4 Easy Fall Nature Activities for Kids to Enjoy This Season
By: Knowledge Crates
Fall is the perfect season to get outside, explore nature, and enjoy some fun, creative activities with your little ones. The air is crisp, the leaves are changing, and there are so many natural treasures to discover! Here are four easy fall nature activities for kids that will get yours excited about the beauty of fall and spark their creativity!
1. Paint Your Pumpkins!
Pumpkin painting is a classic fall activity, and it’s always a hit with my kiddos. It’s simple, fun, and perfect for kids of all ages. The best part? We use washable paints from our Knowledge Crates, so the fun can be repeated again and again. Plus, this way, you can wash off the paint later if you want to carve the pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns!
What You’ll Need:
Pumpkins (any size works, but smaller ones are easier for little hands to paint)
Washable paints
Paintbrushes
Old newspapers or a tablecloth (for easy clean-up)
Instructions:
1. Set up your painting area by spreading out some old newspapers or a plastic tablecloth. This will catch any spills and make clean-up easier. Better yet, do your activity outdoors!
2. Choose your pumpkins. Let your child pick one or two they like the most—small ones are great for little hands.
3. Let your child’s creativity shine! Encourage them to use different colors, patterns, and even mix paints to see what new shades they can create. They can make their pumpkin look like anything—a rainbow, a monster, or even a polka-dotted masterpiece.
4. Once they’re done painting, let the pumpkins dry for a few hours. If they want to paint them again later, just rinse the paint off and start over. It’s the perfect way to enjoy multiple painting sessions!
This is a wonderful activity that combines art and nature, and it’s a fun way for kids to express themselves creatively. Plus, you’ll end up with some adorable pumpkins to decorate your home with!
2. Funny Leaf Faces
Who doesn’t love googly eyes? This activity is all about transforming ordinary leaves into funny, silly characters. It’s simple, cute, and a great way for kids to observe the variety of shapes, colors, and sizes of fall leaves.
What You’ll Need:
Freshly fallen leaves (look for different shapes and sizes)
Googly eyes (stick-on ones work great!)
School glue
Markers
Instructions:
1. Head outside with your child to collect a variety of leaves. Look for different sizes, shapes, and colors—this is a great opportunity to talk about the changing seasons and why leaves fall.
2. Once you’re back inside, spread the leaves out on a table. Pick one and stick some googly eyes onto it using school glue. Let your child decide how many eyes to add—one, two, or even three for a funny twist!
3. Use markers to draw a smile, mustache, or any other facial features. You can even add little arms or legs if you want to create a whole leaf character!
4. Repeat the process with different leaves until you have a whole collection of funny leaf faces.
This activity is not only fun, but it also helps develop fine motor skills as kids glue on eyes and draw details. Plus, it encourages creativity as they transform their nature finds into silly characters!
3. Nature Treasure Name Collage
If you’re looking for an activity that combines nature exploration, crafting, and a bit of learning, this one is perfect! A nature treasure name collage is a beautiful way for kids to explore and collect pieces of nature while practicing spelling their names. It’s a lovely keepsake and a fun way to bring nature into your home.
What You’ll Need:
A cardboard box (or an empty Knowledge Crate box)
Scissors
Black marker
School glue
Nature treasures (like leaves, flowers, pine needles, acorns, small twigs, etc.)
Instructions:
1. Cut a rectangle from a cardboard box or an empty Knowledge Crate box. The size can vary, but it should be long enough to fit your child’s name.
2. Use a black marker to write your child’s name in large letters on the cardboard rectangle.
3. Go on a nature walk with your child and collect various nature treasures. Look for small, interesting items like colorful leaves, flowers, pinecones, pine needles, or acorns. Encourage your child to observe and describe each item as they collect it—this is a great way to build vocabulary and observational skills!
4. Once you’re back home, spread out the nature treasures on a table. Encourage your child to pull apart flowers or leaves into smaller pieces if they like.
5. Trace your child’s name with glue, one letter at a time. Have your child place pieces of nature treasures along the glue to fill in each letter. It’s like creating their name using nature’s “puzzle pieces”!
6. Let the collage dry completely. Once dry, you’ll have a beautiful nature name collage that’s perfect for displaying on the fridge or hanging up in your child’s room.
This activity is not only a wonderful way to connect with nature, but it also reinforces early literacy skills as kids practice forming letters and recognizing their names.
4. Nature Treasure Pumpkin Decorating
This activity is perfect for little ones who love exploring and collecting nature treasures! Decorating pumpkins with nature finds is a creative and tactile way to bring the beauty of fall into your home. Plus, it gives kids the chance to work with different textures and shapes.
What You’ll Need:
Pumpkins (smooth ones work best)
Nature treasures (like acorns, small twigs, leaves, pine needles, etc.)
School glue
Paintbrush (optional, for spreading glue)
Instructions:
1. Head outside with your child to gather nature treasures. Look for small, lightweight items like leaves, pine needles, tiny flowers, or acorns. This is a great way to engage their curiosity and explore the outdoors together.
2. Once you’ve collected a nice variety of materials, set up your workspace with your collected treasures and pumpkins.
3. Use school glue to create designs on the pumpkin—try making a swirl, a smiley face, or even your child’s initial! If your child prefers, they can also use a paintbrush to spread the glue where they want to place their treasures.
4. Have your child press the nature treasures onto the glue. Encourage them to mix and match items to create a textured, colorful look.
5. Allow the pumpkins to dry completely before handling.
Nature treasure pumpkins are a wonderful way to combine outdoor exploration and art. They make beautiful decorations for your porch or home and can be a great way for kids to express their creativity using natural materials.
Time to Enjoy These Fall Nature Activities for Kids!
Happy fall, nature explorers! I hope these activities inspire you and your little ones to get outside and make the most of this beautiful season. Whether you’re painting pumpkins, creating silly leaf faces, or crafting name collages from nature treasures, these moments will be ones you cherish. Let’s embrace the magic of fall together!
We have only made the water beads from this crate but my boys (6 and 10) are both looking forward to the other activities. We recently moved away from the beach so this crate is a perfect reminder and hands on tool to supplement our homeschooling!
My 6 year old loved getting to make his own snow, especially since we live in an area that typically doesn’t get snow. He was able to follow the simple directions and complete most of the activities with minimal help. Perfect supplement to break up our homeschool routine!