented.
Corn Sensory Bin
A bowl full of dried corn (found at your grocery store or your local farm store) and you are guaranteed to have your kids busy learning for hours! ok, not hours but for a long time. The sound the dried corn makes as it falls onto metal containers and measuring cups is amazing. We also added some farm animals faces to “feed the animals” and they had a blast! 10/10 recommended. Bonus points if you have chickens that will help you clean up!
Jelly Fall Cubes
Color cubes are so much fun to squeeze and play with. They are a favorite activity for my young toddlers, who still put everything in their mouth, but the older kids love it too. They squeeze, mix the colors, and make new ones.
Wash the Pumpkins Sensory Bin
Looking for a fine motor activity that can get kids ready for writing? This wash-the-pumpkin activity using large sponges and soap allows toddlers’ finger muscles to get stronger with each squeeze. And you know, strong fingers are a requirement for writing!
Fall Sensory Bottle
This sensory bottle is a favorite at the fall festival we do each year. You can make them big with Voss bottles or small with these small jars. They are easy to make, and kids can get so creative in their designs. It is a great activity for kids of all ages – from toddlers who love dropping things in containers to older kids wondering how to use their creativity.
Fall No Pre- Bucket List
If you are looking for some ideas that require no extra supplies and are easy to do, then you can’t miss our fall bucket list calendar; it is the perfect screen-free activity that will get you out of the bored bus and into the fun-mom bus!
Last thoughts on fall activities for kids
Whether you want to engage in creative projects, introduce children to exciting new seasonal adventures, or just savor the refreshing autumn breeze, I hope you found some enjoyable fall activities for kids that cater to every interest.
Harvest Activities for Preschool: Crafts, Sensory Bins, and Fall Learning
Back to School Sensory Bin for Preschool and Toddlers
15 edible-safe Halloween activities Babies & Toddlers Can Safely Enjoy
Pumpkin Pie Playdough with Letter Stamps — A Fall Literacy + Sensory Activity
Make a Leaf Art Collage — A Nature-Inspired Activity
Corn Kernel Sensory Bin — A Fall Sensory Activity for Toddlers