Autumn Nature Crafts for Kids with Leaves, Conkers and Acorns
Being called Acorn & Pip, it won't surprise you that autumn is our favourite season. The Colne Valley turns gold, every walk ends with pockets full of conkers, and the kitchen table becomes a nature museum. Here's what to do with all those treasures.
First, the collecting walk
Give everyone a paper bag or an egg box (the compartments are perfect for sorting) and a list of things to find: a red leaf, a yellow leaf, a conker, an acorn with its cap, a pinecone, a feather and a smooth stone. Only collect things that have already fallen, and leave plenty for the squirrels.
A quick safety note: conkers and acorns aren't safe to eat, so keep an eye on babies and toddlers, and wash hands when you get home.
1. Leaf rubbings
Lay leaves vein-side up under a sheet of paper and rub over them with the side of a crayon. Watching the veins appear is a little bit magic. Brilliant for ages three and up.
2. Leaf crowns
Cut a strip of card to fit their head and let them stick on leaves with double-sided tape. Very regal, and very quick.
3. Leaf printing
Paint the back of a leaf and press it onto paper. Overlap different shapes and colours to make an autumn tree, or print on brown paper to make your own wrapping paper for Christmas.
4. Pinecone hedgehogs and owls
Pinecones make fantastic bodies. Add googly eyes and a felt beak for an owl, or a nose made from clay for a hedgehog.
5. Acorn cap paint pots
Paint acorn caps in bright colours and glue them onto card as tiny buttons, flowers or eyes. Great for fine motor skills.
6. Painted conkers
Conkers are smooth and shiny, so they're perfect for painting into ladybirds, faces or patterns. Use paint pens for older kids.
7. A nature mandala
Lay everything out in circles on the ground or the table: a stone in the middle, then a ring of acorns, a ring of leaves, a ring of conkers. Calm, beautiful and no glue required. Take a photo before the wind takes it.
8. Stick weaving
Tie two sticks into a cross and wind wool around them to make a "God's eye", or weave grasses and leaves through a frame made from four sticks.
9. A nature journal
For older children, a nature journal is a gorgeous habit: press a leaf, draw what you found, write down the date and the weather. Look back at it next autumn and see what's changed.
10. Read about it
Finish the day with an autumn story. These are a few of our favourites for this time of year.
Your questions
What autumn crafts can toddlers do?
Leaf rubbings, sticking leaves onto a card crown and making a nature mandala are all perfect for toddlers, with close supervision of conkers and acorns.
Are conkers poisonous to children?
Conkers aren't safe to eat and can be a choking hazard, so supervise babies and toddlers closely and wash hands after handling them. They're fine for crafts and play.
How do you preserve autumn leaves for crafts?
Press them between sheets of paper inside a heavy book for a week or two. For crafts the same day, use them fresh, as they'll stay flexible.
Our crafting collection has everything you need for the kitchen-table part, and our outdoor play collection is full of things for the collecting part. Do tag us on Instagram, as we'd love to see your creations.
Happy hunting,
Lucy x
Shop the brands in this post: Moulin Roty.