Fall is the best time to celebrate with your preschooler. There’s something magical about the vibrant colors of fall leaves and the shifting weather that stokes creative energy, and we love seeing the wonders of the fall season through the art our students create.
This year, we hope you’ll join in the fun by making some fall crafts at home with your preschooler, too! We have some great ideas to share!
Arts and Crafts Help Your Preschooler’s Development
Think back to your own childhood. You probably loved getting to make fall art. Whether it was a Thanksgiving turkey drawn from the outline of your hand or a paper–mache pumpkin, odds are you had a blast and couldn’t wait to bring your masterpiece home to show your parents. Now, you get to experience that same excitement with your own child.
But did you know that making art isn’t just a fun pastime? In fact, it’s extremely beneficial for your child’s development, too. Things like cutting, painting, drawing, and talking about their art all help your child grow.
Here are some of the skills that fall crafts help your child develop:
Physical
- Hand-eye coordination
- Fine-motor skills
- Dexterity
- Coordination
- Grip strength
Cognitive
- Planning
- Decision-making
- Executive function
- Critical thinking
- Problem-solving
- Memory
- Communication
- Sharing
- Collaboration
- Teamwork
- Friendship building
Emotional
- Emotional expression
- Emotional regulation
- Emotional intelligence
- Nonverbal communication
Sensory
- Recognizing and using the senses
- Sensory integration
- Enjoying sensory experiences
- Regulating responses to sensory input
- Color and pattern recognition
Mathematics
- Counting
- Identifying and creating shapes
- Making simple patterns
Language and Literacy
- Following directions
- Asking and answering questions
- Writing their own names (every masterpiece must be signed!)
- Telling stories about their art
Fun Fall Preschool Activities To Do With Your Child
A “Handmade” Colorful Fall Tree
This colorful tree craft is just the right amount of messy fun for your preschooler and a delightful keepsake for you.
Supplies
- Cardstock
- Construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Fingerpaint (brown, yellow, orange, red)
Help your child trace their forearm and hand (with outstretched fingers) on a piece of brown construction paper. Then, cut the shape out. This will be the tree trunk and branches.
Next, glue it onto a sheet of construction paper. Finally, have your child dip their fingers into various colors of paint and use them to create leaves around the branches to make a colorful fall tree.
Pasta Pumpkin
Preschoolers love the novelty of making crafts with pasta. This project uses wheel and spiral noodles to add fun textures to their pumpkin pals.
Supplies
- Cardboard or construction paper
- Parchment paper
- Ziplock bag (optional)
- Googly eyes
- Paint
- Glue
- Wheel and spiral (rotini) pasta
- Paint brush
- Marker
First, paint the pasta. For faster coverage, place pasta and paint in a bag and shake it up. Then, put the pasta shapes on parchment paper to dry. Next, draw and paint your pumpkins on the cardboard or construction paper. Add googly eyes and draw a face.
Finally, glue pasta wheels on the pumpkin, and add a spiral pasta leaf beside the stem. Allow the craft to dry before moving.
A Leafy Friend
Here in South Florida, we don’t always get to see the vibrant fall colors that are more common in the northern parts of the country, but we can make our own! This craft allows your child to collect leaves and use them to create a leafy friend.
Supplies
- Leaves
- Construction paper
- Googly eyes
- Paint
- Glue
- Marker
First, collect your leaves and paint them if needed. While the paint is drying, draw or trace the shape of an animal on construction paper and cut it out. Hedgehogs, porcupines, and turkeys are excellent fall choices. Next, glue on googly eyes, and draw your new friend’s face with the marker. Finally, glue leaves to make spines or feathers, and let your craft dry.
Pine Cone Owls
Pine cone owls are tons of fun to make with preschoolers, and they double as adorable decorations for your home.
Supplies
- Pine cones
- Felt
- Craft glue
- Scissors
- Brown pipe cleaners
First, collect your pine cones. Next, draw and cut out felt eyes and assemble them (large circles for the background, then slightly smaller white circles, smaller black circles, then very small white circles). Then, draw and cut out eyebrows and a beak, and glue them to the eyes. After that, draw, assemble, and glue the wings. Position the owl’s face and wings where you like them on the pine cone, and glue them on.
Finally, twist pipe cleaners into the shape of feet, cut them to size, and glue them to the bottom of the pine cone.
Edible Sunflower Craft
These tasty sunflowers are pretty and delicious. Plus, they’re a creative way to get your preschooler to eat fruit and seeds!
Supplies
- Parchment paper
- Lollipop sticks
- Unsweetened dried pineapple rings
- Dark chocolate candy melts
- Salted shelled sunflower seeds
First, place the pineapple rings on the parchment paper, and put a lollipop stick behind each so that the top of the stick reaches the hole in the center. Next, melt your chocolate and spoon it into the hole in the pineapple slices. Add sunflower seeds to the center and cover them with another layer of chocolate.
Allow the chocolate to set before removing the sunflowers. You may need to place them in the refrigerator or freezer to help the chocolate set.
Enroll In The Providence Children’s Academy Preschooler Program
At Providence Children’s Academy, we believe learning should be fun. That’s why students in our preschool program engage in fun activities like these all the time!
If you are interested in enrolling your child in preschool or VPK at Providence Children’s Academy, we encourage you to book a visit to see for yourself whether we’re a good fit for your family. We’re always happy to answer any questions you have and can guide you through the process of enrolling in VPK, which we know can sometimes be confusing!
Contact us at 954-570-6914 to book a visit, or complete our online form to begin your child’s enrollment. We look forward to seeing you soon!