I have to confess, I’m not much of a fall/winter girl. I know eveeeeryone else is psyched about cooler weather coming. And pumpkin lattes. But my heart belongs to summer—I always miss the relaxing days at the river with friends, eating watermelon on the porch, kids running through sprinklers, drinking ice-cold lemonade from children’s lemonade stands on every corner.
One thing I do love about autumn are the amazing colors! Especially here in the Ozarks, the array of fiery red and yellow leaves is truly breathtaking. So why not bring the natural items I love into my home?
My kids enjoy craft projects, and I enjoy watching them express themselves creatively! Here are some really easy crafts to bring some of the outside in.
The first is super simple.
The Pine Cone & Leaf Turkey
You’ll need:
- A pine cone and large leaf for each child
- An assortment of googly eyes
- Precut beaks and snoods (the fleshy mass that hangs over the beak)
- Glue (or hot glue, with an adult’s help, if you want the finished product faster)
The photo above is pretty self-explanatory: glue the pine cone to the leaf—or even an assortment of several leaves—then add eyes, beak, and snood. These are cute for kids to display in their windows.
Next is a turkey of a different sort.
Family Handprint Turkey
You’ll need:
- Construction paper in various colors
- Googly eyes
Trace each family member’s hand, and have them cut it out. (Cutting is a great fine motor skill activity for younger kids.)
Cut a 2-3 inch diameter circle and an oval from brown paper
Glue the cut-outs together, smallest-to-largest as shown. Mount on a piece of scrapbook paper, if desired. This makes a fantastic keepsake that demonstrates how much your kids grow each year. It’s flat and can be stored in very little space, and is also an easily-mailed holiday craft for grandparents. 
Last but not least, a departure from the turkey theme, in case gobblers aren’t your cup of tea.
The Colorful Pumpkin
You’ll need:
- A small, cheap hot glue gun (about $3), preferably designated for crayon melting
- All of the broken and unused old crayons in your junk drawer
- A white pumpkin (about $3)
The kids peeled crayons, and I ran them through my hot glue gun, to drip on the white pumpkin. So simple and cheap, so quick and easy, yet so colorful and pretty. I’m pleased with the end result!
We hope you’ll enjoy some of these fun fall crafts with your kids. Post a comment below to let us know how they turned out, or share a photo of your child’s masterpiece—or your own—on our Facebook page!
