Fall Crafts 2023

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 Owl

This craft can be as simple or complex as you choose. The basic supplies of paper plates, yellow and orange construction paper, scissors, markers, and glue sticks will let your Ranger Kids make owls that are as unique as they are. If you have more helpers and plenty of time or want to do this craft over two weeks, you can let the kids paint the owl instead of using markers but be sure to have paint shirts.

https://ourpotluckfamily.com/fall-kids-craft-paper-plate-owl/

Paper Plate Scarecrow

Ranger Kids will enjoy the experience of lacing different parts of this scarecrow, which helps to development fine motor skills. You’ll need paper plates, scissors, hole punches, while glue, glue sticks, crayons, large googly eyes, construction paper, and dark brown yarn. There are a few ways to save time. You can precut the flower, leaves, and paper plates. You can also punch the lacing holes before class.

https://myhomebasedlife.com/scarecrow-paper-plate-lacing-activity/

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.

Owl Mosaic

I’ve done a craft like the this with Stars girls. It took most of the regular attenders two to three weeks to complete their bean mosaic projects. You need to plan for more than one week, which means you need to have a place the owls can dry. Using different colored beans, tacky glue, and cardboard, the boys can create these cute owls. The best thing about this project is that every owl is meant to be unique.

https://www.freekidscrafts.com/bean-mosaic-owl/
https://www.freekidscrafts.com/bean-mosaic-owl/bean-owl-mosaic-pattern/

Paper Bag Scarecrow

This craft has many supplies: brown paper lunch bag, white glue, googly eye, ribbon, paint stirrers, newspaper, markers, form flowers, construction paper, and scissors. However, the boys can use those supplies to make some unique and interesting scarecrows.

https://craftsbyamanda.com/paper-bag-scarecrow-craft/
https://craftsbyamanda.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/paper-bag-scarecrow-hat-template.pdf

RANGER KIDS & DISCOVERY RANGERS

Leaf Painting

I know the kid in the blog is a preschooler, but I think both Ranger Kids and Discovery Rangers would enjoy this activity. You need leaves, tape, and paint in fall colors. Be sure to have paint shirts or to message the parents to have the boys wear an old shirt that could get paint on it because you know they will. You can use real leaves or fake leaves. How the boys place the leaves will determine the negative space design left by the leaves when they pull them up.

http://minne-mama.blogspot.com/2014/10/fall-leaf-painting.html?m=1

Tissue Paper Tree

This is a great craft for the fall. You’ll need different colors of tissue paper, paper plates (large and small), cardboard, brown paint, white glue, and staplers. Some boys will make trees full of leaves waiting to fall off. Some boys may make trees with half the leaves gone already. I love that every tree the boys make will be different. This could be a craft that you could plan to do in two weeks, especially if the boys bunch the tissue paper like they did on the blog.

https://iheartcraftythings.com/tissue-paper-fall-tree-craft.html

Accordion Paper Pumpkins

I know that you may be thinking, “How will my kindergartens do this.” You may need to spend extra time with them. The older boys should have fun with this. That supplies are relatively few—colored paper in fall colors, paper cutter, double sided tape, glue gun and hot glue gun, sticks, twine, and scissors. If you are feeling creative, try adding some patterned paper along with the solid-colored paper. No matter the age, I would recommend having the paper cut in correct size strips prior to class. Put each different length in a separate plastic bag so they don’t get all mixed up. You may need to a couple of extra helpers to work the glue guns for the boys.

https://diyinspired.com/how-to-make-paper-pumpkins-for-fall/