Fall Crafts 2021

September 29, 2021

During my years teaching at a day care/preschool and teaching elementary Sunday school classes, I found that boys liked to create craft projects just as much as the girls. In the fall, many parts of the country have beautiful fall evenings with cooler temperatures. Some parts of the country experience rainy or snowy nights. Below are several craft ideas for your Ranger Kids and Discovery Rangers groups.

RANGER KIDS

I tried to select craft projects that K–2^nd graders could complete with little individual supervision. If you are the only leader with several boys, you will need crafts that boys can work on with some independence, allowing you to focus on the younger boys in the class.

Paper Plate Pumpkins

The is a great craft that is very simple. The basic supplies of orange paper plates, green and black construction paper, scissors, and glue sticks will let your Ranger Kids make pumpkin faces that are as unique as they are.

http://www.housingaforest.com/easy-paper-plate-pumpkins/

Fall Yarn Wrapping

Ranger Kids will enjoy the sensory experience of wrapping the yarn around the fall shapes, and this craft also helps to development some fine motor skills. You’ll need yarn in fall colors, scissors, tape, and thin cardboard. For Ranger Kids, you’ll want to precut fall shapes out of the cardboard—apple, pumpkin, acorn, and different leaves. You can cut small slits along the edge of the shapes to help the yarn stay in place while its being wrapped around the shape. This is especially needed on rounded shapes.

http://www.paper-and-glue.com/2014/10/fine-motor-fall-yarn-wrapping.html

DISCOVERY RANGERS

I tried to select craft projects that 3^rd–5^th graders could complete with little supervision. If you are the only leader with several boys, you will need crafts that boys can work on with some independence, allowing you to focus on the boys who may need extra help.

Stamped Pumpkins

Using any apples, orange paint, googly eyes, green and brown pipe cleaners, pencils, scissors or wire cutters, and white glue or hot glue, the boys can create these cute pumpkins. The best thing about this project is that every project is meant to be unique. You will probably want to precut the apples and the pipe cleaner before class. If your boys are impatient, you may consider using hot glue instead of white glue. Of course, you will need to help the boys with the hot glue.

http://www.housingaforest.com/easy-paper-plate-pumpkins/

Shaving Cream Leaves

I’ve used shaving cream to let preschoolers write letters as they learn a new one or to drive little cars through, but I’ve not used shaving cream for an art project. This takes things up a notch to create something the boys can take home and display. You’ll need foam shaving cream, acrylic paint or food coloring, shallow baking pan, white cardstock, craft sticks, paper towels, and a squeegee. You might consider recruiting a couple of parents to help with the craft this night.

Craft: http://www.teachingwithtlc.com/2012/09/create-marbled-fall-leaves-with-shaving.html

Technique for artwork: http://www.teachingwithtlc.com/2012/04/create-marbled-eggs-with-shaving-cream.html

Leaf Templates: https://www.woojr.com/leaf-template-printables/

RANGER KIDS & DISCOVERY RANGERS

Scarecrow Craft

You might consider doing this activity over two weeks. There are several supplies for this craft but don’t be alarmed—jumbo craft sticks, scissors, carboard, white glue, craft foam, raffia, googly eyes, markers, and flower stickers (optional). I suggest building the scarecrow the first week and creating the face the second week. I suggest precutting the cardboard into 5” x 3.5” pieces. I also suggest precutting the craft foam into hats, hat bands, and noses for the Ranger Kids. Discovery Ranger may enjoy creating their own unique hats.

https://www.somewhatsimple.com/scarecrow-craft/?utm_medium=viraltag-content-network&utm_source=viraltag-post&utm_campaign=Viraltag

Leaf People Craft

This is a great craft for the fall because boys can go outside and find their own leaves for their people. You’ll need different sizes and shapes of leaves, white cardstock, white glue, markers, and googly eyes. Every leaf person will look different; however, you may want to show the picture so the boys understand about finding different sizes and shapes of leaves for different parts of the body.

https://www.mymommystyle.com/fun-leaf-people-craft//

Pine Cone Bird Feeder

I know that you may be thinking, “That is going to be messy.” You would be correct. You may need to recruit some extra helpers for this craft night. That supplies are relatively few—pine cones, peanut butter, bird seed, plastic knives, container for birdseed, and yarn or ribbon. Depending on the age of boys, you may want to have the boys apply the birdseed in an area covered by a drop cloth for easy clean up. If you have boys with nut allergies, this may not be the craft for your group. Safety is always the key.

https://www.happinessishomemade.net/pinecone-birdfeeders/

Leaf Hedgehogs

For a craft that doesn’t have many supplies, these are really fun and easy to make. You’ll need brown or tan cardstock, black cardstock, leaves, black markers, and white glue. The boys will enjoy going outside and finding just the right leaves for their hedgehogs. If you’re in an area that doesn’t have leaves on the ground in the fall, I found a maple leaf template with various size leaves. You could print these on white paper and let the boys color them, or you could print them on colored paper. If you choose to print the leaves, I recommend precutting them for the boys, especially the Ranger Kids. Maple leaves have the right pointy look for a hedgehog but could cause frustration for boys cutting them out.

Craft: https://www.craftymorning.com/make-hedgehog-craft-using-leaves/

Hedgehog Template: https://www.dltk-kids.com/t.asp?t=https://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/image/b-leaf-hedgehog.gif

Leaf Template: https://www.firstpalette.com/pdf/leaf-maple.pdf