Autumn is the artist of nature, painting trees with a vibrant palette that invites us to partake in the season’s splendor. And what better canvas for creativity than the humble leaf? Leaf crafts offer a spectacular way for kids to celebrate the fall season by bringing the natural world into playtime. From the rustling piles of red and gold to the unique shapes and textures of each leaf, these crafts are a doorway to imagination and learning.
Gathering leaves becomes a dual-purpose activity; it’s part scavenger hunt and part art supply shopping. Once the leaves are collected, the crafting possibilities are as plentiful as the leaves in your backyard. Get ready to press, paint, and paste your way to an afternoon filled with leafy fun. So, let’s put on our coziest sweaters, step into the crisp air, and collect some nature’s treasures for a crafty homage to fall.
Tips for Making Crafts with Kids
- Natural Materials: Use this opportunity to talk about different types of trees and leaves.
- Sensory Play: Encourage kids to touch and feel the textures of the leaves, describing them as they craft.
- Embrace Imperfection: Leaves come in all shapes and sizes, and so will the crafts. Celebrate the uniqueness of each creation.
- Age-Appropriate Adaptation: Younger children may enjoy simple leaf rubbing or sticking, while older kids can handle more complex projects like leaf decoupage or wreath making.
- Safety First: Make sure to use child-friendly materials and supervise any cutting or gluing activities.
Skills Learned
- Fine Motor Skills: Handling delicate leaves and manipulating small craft materials help refine little fingers’ dexterity.
- Creativity: With the array of colors and shapes, kids can explore their artistic side by creating patterns and designs.
- Scientific Inquiry: They can learn basic biology, such as why leaves change color and what happens to trees in the fall.
- Environmental Awareness: Discussing the life cycle of leaves can spark conversations about nature and the importance of environmental conservation.
- Sensory Development: Engaging with the varied textures and scents of leaves stimulates sensory processing.
With a little glue, some creativity, and a dash of nature’s own artistry, leaf crafts can transform a drab afternoon into a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes. It’s not just about the gluing and the pasting; it’s about fostering a deeper connection with the natural world and nurturing an appreciation for the changing seasons. So let’s grab those fallen leaves and jump into crafting that’s as refreshing as a walk through the autumn woods!
Leaf Crafts for Kids
Leaf Turkey Craft for Kids
This leaf turkey craft is a great way to bring fall indoors and get your kids excited about the changing seasons and Thanksgiving.
Leaf Snake Craft
Get ready to slither into a world of creativity and nature-inspired fun with this fall our Leaf Snake Craft!
Paper Plate Fall Tree Craft
Our Paper Plate Fall Tree craft—a simple, yet visually stunning project perfect for little hands eager to celebrate the season!
Butterfly Leaf Craft
As the leaves gracefully descend from the trees, Flutter into the world of imagination with our Butterfly Leaf Craft!
Leaf Owl Craft for Kids
Get ready to embrace the beauty of autumn with our Owl Leaf Craft as the leaves change color and begin to carpet the ground.
Pumpkin Pie Leaf Craft
Hedgehog Leaf Craft
Prepare to get a little prickly with our Hedgehog Leaf Craft! This delightful project is perfect for embracing the fall season!
Lion Leaf Craft
As the leaves paint the ground with their vibrant hues, roar into the world of creativity with our Lion Leaf Craft!
Pumpkin Leaf Craft
A pumpkin that captures the very essence of fall? Try the Pumpkin Leaf Craft, where nature meets creativity!
Bat Leaf Craft for Kids
Here is a super easy and fun craft for Halloween using leaves! Create an adorable bat craft kids will love to make!
Fall Leaf Suncatcher Craft for Kids
It’s the perfect time to celebrate the beauty of fall leaves with a creative and educational craft – Fall Leaf Suncatchers.
Leaf Printed Squirrel Craft
Fall is here, and it’s the best time to get a little messy with some vibrant colors and cool craft projects like Leaf-Printed Squirrel Craft!
Leaf Fox Craft For Kids
When the leaves start to change and the air turns crisp, celebrate the season by turning a fallen maple leaf into an adorable fox craft?
Easy Leaf Spider Halloween Craft for Kids
Here is a super easy and fun leaf spider craft for Halloween! This is a great craft to do with toddlers and preschoolers!
Easy Leaf Witch Halloween Craft
Create an adorable witch craft for Halloween using leaves with your toddler or preschooler. Leaf Witch is an easy Halloween craft for kids!
Leaf Pumpkin Craft
Leaf Pumpkin Craft is the perfect Halloween craft for Fall. A cute craft for toddlers & preschoolers that can be combined with a nature walk!
Nature Pumpkin Suncatcher Craft for Kids
This nature pumpkin suncatcher craft is perfect for Fall and Halloween. Make a pumpkin suncatcher using leaves in all the colours of fall!
Cookie Cutter Leaf People Craft
Create adorable cookie cutter leaf people in this fun Fall craft! It’s a painting and fine motor craft that your toddler and preschooler will enjoy!
Dry Leaves Fall Tree Craft With Free Tree Template
We have just the thing to kickstart your child’s seasonal artwork – our fabulous dry leaves fall tree craft with free tree templates!
Leaf Painting with Kids
Leaf painting is a fantastic way to combine the beauty of the outdoors with artistic expression. Try these two methods!
Sponge Painted Leaf Resist Art
Sponge Painted Leaf Resist Art Leaf Resist Art is a simple and fun Fall craft for toddlers and preschoolers.
Coffee Filter Leaves Craft
Coffee Filter Leaves Craft is a fun fall craft for toddlers and preschoolers. A fun fine motor craft idea using eye droppers!
Easy Pom Pom Leaf Resist Art for Fall
Pom Pom Leaf Resist Art is a fun and easy craft for toddlers and preschoolers. Use real leafs to make a colourful art for fall!
Age Suitability
These crafts are good for toddlers aged children 2 years old and up with adult assistance.
Mess Level
The mess level for these crafts vary.
Difficulty to Create
Easy.
Toddler and Preschooler Curriculums, Books & TV Show!
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
The Best Sensory Play Kits for Kids
Play is at the core of learning during the early years and it can take many forms. One of the most important of these is sensory play because it engages all of a child’s senses (taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing) and has a enoumous positive impact on brain development.
Our Sensory Play Kits are some fun and easy ways to keep your child engaged while at the same time using sensory play to nurture their mind!
Shop our ready made play kits here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
WILL YOU SET UP THESE LEAF CRAFTS FOR KIDS? PIN IT FOR LATER!
