Fall is our favorite time of year. From cooler weather to changing leaves to pumpkin spice everything, fall has it all! To celebrate this time of year, we have compiled a list of fall-time activities for you and your little ones to do together. We assure you these will keep you busy through the season and possibly into the next!
Fall Leaves – This beautiful craft is easy to make, using different colored tissue paper. Employing self-adhesive contact paper instead of glue makes it even easier and, when complete, you can stick it on a window to make a great suncatcher!
What you’ll need:
- Brown or black construction paper
- Clear contact paper
- Tissue paper in fall colors
- Printable leaf template
- Scissors
How to:
- Print out a leaf template on the construction paper. Cut the leaf out, then trace this leaf 'outline' template onto black construction paper and cut out. Cut out the inside of the leaf and discard. This will be your frame.
- Cut a square of contact paper that is slightly bigger than the leaf frame. Peel the backing paper off of the contact paper and stick your leaf frame onto it.
- Cut tissue paper into 1 inch squares. Gently crumple, then smooth out, each piece. Make sure to use a few different colors.
- Stick the tissue paper onto the sticky side of the contact paper, making sure to overlap the pieces.
- When the inside of the leaf is covered with tissue paper, trim off the excess contact paper/tissue paper.
- Hang up on a sunny window.
Paper Strip Pumpkin – When you think fall, who doesn’t think pumpkins? If you’ve got a toilet paper roll handy, this is a simple craft to make to decorate your dinner table!
What you’ll need:
- Orange and green construction paper
- Empty toilet paper roll
- Scotch tape
- Scissors
How to:
- Cut your toilet paper roll in half. Cut a strip of orange construction paper long enough to wrap completely around the roll and tape into place.
- Cut the orange paper vertically into 8-10 strips that are approximately 1 inch wide. You’ll need to cut about 1 inch off the length of each strip.
- Stick a piece of scotch tape onto one end of a paper strip and tape it inside one end of the toilet paper roll. Repeat until you have strips at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock.
- Repeat the above process so you have strips at 2, 5, 8 and 10 o’clock.
- Tape the opposite end of each strip into the other end of the toilet paper roll.
- Once all the orange strips are in place, cut a leaf out of green construction paper and tape it into the hole. Voila, a pumpkin for your centerpiece!
Autumn Exploration Table – Help your children learn about nature in the fall with this hands-on exploration table!
How to:
- Take your children for a walk in nature, identifying and collecting items along the way, including leaves, acorns, bark, seeds, and pine cones.
- Allow the children to handle all the objects, describing how they look and feel.
- Use a magnifying glass to look at the items in close detail.
- Go to the library to find books on autumn and learn more about how nature reacts to the fall season.
- When done for the day, store your collection in a sorting container, ready to be used again tomorrow.
Bake Apple Chips – You’ll know it’s fall when you help your child make this amazing treat!
What you need:
- 2 large apples, cored
- 2 T. sugar (optional)
- 1 t. cinnamon
- Canola oil spray
How to:
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
- Thinly slice apples crosswise about 1/3 inch thick. Arrange apple slices in a single layer on parchment-lined baking sheets and spray with cooking spray.
- If using sugar, combine in a small bowl with cinnamon. Using a sieve, sprinkle mixture over apple slices.
- Bake until apples are dry and crisp, about 2 hours. Allow chips to cool completely. Enjoy!
Here are some other fun activities to do with your children this fall:
- Make butter
- Go bobbing for apples
- Make your own apple cider by adding cinnamon sticks, nutmeg and honey to juiced apples
- Go on a hayride
- Play pumpkin golf
- Play an outdoor scavenger hunt
Marc’s has everything you need to get you ready for fall! From construction paper to apples to Halloween costumes, we are your one-stop-shop for autumn fun!
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What’s your favorite part of the fall season? Sound off in the comments below!