One of my favorite things about fall is heading outside with the kids to collect acorns. There’s just something fun about spotting those tiny brown caps scattered under big oak trees. We’ll bring home pockets full, and while some end up in nature tables or sensory bins, others inspire us to create fall-themed crafts. That’s how this torn paper acorn craft came to life!
If you’ve ever watched a toddler or preschooler tear paper, you know how much they love it. The ripping sound, the way the edges fray—it’s the perfect fine motor workout disguised as fun. Pair that with an easy printable acorn template, a few shades of brown paper, and googly eyes, and you’ve got a sweet fall craft that’s simple enough for little hands but still engaging for older kids.
We tried this one afternoon after a walk through the park, and it became an instant hit. My daughter loved choosing different shades of brown for the cap, while my son insisted on adding silly faces with googly eyes. The result? A pile of quirky, textured acorns that we taped up in our windows for an instant autumn decoration.
Why You’ll Love This Torn Paper Acorn Craft
- Simple setup – Print the template, gather a few supplies, and you’re ready to go.
- Budget-friendly – Construction paper and glue are all you really need.
- Skill-building – Tearing paper strengthens little hands for writing and scissor skills later.
- Creative and open-ended – Every acorn will look different depending on how your child layers the torn paper.
- Perfect for fall – Whether you use them for classroom displays, fridge art, or garlands, they’re a great seasonal craft.
Materials You’ll Need
- Brown construction paper in at least two to three shades (for texture)
- Acorn template (free printable available below)
- Green, pink, and red construction paper (for leaves and cheeks)
- Glue stick or white school glue
- Googly eyes
- Scissors (optional, but the tearing is the fun part!)
Step-by-Step Guide: Torn Paper Acorn Craft
Step 1 – Print Your Template
Start by printing out the free acorn template on green construction paper. Find it below:
Step 2 – Tear the Paper
This is the fun part! Give your child brown construction paper in different shades. Invite them to tear the paper into small pieces—big enough to cover space but small enough to overlap. Encourage them not to worry about neat edges; the torn look is what makes this craft so textured and interesting.
Step 3 – Fill in the Acorn Nut
Apply glue to the nut portion of the acorn. Glue down a mix of light and dark brown pieces of paper. If you only have two shades of brown only use the light brown paper. Encourage your kids to think about real acorns and how the top and bottom look slightly different.
Step 4 – Fill in the Acorn Cap
Add glue to the cap section of the acorn template. Stick down the torn paper pieces, overlapping them so no white shows through. Use the darker shade of brown paper.
Step 5 – Add Details
Now it’s time to make your acorn come to life. Glue on googly eyes, cut tiny cheeks out of pink or red paper, and even add a smile with a marker. Want a seasonal twist? Cut leaf shapes from green paper and glue them next to the acorn.
Step 6 – Display Your Acorns
Once your craft is dry, display it proudly! Tape them to windows, make a fall garland by stringing several together, or even create a classroom bulletin board full of smiling acorn.
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
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.
