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fall

Turkey Animal Facts for Kids and Easy Fine Motor Craft

September 27, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have some turkey animal facts for kids and a fun fine motor turkey craft to include your little ones. And look at my post Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests for more fun ideas.

Too, look at my page How to Homeschool Preschool and Fall Season Free Unit Study and Lapbook for more activities.

Turkeys have unique behaviors and adaptations. Your children will love learning these facts about turkey.

Turkey Animal Facts for Kids and Easy Fine Motor Craft

And turkeys go by different names depending on their gender and age.

For example, a male adult turkey is a Tom. Hen is an adult female and a baby turkey is a poult.

Too, Toms are bigger, more colorful and have the fan display tail.

BOOKS ABOUT TURKEYS FOR KIDS

Next, look at a few books about turkey birds to add to your unit study.

6 Books About Turkeys

Add some of these fun books about turkey to your unit study.

Image for The Great Turkey Walk

The Great Turkey Walk

Yeeeeeee-haw! Git along, little . . . turkeys?Big, brawny Simon Green, who's just completed third grade (for the fourth time), may not be book smart, but he's nobody's fool. When it's time to be done with school and make his way in the world, Simon hatches a plan that could earn him a bundle. He intends to herd a huge flock of bronze turkeys all the way from his home in eastern Missouri to the boomtown of Denver, where they'll fetch a mighty price. In the year 1860, the hazards of such a trek are many - how does one shepherd the birds across a river, for instance? - but Simon is undaunted. Accompanied by a faithful drover, and eventually to be joined by two boon companions, he undertakes the biggest journey of his young life, in this high-spirited Wild Wild West adventure by an acclaimed author of historical fiction.

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Image for All About Turkeys

All About Turkeys

Part of a major reprinting of renowned naturalist Jim Arnosky's beloved All About series, All About Turkeys is a thorough and colorful introduction to the world of turkeys.In Spring 08, Scholastic Nonfiction is relaunching Jim Arnosky's treasured All About series with all-new paperback covers! In All About Turkeys, Arnosky shows how turkeys grow and live, answering kids' biggest questions about turkeys, such as: Where do wild turkeys live? What do they eat? Where do they sleep? How fast can they fly? Packed with intriguing information and brought to life by Arnosky's vibrant watercolors, this book will fascinate young readers.

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Image for Farm Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of Country Life

Farm Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of Country Life

Dissecting everything from the shapes of squash varieties to how a barn is constructed and what makes up a beehive to crop rotation patterns, Rothman gives a richly entertaining tour of the quirky details of country life. 

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Image for Too Many Turkeys

Too Many Turkeys

After a little lost turkey wanders onto Belle and Fred's farm, Belle's garden becomes the most beautiful one in the neighborhood. Everyone wants to know her secret, but Belle won't tell. Then, while she is out of town, another turkey comes to roost on the farm...and then another...and another...until the whole farm is overrun! Fred is at his wit's end when his neighbors offer to help- if he'll share Belle's secret. Will Fred tell, or will Belle's garden be ruined?

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Image for Turkeys on the Family Farm (Animals on the Family Farm)

Turkeys on the Family Farm (Animals on the Family Farm)

What are baby turkeys called? Poults! Find out all sorts of facts about a turkey in TURKEYS ON THE FAMILY FARM. Author Chana Stiefel explores where turkeys live, what they eat, and their life cycle in this exciting addition to ANIMALS ON THE FAMILY FARM.

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Image for The Great Turkey Walk: A Graphic Novel Adaptation of the Classic Story of a Boy, His Dog and a Thousand Turkeys

The Great Turkey Walk: A Graphic Novel Adaptation of the Classic Story of a Boy, His Dog and a Thousand Turkeys

Kathleen Karr's classic American story of grit, friendship, and turkeys—finally reimagined as a sensational graphic novel.

Missouri 1860: Simon Green is a bad student. His mother is dead and his father has disappeared. But he’s daring, and so when he hears that turkeys fetch a higher price in Denver, he borrows his teacher's life savings and buys a herd of a thousand birds. Then he sets off on the thousand-mile trek with his dog and a pair of mules. To survive the odyssey that follows, Simon will need grit, luck and smarts—and a colorful cast of friends. 

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Next, look at these fun turkey activities.

FUN CRAFTS ABOUT TURKEYS FOR KIDS

  • Fun Turkey Facts & How to Make A Mosaic Fall Craft
  • How to Make an Easy Origami Turkey
  • 10 Fun Crafts to Do with Pinecones and a Turkey Pinecone Craft for Kids
  • Running Turkey Craft.Too cute.
  • Fork Painted Turkey Craft
Turkey Animal Facts for Kids and Easy Fine Motor Craft

Next, look at more turkey animal facts for kids.

TURKEY ANIMAL FACTS FOR KIDS

You can use these facts with both elementary and middle school kids.

  1. Male turkeys often grow a long, hair-like bunch of feathers on their chest called a beard.
  2. The wattle is the red flap of skin under the chin.
  3. The snood is the fleshy bit that hangs over the beak.
  4. Wild turkeys are native to North America, especially the forests and grasslands of the U.S. and Mexico.
  5. Turkeys eat a mix of plants and animals.
  6. They can recognize each other by their voices and features.

Finally, look at how to make this adorable turkey fine motor craft.

FINE MOTOR TURKEY CRAFT

Supplies:

  • Felt sheets (light brown, dark brown, red, yellow, orange)
  • Buttons (medium size, orange or brown work well)
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Googly eyes
Turkey Animal Facts for Kids and Easy Fine Motor Craft

First, cut out a light brown turkey body shape from felt.

Turkey Animal Facts for Kids and Easy Fine Motor Craft

Cut a dark brown round shape with a flat bottom (this will be the turkey’s base).

Cut feathers from felt in fall colors (red, orange, yellow).

Turkey Animal Facts for Kids and Easy Fine Motor Craft

At the bottom of each feather, cut a small slit so the feather can be slipped over a button.

Turkey Animal Facts for Kids and Easy Fine Motor Craft

Glue the turkey body to the bottom center of the dark brown base.

Glue buttons around the top half of the dark brown circle.

Turkey Animal Facts for Kids and Easy Fine Motor Craft

Add googly eyes, a small yellow beak.

Turkey Animal Facts for Kids and Easy Fine Motor Craft

And a red wattle to the turkey’s face.

Turkey Animal Facts for Kids and Easy Fine Motor Craft

Children can thread the felt feathers onto the buttons, practicing fine motor skills while creating the turkey’s colorful tail.

Turkey Animal Facts for Kids and Easy Fine Motor Craft

BENEFITS OF THE TURKEY FINE MOTOR CRAFT

  • Strengthens fine motor skills through threading and buttoning
  • Builds hand-eye coordination
  • Encourages color recognition
  • Promotes creativity and imaginative play
  • Provides a reusable craft activity kids can return to again and again

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: animal turkey, fall, fall crafts, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, science, turkey animal

Fall Nature Crafts & How To Make A Pumpkin Nature Collage

September 10, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Fall nature crafts gives your child a chance to connect with nature when the leaves change colors and the weather is crisp. Also, you’ll love my page Fall Season Unit Study {Pumpkins, Leaves, Corn, & More}.

Also, look at How to Turn a Pumpkin Lapbook into a Fun Unit Study.

And one of the best reasons I love doing fall nature crafts is that abstract ideas like leaves changing your child can see. Nature crafts make ideas concrete for younger learners.

Fall Nature Crafts & How To Make A Pumpkin Nature Collage

Even older children love to take a break and be creative when the weather is crisp.

Did I mention when you have multiple ages you’re teaching that nature crafts are budget friendly?

Step into your backyard and if you have a park where you’re allowed to take a few leaves that have fallen you have budget friendly materials.

Fall Nature Crafts & How To Make A Pumpkin Nature Collage

One of my favorite parts of doing this seasonal is that you can create seasonal memories.

HOW TO MAKE A PUMPKIN NATURE COLLAGE

Next, here is another idea to add to your nature crafts and it is a pumpkin nature collage.

First, look at this easy list of supplies.

  • Cardboard base
  • Sticks (to form the pumpkin outline)
  • Leaves, helicopter seeds, or other natural items for filling in the pumpkin
  • Acorns, bark, or other brown nature items for the stem
  • A green leaf for beside the stem
Fall Nature Crafts & How To Make A Pumpkin Nature Collage

Collect nature items.

Go on a nature walk and gather nature items like sticks, leaves, helicopter seeds, acorns, bark, and a green leaf.

Make the pumpkin outline – Arrange sticks on the cardboard in the shape of a pumpkin.

Fall Nature Crafts & How To Make A Pumpkin Nature Collage

Fill the pumpkin.

Fall Nature Crafts & How To Make A Pumpkin Nature Collage

Place colorful leaves, helicopter seeds, and other nature treasures inside the outline to fill the pumpkin shape.

Add the stem – Use acorns, bark, or other brown items to create the stem at the top of the pumpkin.

Finish the look – Place a green leaf beside the stem to complete the pumpkin design.

Fall Nature Crafts & How To Make A Pumpkin Nature Collage

Display & play – Leave the collage on display as a temporary art piece, or take a photo before the items get returned to nature.

FALL NATURE CRAFTS

Finally, look at these fun nature crafts.

I included activities for multiple ages.

10 Fall Nature Crafts

The cooler air, changing leaves, and abundance of natural materials make autumn the perfect time to step outside.

Image for Fun and Easy Leaf Hedgehog Craft for Autumn Days

Fun and Easy Leaf Hedgehog Craft for Autumn Days

We’re making an adorable leaf hedgehog craft that is worthy of display on any wall, amid family pictures and other decor. Also, you’ll love my page Fall Season Unit Study {Pumpkins, Leaves, Corn, & More}.

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Image for Adorable Bat Nature Craft
Photo Credit: littlepinelearners.com

Adorable Bat Nature Craft

Here is a cute and unique bat craft for fall! You just need some sticks, leaves, scissors, and glue for this simple nature bat. Head outside and start collecting pieces of nature for this adorable activity!

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Image for How To Make Confetti Fall Leaves Crafts For Preschoolers

How To Make Confetti Fall Leaves Crafts For Preschoolers

I have some fun fall leaves crafts for preschoolers. Of course, this is a great activity for kindergarten too. Also, you’ll love my Fall Season Unit Study and Free Lapbook. Too, look at my page How to Homeschool Preschool.

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Image for Simple DIY Garland With Dried Fruit
Photo Credit: littlecooksreadingbooks.com

Simple DIY Garland With Dried Fruit

Nature mobile crafts and dried fruit garlands are beautiful to hang any time of year.

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Image for From Forest to Fun: Unique Crafts With Tree Bark

From Forest to Fun: Unique Crafts With Tree Bark

Set up an open invitation to play and encourage your child to create crafts with tree bark and a few other nature items. Also, look at my page Famous and Historic Trees Fun Nature and History Homeschool Unit Study for more ideas

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Image for Acorn People Fall Nature Craft
Photo Credit: woojr.com

Acorn People Fall Nature Craft

I’m sharing this Acorn People Fall Nature Craft with you. This is a great way to use some of the acorns in your yard that the squirrels don’t tuck away for winter. Here’s what you’ll need!

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Image for How To Make A Nature Sun Catcher Wand

How To Make A Nature Sun Catcher Wand

A nature sun catcher wand is a translucent frame filled with pressed or dried natural materials, such as leaves, petals, or seeds.

This adorable craft captures the beauty of natural elements. For example, your child can add leaves, flowers, and feathers. It preserves them in a way that allows sunlight to illuminate all the details inside.

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Image for The Ultimate Nature Upcycle.
Photo Credit: homesteadlady.com

The Ultimate Nature Upcycle.

Learn to make simple and quick plant pots and baskets from fresh and foraged vines – this tutorial is the best of basket weaving for beginners.

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Image for Stunning Leaf Lanterns
Photo Credit: littlepinelearners.com

Stunning Leaf Lanterns

These stunning leaf lanterns will bring light into your home during the darker days of fall.

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Image for Twisted Autumn Tree Craft
Photo Credit: montessorifromtheheart.com

Twisted Autumn Tree Craft

Process art is a very modern art.

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Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: fall, fall crafts, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, pumpkin

How To Make An Adorable Scarecrow & Crafts To Keep Hands Busy

August 31, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have some fantastic fall crafts to keep hands busy, including a mini cutting board scarecrow. Look at my free unit study and lapbook Fall Unit Study {Pumpkins, Leaves, Corn, & More}.

Scarecrows are a beloved symbol of autumn.

You see them standing proudly in pumpkin patches, perched on porches, or tucked into gardens as cheerful guardians of the harvest.

How To Make An Adorable Scarecrow & Crafts To Keep Hands Busy

While today they’re mostly used for decoration, scarecrows once had a very important purpose- protecting crops from hungry birds and animals.

The name “scarecrow” tells you exactly what these figures were designed to do—scare crows , and other pests away.

Farmers discovered long ago that birds such as crows, sparrows, and blackbirds could cause a lot of damage to crops.

They would swoop down to eat newly planted seeds, nibble on ripening fruit, or pull at tender shoots. To protect their food supply, farmers needed a way to keep these creatures out of their fields.

BOOKS ABOUT FALL FOR KIDS

Then, look at these fun books about fall to add to your home library.

15 Fall Books For Kids Who Love to Read and Be Read To

With a chill in the air and leaves falling, grab one or two of these fun books for your home library.

Image for Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic

Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic

A compilation of Native American speeches affirming the desire to live in spiritual and ecological harmony includes the words of Geronimo, Sitting Bull, and Cochise, covering such topics as fishing rights, peace treaties, and the devastation of their land.

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Image for Autumn Harvest

Autumn Harvest

"Mr. Tresselt writes quiet, factual prose about katydids, reapers and threshing, falling leaves, apple-gathering, and the first frost."--New York Herald Tribune.

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Image for Autumn Leaves

Autumn Leaves

A concise text and crisp, close-up, color photographs of thirteen different leaves from North American trees teach very young children how to look at and compare the leaves of autumn, and are accompanied by an explanation of why they turn color.

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Image for The Apple Pie That Papa Baked

The Apple Pie That Papa Baked

These are the apples, juicy and red,that went in the pie,warm and sweet,that Papa baked...for guess who!

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Image for Sophie's Squash

Sophie's Squash

Kids will love this playful story of a unique fall friendship between a girl . . . and her squash! On a trip to the farmers' market with her parents, Sophie chooses a squash, but instead of letting her mom cook it, she names it Bernice. From then on, Sophie brings Bernice everywhere, despite her parents' gentle warnings that Bernice will begin to rot. As winter nears, Sophie does start to notice changes.... What's a girl to do when the squash she loves is in trouble?

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Image for Autumn Story: Introduce children to the seasons in the gorgeously illustrated classics of Brambly Hedge!

Autumn Story: Introduce children to the seasons in the gorgeously illustrated classics of Brambly Hedge!

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the miniature world of the mice of Brambly Hedge!

Bad weather is on the way and the autumn stores are still not gathered in!

Quickly, all the mice of Brambly Hedge set to work to finish the harvesting before the rain begins. Primrose, Lord Woodmouse's daughter, meant to help, but somehow she daydreamed her way over the cornfield and into the Chestnut Woods, and before she knew it, she was lost. The sun went down, the wind rose and it began to rain. Primrose was all alone in the dark and she was frightened.

Poor Primrose, would she find her way home again?

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Image for Mr. Hermit Miser and the Neighborly Pumpkin: the green edition |

Mr. Hermit Miser and the Neighborly Pumpkin: the green edition |

Mr. Hermit Miser doesn’t like his neighbors, and they don’t like him. But when a pumpkin vine sprouts in Mr. Hermit Miser’s yard and makes its way into the neighbors’ yards, but he wants all those pumpkins for pies … well, what is he to do?

With adventures in pumpkin-snatching, failed attempts at baking pies, and pumpkin goo everywhere, this tale about being neighborly in a not-so-perfect way will be an endearing autumn story for all the readers in your circle.

This reprint of a 1949 classic adds some recipes, a poem, and a bit of pie-history as well.

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Image for Dance Like a Leaf

Dance Like a Leaf

As her grandmother's health declines, a young girl begins to lovingly take the lead in their cozy shared autumn traditions. Poetic prose paired with evocative illustrations by Mexican illustrator Claudia Navarro make for a beautiful celebration of life and a gentle introduction to the death of a loved one.

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Image for The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night

The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night

"[Spier's] finely detailed, action-packed New England autumn vistas are almost startlingly beautiful."—The New York Times  Over fifty years after he won a Caldecott Honor for The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night, legendary illustrator Peter Spier went back to this time-honored favorite in 2014 to paint the half of the book that was originally printed in black and white. In this glowing, restored vision of Spier’s beloved classic, follow the wily fox as he roams a sleepy New England town in search of a meal, with tones and textures so vivid you can almost hear the crackle of crisp fall leaves and the ripples of the river in the moonlight.

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Image for Down Buttermilk Lane

Down Buttermilk Lane

An Amish family, traveling by buggy, spends a day doing errands in the village, visiting, and returning home in time for supper

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Image for Fall Leaves

Fall Leaves

Autumn is in the air: days grow shorter and nights are long. Birds leave, flowers, too. Apples and temperatures fall—then snow!Part poem, part silent stage, this luminous picture book puts autumn on display and captures the spirit of change that stays with us long after fall leaves. Unlock the secrets of this busy and beautiful time of year as the natural world makes way for winter.

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Image for Hooray for Fall!

Hooray for Fall!

Mama has a surprise for her three little squirrels: three bright red sweaters to keep them warm throughout the fall. Imagine the siblings’ surprise when they find that everything in the autumn woods—the leaves, the berries, even the setting sun—is red too, just like their sweaters.This celebration of a perfect fall day will have young and old alike looking for signs of autumn in their own neighborhoods. Kazuo Iwamura’s books celebrating the seasons (Hooray for Spring!, Hooray for Summer!, Hooray for Fall!, and Hooray for Snow!) are perennial favorites—introducing children to the beauty and joy of each season. Iwamura masterfully captures the small wonders of nature in his illustrations and his stories with their gentle humor warm the heart.

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Image for Hopefully the Scarecrow

Hopefully the Scarecrow

The perfect Fall book for kids! A poignant picture book about a scarecrow who befriends the young girl who reads to him day after day until one day he's left wondering where she is.A scarecrow stood in the garden. Tall, proud, and smiling. Every day a girl brought her favorite books to the garden and she read to him. He heard tales of courage and of hope. And when she said, "The End," the scarecrow always felt a little bit taller and braver. Year after year, she came and she read to him.Until one spring, two different hands picked him up from the garden shed and placed him in the garden. He waited, but she didn't come to read to him.With poignant words from award-winning author Michelle Houts and lush illustrations by Pura Belpré Honor winner Sara Palacios, Hopefully the Scarecrow is a tender distillation of the enduring power of friendship and a heartwarming look at the ways stories connect us.

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Image for Maple & Willow Apart

Maple & Willow Apart

Funny, relatable sibling dynamics make this story a wonderful way to address navigating big changes. Lori Nichols’s expressive artwork beautifully portrays Maple and Willow’s strong bond, and children will love the creative, kid-powered solution. Maple and Willow have always been inseparable. So what happens when Maple starts big-girl school and Willow stays behind? Well, of course, both girls have marvelous adventures of their own, but the truth is, they miss each other. And when they see that the missing is mutual, they find a unique way to feel connected even when they have to be apart.

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Image for Now It's Fall (Lois Lenski Books)

Now It's Fall (Lois Lenski Books)

School bells and apples and big ripe pumpkins-all the pleasures of fall come alive in this newly reissued classic by award winner Lois Lenski. First published in 1948, Now It's Fall is a timeless celebration of autumn that will enchant a whole new generation of young readers with its gently recolored illustrations.

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Next, look at more facts about scarecrows and the history of it.

The solution was simple but clever: make something that looked like a person and place it in the field. Birds tend to avoid people, so a tall, human-shaped figure dressed in old clothes could often do the trick.

HISTORY OF SCARECROWS

Sometimes, once the birds realized the scarecrow wasn’t alive, they came back, but the tradition stuck. Over time, scarecrows became a lasting symbol of farming life and autumn harvest.

One of the most delightful ways to bring this tradition into your home is by making a scarecrow craft. Instead of a life-sized version for your garden, you can create a smaller decorative scarecrow using a mini cutting board.

How To Make An Adorable Scarecrow & Crafts To Keep Hands Busy

This makes an adorable fall decoration for your kitchen, entryway, or classroom, and it’s simple enough for kids to make too.

Whether you’re decorating for the season, hosting a fall festival, or just looking for fun crafts to keep hands busy, projects like these create lasting memories.

 Plus, every little scarecrow you make brings a bit of warmth and whimsy into your home—reminding us of the timeless charm of harvest time.

Scarecrows aren’t just an American idea. They’ve been used all over the world for thousands of years.

  • Ancient Egypt- Farmers along the Nile built wooden figures to stand in grain fields and protect them from flocks of quail.
  • Greece & Rome- Vineyards placed carved wooden statues of Priapus (a fertility god) in their fields. People believed he scared away both birds and thieves.
  • Japan- Rice farmers used scarecrows called kakashi, which were sometimes dressed in old raincoats and straw hats, with bells attached to frighten pests.
  • Medieval Europe- Instead of scarecrows, children were sometimes hired to run and shout in fields all day to keep birds away. Later, stuffed figures became more common.
  • Early America- Settlers built scarecrows from old clothing stuffed with straw or cornhusks. They often wore wide-brimmed hats and stood on wooden poles.

Even though modern farming uses nets, scare tape, and other tools to protect crops, scarecrows remain an enduring fall image. Fall festivals, parades, and county fairs often host scarecrow contests where families and communities compete to build the most creative one.

CRAFTS TO KEEP HANDS BUSY

Additionally, look at these fun crafts to keep hands busy.

After you create the scarecrow project, here are a few more fall crafts to keep hands busy whether in a homeschool setting, at co-op, at a fall party, or just for a cozy weekend at home.

  • Easy Fall Crafts To Make And Sell By Kids & Scarecrow Candy Jar
  • Easy Paper Plate Pumpkins – Paint or color a paper plate orange. Add a construction paper stem and decorate with funny faces.
  • How To Make An Upcycled Book Pumpkin | Autumn Art Projects For Middle School
  • Check out this Kids Fun Glue and Watercolor Fall Pumpkin Unit Study .
  • Leaf Rubbings – Collect fresh autumn leaves, place them under paper, and rub over them with crayons to reveal their veins and patterns.
  • DIY Button Pumpkin
  • Pinecone Owls – Glue felt wings and big googly eyes onto pinecones for a cute woodland creature craft.
  • Easy Fall Crafts for Middle School: DIY String Pumpkin Art

DIY MINI CUTTING BOARD SCARECROW

You will need:

  • Mini wooden cutting board (the flat kind works best)
  • Paint Markers
  • Hot glue gun or craft glue
  • Small scrap of fabric, burlap, or felt
  • Raffia, straw, or shredded paper 
  • Buttons or googly eyes
  • Hot glue
  • Paint markers
How To Make An Adorable Scarecrow & Crafts To Keep Hands Busy

First, prepare the cutting board by wiping it to clean away dirt, oil, and fingerprints, then allow it to dry.

First, let your child play with the layout of the face, but not gluing anything down yet.

You can use a pencil to lightly sketch the nose, cheeks, and mouth (and eyes if you would rather paint them in). Remember to leave a little space up top for the hat and straw peeking out.

How To Make An Adorable Scarecrow & Crafts To Keep Hands Busy

Once satisfied, they can use markers to draw cheerful eyes, a stitched-on smile, and a triangle nose. For extra character, glue on googly eyes or buttons instead.

How To Make An Adorable Scarecrow & Crafts To Keep Hands Busy

Along the bottom, you can either glue on a scrap of flannel for his shirt or continue getting creative with the paint markers. Set aside to let the paint dry.

How To Make An Adorable Scarecrow & Crafts To Keep Hands Busy

Cut a triangle of felt.

How To Make An Adorable Scarecrow & Crafts To Keep Hands Busy

Fold up the bottom and hot glue into place to give it a brim.

Add a strip of felt or ribbon to dress him up a bit.

How To Make An Adorable Scarecrow & Crafts To Keep Hands Busy

Hot glue some little pieces of raffia or straw at the top so it looks like straw peeking out from under that hat.

How To Make An Adorable Scarecrow & Crafts To Keep Hands Busy

Hot glue it to the top of the cutting board as a rustic hat.

This mini cutting board scarecrow can be personalized in countless ways.

You can make a whole family of them—tall and skinny boards for parents, small round boards for kids—and give each one a different hat or expression.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: fall, fall crafts, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, scarecrow

10 Easy Acorn and Pinecone Crafts to Make This Autumn

August 9, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have some fun easy acorn and pinecone crafts for your kids to make this autumn. Also, you’ll love my page Fall Season Unit Study {Pumpkins, Leaves, Corn, & More} for more fun fall ideas.

Whether it’s fall, spring, or any time of year, pinecone and acorn crafts are a fantastic way to mix learning with creativity.

Also, you can collect acorns and pinecones throughout the year and then turn them into treasures.

Too, you can just purchase the supplies if you’re looking to turn imagination into fun ideas with your kids.

Plus crafts turn hands-on ideas to a bit of learning. For example, your younger kids have fun while gluing, cutting and painting while working on fine motor skills.

Too, include science when you talk about trees, seasons and seeds.

BOOKS ABOUT FALL FOR KIDS

Also, here is a list of books when learning about autumn to include in your unit studies.

  • Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic
  • Autumn Leaves
  • Sophie’s Squash
  • Autumn Story: Introduce children to the seasons in the gorgeously illustrated classics of Brambly Hedge!
  • Dance Like a Leaf
  • Down Buttermilk Lane
  • Hooray for Fall!
  • Hopefully the Scarecrow

10 Easy Acorn and Pinecone Crafts to Make This Autumn

Also, look at these fun crafts to do in the fall weather whatever topic you’re learning about.

MORE AUTUMN THEMED ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

  • Fall Y’all:Pumpkin Pie in a Bag (Easy Homeschool Co-op Idea)
  • Kids Fun Pumpkin Catapult Stem Challenge for Medieval Unit Study
  • Fun Corn Life Cycle Preschool Sensory Bin and Printable Lifecycle Foldout
  • Easy Fall Crafts for Middle School: DIY String Pumpkin Art
  • Kids Fun Glue and Watercolor Fall Pumpkin Unit Study
  • Fun Candy Corn Stem Activity Which Liquid Dissolves Candy Corn Faster
  • How To Do An Easy Science Pumpkin Study By A Rotting Pumpkin Experiment
  • 10 Pumpkin Fall Crafts and Two Yummy Pumpkin Seed Recipes
  • Easy Fall Crafts To Make And Sell By Kids & Scarecrow Candy Jar
  • Pumpkin Anatomy | Kids Exploring the Parts of a Pumpkin And Free Printables
  • Make Cute Felt Leaf Sachets For Fall Leaf Crafts for Preschoolers
  • 10 Dollar Tree Crafts for Teens & Craft a Cute Fall Fairy Garden Wreath
  • 8 Easy Fall Wood Crafts For Kids And A Dollar Tree Pumpkin Patch
  • 10 Kindergarten Fall Crafts and Craft Fun Bean Mosaics

Next, look at how to make this fun pinecone acorn.

HOW TO MAKE AN ACORN AND PINECONE CRAFT

First, look at this easy list of supplies.

  • Pinecone
  • Tan or brown felt
  • Scissors
  • Craft glue or hot glue (adult supervision recommended)
  • Small twig or stick (for the acorn stem)
10 Easy Acorn and Pinecone Crafts to Make This Autumn

Choose your pinecone.  Find a pinecone with an acorn-like shape, rounded at one end and narrow at the other.

The base of the pinecone will become the top of your acorn.

Cut the felt cap.  Cut a circle out of tan or brown felt.

10 Easy Acorn and Pinecone Crafts to Make This Autumn

Make sure the circle is slightly larger than the flat, wide end of your pinecone. This will be your acorn “cap.”

Glue the cap on top. Apply a generous amount of glue to the flat end of the pinecone.

10 Easy Acorn and Pinecone Crafts to Make This Autumn

Press the felt circle onto the glue, centering it over the top.

Shape the cap around the sides.  Add glue around the sides of the pinecone, just below the top.

10 Easy Acorn and Pinecone Crafts to Make This Autumn

Gently press the edges of the felt down so it curves and clings to the pinecone.

Don’t press it completely flat. Create little folds or creases to mimic the texture of a real acorn cap.

Hold the felt in place for a few seconds while the glue sets.

Add a stem.  Break or cut a small stick to about 1 inch long.

10 Easy Acorn and Pinecone Crafts to Make This Autumn

Add a dab of glue to the center top of the felt cap and press the stick in place to act as the acorn’s stem.

Now look at more ideas to do with acorns and pinecones.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: acorns, fall, fall crafts, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, pinecones

How To Craft An Adorable Leaf Paper Plate Mask

August 7, 2025 | Leave a Comment
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Today, we’re making an adorable leaf paper plate mask. Also, look at my page Fall Season Unit Study {Pumpkins, Leaves, Corn, & More} for more fun ideas.

And this is a fun craft whether you’re learning about plants, seasons, or ecosystems.

Too, while collecting leaves, children can identify different tree species, observe textures, and note how leaves change with the seasons.

How To Craft An Adorable Leaf Paper Plate Mask

Cutting, gluing, and arranging are all essential fine motor skills.

Start with a walk to gather natural materials. It’s a great opportunity for some fresh air, movement, and sensory exploration.

Also, it’s a chance to introduce basic art concepts like symmetry, balance, and color theory.

FALL BOOKS FOR KIDS

First, look at these books about fall for kids.

15 Fall Books For Kids Who Love to Read and Be Read To

With a chill in the air and leaves falling, grab one or two of these fun books for your home library.

Image for Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic

Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic

A compilation of Native American speeches affirming the desire to live in spiritual and ecological harmony includes the words of Geronimo, Sitting Bull, and Cochise, covering such topics as fishing rights, peace treaties, and the devastation of their land.

Read More
Image for Autumn Harvest

Autumn Harvest

"Mr. Tresselt writes quiet, factual prose about katydids, reapers and threshing, falling leaves, apple-gathering, and the first frost."--New York Herald Tribune.

Read More
Image for Autumn Leaves

Autumn Leaves

A concise text and crisp, close-up, color photographs of thirteen different leaves from North American trees teach very young children how to look at and compare the leaves of autumn, and are accompanied by an explanation of why they turn color.

Read More
Image for The Apple Pie That Papa Baked

The Apple Pie That Papa Baked

These are the apples, juicy and red,that went in the pie,warm and sweet,that Papa baked...for guess who!

Read More
Image for Sophie's Squash

Sophie's Squash

Kids will love this playful story of a unique fall friendship between a girl . . . and her squash! On a trip to the farmers' market with her parents, Sophie chooses a squash, but instead of letting her mom cook it, she names it Bernice. From then on, Sophie brings Bernice everywhere, despite her parents' gentle warnings that Bernice will begin to rot. As winter nears, Sophie does start to notice changes.... What's a girl to do when the squash she loves is in trouble?

Read More
Image for Autumn Story: Introduce children to the seasons in the gorgeously illustrated classics of Brambly Hedge!

Autumn Story: Introduce children to the seasons in the gorgeously illustrated classics of Brambly Hedge!

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the miniature world of the mice of Brambly Hedge!

Bad weather is on the way and the autumn stores are still not gathered in!

Quickly, all the mice of Brambly Hedge set to work to finish the harvesting before the rain begins. Primrose, Lord Woodmouse's daughter, meant to help, but somehow she daydreamed her way over the cornfield and into the Chestnut Woods, and before she knew it, she was lost. The sun went down, the wind rose and it began to rain. Primrose was all alone in the dark and she was frightened.

Poor Primrose, would she find her way home again?

Read More
Image for Mr. Hermit Miser and the Neighborly Pumpkin: the green edition |

Mr. Hermit Miser and the Neighborly Pumpkin: the green edition |

Mr. Hermit Miser doesn’t like his neighbors, and they don’t like him. But when a pumpkin vine sprouts in Mr. Hermit Miser’s yard and makes its way into the neighbors’ yards, but he wants all those pumpkins for pies … well, what is he to do?

With adventures in pumpkin-snatching, failed attempts at baking pies, and pumpkin goo everywhere, this tale about being neighborly in a not-so-perfect way will be an endearing autumn story for all the readers in your circle.

This reprint of a 1949 classic adds some recipes, a poem, and a bit of pie-history as well.

Read More
Image for Dance Like a Leaf

Dance Like a Leaf

As her grandmother's health declines, a young girl begins to lovingly take the lead in their cozy shared autumn traditions. Poetic prose paired with evocative illustrations by Mexican illustrator Claudia Navarro make for a beautiful celebration of life and a gentle introduction to the death of a loved one.

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Image for The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night

The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night

"[Spier's] finely detailed, action-packed New England autumn vistas are almost startlingly beautiful."—The New York Times  Over fifty years after he won a Caldecott Honor for The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night, legendary illustrator Peter Spier went back to this time-honored favorite in 2014 to paint the half of the book that was originally printed in black and white. In this glowing, restored vision of Spier’s beloved classic, follow the wily fox as he roams a sleepy New England town in search of a meal, with tones and textures so vivid you can almost hear the crackle of crisp fall leaves and the ripples of the river in the moonlight.

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Image for Down Buttermilk Lane

Down Buttermilk Lane

An Amish family, traveling by buggy, spends a day doing errands in the village, visiting, and returning home in time for supper

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Image for Fall Leaves

Fall Leaves

Autumn is in the air: days grow shorter and nights are long. Birds leave, flowers, too. Apples and temperatures fall—then snow!Part poem, part silent stage, this luminous picture book puts autumn on display and captures the spirit of change that stays with us long after fall leaves. Unlock the secrets of this busy and beautiful time of year as the natural world makes way for winter.

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Image for Hooray for Fall!

Hooray for Fall!

Mama has a surprise for her three little squirrels: three bright red sweaters to keep them warm throughout the fall. Imagine the siblings’ surprise when they find that everything in the autumn woods—the leaves, the berries, even the setting sun—is red too, just like their sweaters.This celebration of a perfect fall day will have young and old alike looking for signs of autumn in their own neighborhoods. Kazuo Iwamura’s books celebrating the seasons (Hooray for Spring!, Hooray for Summer!, Hooray for Fall!, and Hooray for Snow!) are perennial favorites—introducing children to the beauty and joy of each season. Iwamura masterfully captures the small wonders of nature in his illustrations and his stories with their gentle humor warm the heart.

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Image for Hopefully the Scarecrow

Hopefully the Scarecrow

The perfect Fall book for kids! A poignant picture book about a scarecrow who befriends the young girl who reads to him day after day until one day he's left wondering where she is.A scarecrow stood in the garden. Tall, proud, and smiling. Every day a girl brought her favorite books to the garden and she read to him. He heard tales of courage and of hope. And when she said, "The End," the scarecrow always felt a little bit taller and braver. Year after year, she came and she read to him.Until one spring, two different hands picked him up from the garden shed and placed him in the garden. He waited, but she didn't come to read to him.With poignant words from award-winning author Michelle Houts and lush illustrations by Pura Belpré Honor winner Sara Palacios, Hopefully the Scarecrow is a tender distillation of the enduring power of friendship and a heartwarming look at the ways stories connect us.

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Image for Maple & Willow Apart

Maple & Willow Apart

Funny, relatable sibling dynamics make this story a wonderful way to address navigating big changes. Lori Nichols’s expressive artwork beautifully portrays Maple and Willow’s strong bond, and children will love the creative, kid-powered solution. Maple and Willow have always been inseparable. So what happens when Maple starts big-girl school and Willow stays behind? Well, of course, both girls have marvelous adventures of their own, but the truth is, they miss each other. And when they see that the missing is mutual, they find a unique way to feel connected even when they have to be apart.

Read More
Image for Now It's Fall (Lois Lenski Books)

Now It's Fall (Lois Lenski Books)

School bells and apples and big ripe pumpkins-all the pleasures of fall come alive in this newly reissued classic by award winner Lois Lenski. First published in 1948, Now It's Fall is a timeless celebration of autumn that will enchant a whole new generation of young readers with its gently recolored illustrations.

Read More

Next, look at more fall activities.

MORE FALL ACTIVITIES

  • Fall Y’all:Pumpkin Pie in a Bag (Easy Homeschool Co-op Idea)
  • Kids Fun Pumpkin Catapult Stem Challenge for Medieval Unit Study
  • Fun Corn Life Cycle Preschool Sensory Bin and Printable Lifecycle Foldout
  • Easy Fall Crafts for Middle School: DIY String Pumpkin Art
  • Kids Fun Glue and Watercolor Fall Pumpkin Unit Study
  • Fun Candy Corn Stem Activity Which Liquid Dissolves Candy Corn Faster
  • 20 Fun Fall Arts And Crafts For Kids and 8 Facts About Acorns
  • Easy Fall Crafts To Make And Sell By Kids & Scarecrow Candy Jar
  • How To Make Confetti Fall Leaves Crafts For Preschoolers
  • 10 Fall Felt Crafts & How to Make a Kids Felt Pie Garland
  • Easy Pumpkin Salt Painting: A Creative Fall Activity For All Ages

And look at more paper plate craft.

How To Craft An Adorable Leaf Paper Plate Mask

PAPER PLATE CRAFTS

  • How to Make a Winnie the Pooh Craft Using Paper Plates
  • Crafty Ocean Adventures: How to Make a Paper Plate Stingray
  • Tick-Tock! How to Make a Hands-on Time Cool Paper Plate Clock
  • How to Make a Fun Paper Plate Fish | F is for Fish
  • Fascinating Life of Red Squirrels | Paper Plate Squirrel Craft
  • Alphabet Letter G is for Gorilla Fun Paper Plate Preschool Mask
  • 8 Pig Facts and a Cute Wilbur Paper Plate Charlotte’s Web Craft
  • Carnivorous Plants For Kids and Make a Fun Paper Plate Venus Flytrap Craft
  • 8 Facts about African Elephants and a Cute Paper Plate Elephant

HOW TO CRAFT AN ADORABLE LEAF PAPER PLATE MASK

First, look at this easy list of supplies.

  • Paper plate
  • Scissors
  • Real or fake leaves
  • Glue or glue stick
  • Wooden dowel or craft stick
  • Tape or hot glue (for attaching dowel)
How To Craft An Adorable Leaf Paper Plate Mask

Cut the plate. Cut a paper plate in half. You’ll only need one half for a mask.

Create the face openings. At the bottom center of the cut edge, cut a small U-shape to make room for the nose.

Use a pencil to lightly mark where the eyes should go. Carefully cut out two eye holes.

How To Craft An Adorable Leaf Paper Plate Mask

Decorate with leaves. Glue leaves all over the front of the paper plate half, covering it completely.

How To Craft An Adorable Leaf Paper Plate Mask

Overlap the leaves for a layered, natural look. Let the glue dry.

How To Craft An Adorable Leaf Paper Plate Mask

Attach the handle. Flip the mask over.

How To Craft An Adorable Leaf Paper Plate Mask

On one side, glue or tape a wooden dowel or craft stick to the back so kids can hold the mask up to their face like a masquerade mask.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: fall, fall crafts, fall leaves, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, homeschool preschool, preschool, science

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