Fall Fun Crafts

The Fall is actually my favorite time of the year, besides Spring! With the Fall comes a change of weather for many locations, and so, I thought I’d share some indoor activities with you. Books are always a safe activity, reading them, coloring in them, learning through them and of course building our own activities with them. These are the basic materials you’ll need to work in doors and to be creative with your child(ren):

1. Crayons,
2. construction paper
3. scissors
4. glue
5. colored pencils
6. markers
7. Paints,
8. paint brush,
9. canvas,
10. lunch bags
11. pre-printed Canvas all available on Amazon, or your local craft store.

Available on Amazon
Kids have really wonderful imaginations, let them use theirs! Colors will blend, and come to life in their own individual masterpieces. You might want to even display their work of art and encourage them to be creative. Maybe put all your art supplies in a box or basket and make a craft activity station for the kids to work at. I’d add stationary and pens, pencils, and markers to encourage them to write letters, even make a journal to keep of their very own.
If you’re learning shapes and colors, this is a fun Fall Pumpkin Worksheet to do with your child. The Characters very own Healthy Hippo has a book called Shape Up With Healthy Hippo to teach shapes and colors,too. When I taught preschool and kindergarten, we used to make a shape journal, this was really a lot of fun. I had the shapes already cut out, circles, squares,rectangles, ovals, etc. and each child used their imagination to build their own creation. For example, a circle could be the sun, or a rectangle could be a wagon and so on. The kids really got into this activity and it was fun to watch their imaginations develop and grow. You could actually do this with colors as well, or, mix both shapes and colors into it. A yellow circle is a sun, a red rectangle is a wagon, a black circle is a truck tire on the blue box and so on. Be creative with your kids!
We know that kids love a Super Hero and probably have a favorite on, too. The Characters of Character of Character has a fun Super Hero Activity Book for your children to do! I have ordered fun masks on Amazon, then printed them on card stock for use in the future. This way they’e always on had because who doesn’t want to be a Super Hero! You already have crayons, markers, scissors and paint to create the most amazing mask ever with your child!

First, choose a trait that you’re working on with your child, perhaps behavior. Discuss what it means to have good behavior and tell your child that if you have good behavior, you are like a Super Hero like Behavior Bear! Are you working on manners? Again, explain to your child what it means to have good manners and ask them, “Do you have good manners like Manners Monkey?”, then you are a Super Hero! The kids get so excited, use your enthusiasm! Color the picture of the character in the book. You can even cut it out, glue it on a piece of construction paper and use as a visual reminder.
I’d like to think that every home has a towel or old ragged sheet, make a cape, let your child decorate it and be their own best Super Hero. A few years ago the Characters all volunteered at The Human Race in McHenry County, the little girl took it upon herself to draw a picture for her favorite Super Hero, Friendship Frogand came in the dressing room to give it to him, priceless. Something so simple can make a child think, appreciate and create.
Remember how we talked about shapes and colors? Do the same thing with leaves! Go outdoors and go on a walk to look for beautifully colored and fun shaped leaves. Let your children glue them onto paper and make a person, a place or a thing. Encourage them to write a story about their creation. When my niece and nephew moved to Arizona years ago, they said how much they missed the pretty leaves back home here in Illinois. So, I went on a leaf walk and found beautiful leaves, and actually glued them onto a large piece of construction paper and then laminated it. I sent it to them and they used them during their Thanksgiving Dinner as place mats.
So, to recap:

1. Make a Super Hero Mask

2. Make a Super Hero Cape
3. Make a Super Hero Poster
4. Make a Super Hero Visual
5. Make a shape with cut out shapes
6. Make a leaf person
7. Write a story about the leaf picture
8. Write a story about the shapes
9. Make a paper bag puppet of the Characters of Character
10. Make a craft and writing activity station

If your child loves to color, here are some Halloween coloring pages. Use them as a sticker chart, or to write stories about the different characters, too! I hope you’ll share them with me if you do. We love hearing from others we meet along the way, and hope that you will take time out to play.
What is the old cliché’, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin,
These my friends, are words to live by.

By Joni J. Downey, President of Characters of Character NFP