Looking for fall crafts for toddlers with pumpkins, colorful leaves and a little paint? These ideas include bright paper apples, smiling scarecrows and autumn trees.
There are a few sorting and sensory activities too, for days when you’d rather skip making something to hang up.
Keep things simple and let those uneven brushstrokes stay! Choose age-appropriate, non-toxic supplies and supervise throughout.
Fall craft and play ideas to try together
orange plate pumpkin
We’re starting off strong with this cute orange pumpkin. I love the swirly brush marks and the little patches of white peeking through.
That curled green strip at the top is such a fun detail.
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Let your toddler take charge of the painting while you prepare the brown stem and green curl.
twig hedgehog
This hedgehog may just be one of my favorites here. I love the uneven twig spines and the simple black nose.
Treat this as an adult-assisted collage rather than independent toddler play. An adult can check and attach the twigs; your child could choose where they go.
Draw the eye instead of using a loose googly eye.
yellow corn collage
The bright yellow corn and green husks are so cute together. Cereal rings stand in for kernels, with plenty of yellow showing between them.
For a version without loose food pieces, let your toddler add painted dots to a corn shape you’ve cut out. Keep any cereal used with glue separate from snacks.
smiling scarecrow puppets
I am obsessed with these little scarecrow faces. The pink cheeks, yellow hair and big stitched-looking smiles are adorable.
Prepare the larger shapes yourself and let your toddler help choose a red or blue shirt. Those contrasting patches are worth keeping.
patchwork leaf
Don’t want to get the paint out? No problem!
This leaf outline sits over overlapping red, orange, yellow and green pieces, with color spilling beyond the edges.
It’s a lovely starting point for fall art for toddlers. You could offer larger paper pieces to arrange and leave the final leaf trimming to an adult.
footprint turkey
How sweet is this turkey? The brown footprint forms its body, with red, orange and yellow feathers fanning out beside it.
Those little toe marks are my favorite part.
If your child enjoys footprint painting, use paint labeled suitable for skin contact and wash it off afterward. A painted oval body is another option.
red plate apples
These apples are so cute with their red brush marks and overlapping scraps. I especially love how different each one looks.
For fall crafts for toddlers, this is a nice reminder that the paint doesn’t need to cover every white patch. Have the green leaf shapes ready for the finishing touch.
apple-stamped pumpkins
Apples making pumpkins? I love this little switch!
The orange prints have black faces and bright green stems, with a few curly vines between them.
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An adult can cut the apple before your toddler tries stamping. Once the prints dry, you could add faces together using age-appropriate washable markers.
overlapping leaf prints
If you love all the autumn colors together, this one is for you. Red, brown, orange and yellow leaf prints fill the page, with fine vein patterns showing through.
Try a few different leaf shapes rather than matching them all. The overlapping prints are part of what makes this picture so pretty.
dotted autumn tree
I love this tree with its bright round dabs of color. The thin black branches still peek through the red, orange and yellow leaves.
The picture shows pom-poms held in clothespins. For toddlers, I’d choose an age-rated chunky paint dabber instead of the detachable small parts.
orange sponge prints
Don’t want to add faces or lots of little decorations? No problem there!
This white cutout is covered with orange and red rectangular prints.
The patchy stamped marks are my favorite part. Let your toddler overlap colors rather than trying to fill every gap.
squishy leaf colors
Here’s a different way to explore autumn paint. Little hands press over clear pouches with bold leaf outlines, spreading orange, yellow and dark red color underneath.
For a similar activity, an adult should securely seal and tape down the pouches. Stay beside your child and remove them if they leak or get mouthed.
stamped hedgehog
This is another cute hedgehog idea, but it’s a little different from the twig version. The body has red and yellow paint marks, with a pointed face left visible at the side.
The fringed tube ends shown here make an interesting stamping shape. Have an adult prepare them before your toddler starts painting.
sorting colorful leaves
Looking for fall activities for toddlers that don’t need paint? This setup has separate spaces for red, brown, green, yellow and orange leaves.
It’s a sorting activity rather than a finished craft. You could start with just two colors and add more when your child wants another choice.
pumpkin wash station
Even the pumpkins get a little wash! Orange and white pumpkins sit in a sudsy tub while a child holds a small scrub brush.
This is another play idea rather than a craft. Use shallow water and stay within arm’s reach throughout, then empty the tub as soon as you’re finished.
leaves on orange rounds
I love these green and russet leaves against the flattened orange rounds. The different sizes look so pretty together, especially the big green leaf at the top.
For your own version, you could press inspected leaves into age-appropriate play dough. Keep the leaves and dough out of little mouths.
apple water play
Don’t want to make something to display? Try a little autumn water play instead.
Red and yellow apples sit in a shallow white tub on a blue towel.
You could talk about the apple colors as your toddler moves them around. Stay within arm’s reach, discourage biting the play apples and empty the water afterward.
silly pumpkin faces
How adorable are these pumpkins? There are huge googly eyes, little flower decorations and even a face with a whole cluster of eyes.
I love the big pink smile on the white pumpkin.
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For toddlers, borrow the expressions rather than the loose buttons, gems and pom-poms. Draw the faces yourself and let your child add color with age-appropriate paint.
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autumn discovery basket
Last but definitely not least, we have this pretty autumn basket. The layered leaves, pinecones and acorns give you plenty of shapes to look at together.
Keep the acorns and small seed pods adult-held because they’re choking hazards. You could use the basket as inspiration for a drawing, letting your toddler choose which leaf color to try first.
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And as you know, I seriously love seeing your takes on the looks and ideas on here - that means the world to me! If you recreate something, please share it here in the comments or feel free to send me a pic. I'm always excited to meet y'all! ✨🤍
Xoxo Giulia