15 Easy Fall Crafts for Preschoolers Using Natural Materials

One of the sweetest parts of autumn homeschooling is bundling up for a crisp fall nature walk. The crunch of leaves, the colors changing on the trees, and the treasures tucked along the trail are all invitations for little learners to explore. Even better? Those acorns, pinecones, sticks, and leaves can be turned into beautiful fall crafts that spark creativity and connect your child to nature.

I don’t know about you, but my little one loves to collect treasures in her pockets when we go on our walks. We keep a little basket in our backyard for her special treasures, and when it’t craft time, she gets to pick out her favorite nature materials from her collection!

In this post, you’ll find easy, hands-on fall crafts for preschoolers using natural materials. These projects are perfect for homeschool afternoons, family weekends, or classroom fun. They’re low-cost, encourage outdoor play, and help children notice the beauty in the changing seasons.

You can also check out these 10 Easy Pumpkin Crafts for Toddlers!

Why Use Natural Materials for Crafts?

Nature-based crafts aren’t just fun—they’re also developmentally rich for preschoolers. Here’s why they’re worth making space for in your homeschool:

• Sensory learning – Touching rough bark, smooth acorns, or crunchy leaves engages multiple senses.

• Fine motor skills – Picking up small objects, gluing, and threading strengthen little hands. Read more about Fine Motor Skills and why they are so important in child development on Cleveland Clinic.

• Creativity without pressure – Natural materials have unique shapes and textures, which means there’s no “wrong way” to use them.

• Environmental awareness – Kids learn to value and repurpose what’s already around them.

• Connection to seasons – Each fall nature walk is an opportunity to notice change, collect treasures, and bring them into your homeschool rhythm.

Collecting Natural Materials on a Fall Nature Walk

The first step in these crafts is the most magical: gathering supplies outdoors.

Here are some ideas to guide your preschooler during a fall walk:

• Leaves: Collect a variety of shapes and colors. Maple, oak, and birch leaves are especially beautiful in autumn.

• Acorns: Look for ones with caps still attached.

• Pinecones: Small or large, pinecones are versatile craft supplies.

• Sticks and twigs: Straight sticks can be turned into frames or nature wands.

• Seeds and pods: Milkweed pods, helicopter seeds, and dried flower heads add texture.

• Bark and wood chips: Found on the ground, these can be incorporated into collages.

• Nature extras: Apples, gourds, and mini pumpkins (from the farmers market if not on your walk).

Tip for parents: Bring a small bag or basket on your walk so your child can proudly collect their “nature treasures.”

Easy Fall Crafts for Preschoolers Using Natural Materials

Below are 12 fun, age-appropriate crafts that can be made with the items you collect outdoors.

1. Leaf Rubbing Art

Supplies: Paper, crayons, leaves

1. Place a leaf under a sheet of white paper.

2. Have your preschooler gently rub a crayon across the surface.

3. Watch the leaf’s veins and patterns appear like magic.

💡 Extension: Try different colored leaves and overlap rubbings to create fall collages.

2. Pinecone Bird Feeders

Supplies: Pinecones, peanut butter (or sunflower butter), birdseed, string

1. Tie a string around the top of a pinecone.

2. Spread peanut butter into the pinecone’s crevices.

3. Roll in birdseed until coated.

4. Hang outside and watch the birds enjoy a snack.

💡 Science tie-in: Talk about which birds come to visit in fall.

3. Nature Collage

Supplies: Cardstock, glue, natural items

1. Spread glue over a sheet of cardstock.

2. Let your child arrange leaves, seeds, sticks, and petals however they like.

3. Allow to dry and hang as seasonal wall art.

💡 Variation: Cut the paper into the shape of a pumpkin or leaf before gluing.

4. Stick Frames

Supplies: Small sticks, glue, cardboard backing, nature treasures

1. Cut cardboard into a frame shape.

2. Glue sticks around the edges.

3. Decorate with acorns, pine needles, or pressed leaves.

4. Add a favorite photo or fall drawing inside.

💡 Memory keeper: Use a picture from your fall nature walk.

5. Leaf Wreath

Supplies: Paper plate (cut into a ring), leaves, glue

1. Cut the center out of a paper plate.

2. Glue colorful leaves all around the ring.

3. Add ribbon to hang on a door.

💡 Variation: Add acorns or pinecones for extra texture.

6. Acorn Necklaces

Supplies: Acorns with caps, string, hot glue (for parents)

1. Secure the cap to each acorn with a dab of hot glue.

2. Thread string through the cap’s top (poke a small hole if needed).

3. Tie into a necklace or bracelet.

💡 Fine motor practice: Preschoolers can help string large beads between acorns.

7. Pumpkin Nature Faces

Supplies: Small pumpkins, glue, nature materials (leaves, sticks, seeds)

1. Provide each child with a pumpkin.

2. Glue leaves for ears, seeds for eyes, and twigs for a mouth.

3. Create silly or spooky pumpkin characters.

💡 Alternative: Use playdough as “glue” so kids can rearrange faces.

8. Pressed Leaf Bookmarks

Supplies: Pressed leaves, clear contact paper, scissors, ribbon

1. Press leaves between heavy books for a few days.

2. Place pressed leaf between two sheets of contact paper.

3. Cut into bookmark shape and punch a hole at the top.

4. Add ribbon.

💡 Homeschool use: Let kids use bookmarks in their fall storybooks.

9. Stick Stars

Supplies: 5 sticks of equal size, glue or twine

1. Lay sticks out in a star shape.

2. Glue or tie intersections with twine.

3. Hang as fall decorations indoors or outside.

💡 Math connection: Talk about shapes and counting points.

10. Leaf Crowns

Supplies: Cardstock strip (cut to fit child’s head), tape, leaves

1. Cut a strip of cardstock and tape to fit your child’s head.

2. Glue or tape colorful leaves all around.

3. Wear as a fall crown for pretend play.

💡 Imaginative play: Pretend to be the “King or Queen of Autumn.”

11. Nature Paintbrushes

Supplies: Sticks, rubber bands, leaves/pine needles/grass

1. Gather sticks for handles.

2. Attach leaves, pine needles, or grass to one end with a rubber band.

3. Dip in paint and let kids experiment with different textures.

💡 STEM connection: Compare how different brushes make different strokes.

12. Pinecone Owls

Supplies: Pinecones, felt scraps, googly eyes, glue

1. Use pinecone as owl body.

2. Cut felt into wings and beak.

3. Glue on googly eyes to complete.

💡 Literature tie-in: Pair with the book Owl Moon or Owl Babies.

How to Store Nature Treasures for Crafting

If your preschooler is anything like mine, they’ll come back from every walk with pockets full of acorns. Here’s how to manage the overflow:

• Keep a nature basket: A simple wicker basket near your homeschool area works perfectly. This is my favorite idea! After walks, my daughter goes straight to our backyard and empties her pockets full of nature treasures into her nature basket. That way all of her treasures are there waiting, and when it’s craft time she can go out and choose from her favorites!

• Dry leaves between books: This prevents curling before using them in crafts.

• Bake pinecones and acorns: A quick 20 minutes at 200°F helps remove bugs. For more details, check out HOW TO DRY ACORNS FOR FALL CRAFTS on Life at Cloverhill.

• Rotate materials: Just like toys, swap out nature finds every week to keep things fresh.

Fall Books to Pair with Crafts

Pairing crafts with seasonal picture books creates a literacy-rich homeschool rhythm. Here are some favorites:

• Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert

• We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger

• Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak

• Apples and Pumpkins by Anne Rockwell

• Because of an Acorn by Lola Schaefer

Read a story, then create a craft inspired by the book—it’s the perfect way to connect art, literacy, and nature.

For more fall reads, check out The Best Living Books for the Fall Season!

Final Thoughts

Fall is the perfect season for hands-on, nature-based crafts that bring the outdoors into your homeschool routine. By collecting leaves, sticks, pinecones, and acorns on nature walks, preschoolers learn to see everyday objects as creative tools.

The best part? These projects aren’t about perfection—they’re about exploration, creativity, and building memories together. So grab a basket, head outside, and let your little ones fill it with treasures. Then, gather around the table for some easy fall crafting that celebrates the beauty of the season.

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