There’s something so beautiful about Autumn; from the stunning colours in nature to the cosy clothes, and the warming Autumnal and Halloween house decorations, it’s one of our favourite times of the year.
There are loads of Autumn craft ideas to get your little one involved with so they too can enjoy the spirit of the season. We know how hard it can be to constantly think of new creative games to play with your children, and some days the pressure is too great and you just want to rely on Peppa or Bluey. Having a list of ideas pinned up in the kitchen or playroom is a great way to instantly have something to relate to, and to turn to for inspiration on those difficult days.
If you don't know where to start, and need some inspiration, we've compiled our favourite crafty ideas for Autumn that children of all ages can enjoy. Pinterest is a great app for finding ideas for Autumn crafts for kids - and all year round - so we've chosen some of our favourites. Lots of these crafts feature leaves, twigs, and other natural items you can find on a walk in your local park or in the countryside. After you've scrolled through these ideas, there are more suggestions further down for Autumn fun, too.
The 11 best Autumn crafts for kids:
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Hedgehog art
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Leaf animals
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Conker hedgehogs
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Autumn tree craft
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Acorn art
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Autumn handprint tree
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Pinecone hedgehogs
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Conker snake
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Craft stick scarecrow
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Paper plate apples
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Autumn leaf wreath
Autumn craft ideas
1 of 11Hedgehog Art
Go for an Autumn walk through the park and ask your little one to search for spiky, pointy leaves. When you get home, grab a piece of paper or card, some PVA glue, and create some leaf hedgehogs. You can talk to your little one about how hedgehogs need to be protected, how they hibernate, and perhaps create a hedgehog house in your garden, too.
2 of 11Leaf Animals
Once your little one has a basket full of leaves, in all different shapes and colours, turn them into leaf animals. You can use paint for eyes and features, or even stick on some googly eyes for added charm. Turn them into cards to hand to friends and family.
3 of 11Conker Hedgehogs
Using black and white marker pens, create these sweet baby hedgehog conkers that you can dot around your house and on window sills. They're great for decorations, or to make up stories and playtime.
4 of 11Autumn Tree Craft
Using leaves and other bits collected on a walk, string them up with larger sticks to make an Autumn mobile. You can hang this in front of the window for a beautiful Fall installation.
5 of 11Acorn Art
Turn handprints into Autumn art. Simply get your Autumnal-coloured paint together, dip in little hands, and print on the paper before leaving to dry and painting on your acorn top.
6 of 11Autumn Handprint Tree
Toddlers love playing with paint handprints, and there are lots of ways to create an Autumn handprint tree; this one we've chosen uses the hand as the trunk and branches, with fingerprints as the leaves. You can also use handprints as the leaves themselves; or, use this handprint branch idea, and scrunch up coloured paper and stick on for the leaves. The possibilities are endless.
7 of 11Pinecone hedgehogs
Collect some pinecones on your walks, then using paint and googly eyes, turn them into little hedgehog characters to play with. You could also attach them to a piece of string to make a pinecone hedgehog bunting decoration.
8 of 11Conker Snake
Collect lots of conkers on your Autumn walk and create this snakey friend. You need to find the right tool to make a hole in the conkers - a knitting needle or skewer tends to work best, and some people swear by roasting the conkers for a minute (and letting them cool) first. Once you've pierced a hole, thread through string until you have enough conkers to make a snake. Finish with painted eyes, or stick on googly eyes.
9 of 11Craft Stick Scarecrow
Using craft sticks, or clean lollypop sticks, glue together to make a cheeky scarecrow character. Using pens to draw on the features, and add accessories such as a hat or even a crow for added detail.
10 of 11Paper Plate Apples
Arguably the best Autumn fruit, apples lend themselves to lots of Autumn crafts for kids; using paper plates is a quick and easy one. Paint the plate in apple colours, then add items such as a stalk and leaf, and even a wiggly worm for decoration.
11 of 11Autumn Leaf Wreath
There are lots of ways you and your little one can create this fun Autumn craft. You can cut out the centre of a paper plate, and stick on leaf shapes, crumpled up coloured paper, or real leaves.
There are plenty of Autumn crafts for kids that aren’t just fun, but also focus on key development for your child. Here are a few ideas of games and activities that will support your child’s learning and emotional development:
Outdoor picnic: Have a teddy bears’ picnic under a colourful Autumnal tree (you might need blankets and jumpers), and share a book together. Find a book that is Autumn-themed, such as The Leaf Thief or Spot’s Pumpkin Surprise.
Go on an Autumn walk, noticing all the different colours in the trees. Take a paper bag or wicker basket with you, and encourage your child to collect all sorts of leaves, twigs, and other items (they probably won’t need much encouragement to do this!). Once you return home, play the game 'I went on an Autumn walk and I saw...' Take one item out at a time, adding to the sentence, and asking your child to recall each item as you add to the list.
Autumn art: Get creative with the items you collect on your walk and create some Autumnal artwork. Glue leaves and twigs on to a big piece of paper or card; you could arrange them in colours, like a rainbow. Or, you could add googly eyes and smiles to make Autumn creatures.
Muddy Autumn walks: Perfect for mark making; ask your child to find a good stick (again, you probably won’t need to give them much encouragement to do this), then find a muddy patch and draw shapes or letters, depending on their ability. This is a fun way to make marks in readiness for writing.
Autumn play kitchen: Collect pinecones, conkers, acorns, and other items on your walk and bring them home to your play kitchen. Use the bits to make a pretend meal, and to pretend bake. Add mud pies into the mix for extra enjoyment.
Number games: Your collected items can also be used for counting and sorting games; ask your child to group them by number, colour, and size. You can also challenge them to find sticks and sort by the longest and shortest, or heaviest and lightest. We don’t need to remind you to play Pooh Sticks if there’s a bridge and stream, too.
Animal talk: Talk about the animals that hibernate, and how you can keep them safe in the cold months. You could make a hedgehog house, or a bug hotel. Use a pinecone to create a hedgehog, adding paint or clay. Or, start with a ball of air-dry clay, then add tiny twigs for hedgehog spikes and a little berry for the eyes.
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Sophie Knight is a hypnobirthing teacher and freelance journalist. She has worked with Mother&Baby for the past 12 years, and has also worked on sister titles including WhatsTheBest, Closer, Grazia, CAR, Parkers, and Today's Golfer, among many others. She is a mum of two, and an experienced product tester. Passionate about maternal mental health, Sophie is also a Mental Health First Aider, and a Reiki healer. Sophie has been teaching hypnobirthing with Bourne Hypnobirthing since 2023, having studied it following using the techniques for her own two births.