Fall Crafts and Activities

 Fall Crafts and Activities                               

 It is officially fall, and I love this time of year!  There are so many fun crafts and activities to do, which can be a great way to improve fine motor and visual motor integration skills, as well as to tap into the sensory system!  Here are a few of my favorite fall (and Halloween) crafts.

1. Use different materials to create beautiful fall trees.  After drawing the branches onto paper (or tracing your arm and hand for the trunk and branches), try gluing buttons or wadded-up tissue paper to make the colorful fall leaves.  You can also paint them on using finger paint, or ‘dot’ them on with the end of a cotton swab.  Get creative; this is a great way to add some tactile sensory play into your day.

2. Use nature!  Trace or paint around leaves (or color over them with crayons for a fun textured stencil), or turn a pinecone into a funny-faced critter.  See what else you can find in your backyard that can be glued, traced, or painted!

3. Turn your handprint or footprint into a fun Halloween image.  Put your two hands together to form a spider, or your foot (turned upside down) can make a spooky ghost or monster.

4. Use cotton swabs to make a skeleton on black paper.  Cut out a head from construction paper, then use cotton swabs to make the spine, ribs, arms, legs, and even fingers and toes!  Cutting or tearing the cotton swabs in half for the smaller body parts is a great fine motor task.  This is also a great opportunity to talk about body awareness – where our body parts are located and how they connect to each other.

     5.  Make scented dough. There are endless recipes online for making your own “play dough.”  You can search for ones that are edible, or allergen-free, or require little prep.  It’s worth noting that the doughs that require some cooking are often the ones that last longest and maintain consistency best.  But if making it is half the fun to you, then go ahead and explore all of the different recipes out there to find the one you like best.  Here is one example of a recipe to make pumpkin spice and apple spice scented doughs.