Acorn Crafts for Kids

It seems like the squirrels are already getting all the acorns where I live, but if you can save some from them (not too many; they’ve got to eat, too!) you can make some fun acorn crafts. Whether you do this at home or in a classroom, it’s a fun way to hang onto fall and make something pretty with natural materials.

I’ve never really done anything special with my acorns when we bring them inside, but if you want to make yours last for years, check out the tips at Staying Close to Home. If you want to just paint your acorns and leave it at that, this tutorial from Home Stories A to Z can help you there.

Of course an acorn, painted or not, is an obvious surface for a face (like on these acorn necklaces we shared a few years ago; the original site seems to be gone but I’ll bet you can get the idea from the photo of how to make your own).

And from adding a face it’s only a short journey to turning acorns into squirrels, like this adorable project from Toys in the Dryer. Or you can make acorn mice like these from Kids Craft Room. Use a pipe cleaner if you don’t have fuzzy yarn for the tail.

Or grab the googly eyes and some other materials and make a fun character with acorns, like these from Raising a Blessing. So cute!

Add a marble to an acorn cap to make a pretty necklace with instructions from Rhythms of Play. You could also just paint the caps separately and use them in projects, as hats for peg dolls or in other ways your kids are sure to come up with on their own.

You can also turn acorns into adorable toadstool mushrooms. Learn how from Twig and Toadstool.

How do you play and craft with acorns? I’d love to hear your ideas!

Acorn Learning Activities

Make Pretty Acorn Necklaces with Marbles

Using Natural Objects in the Fall Classroom

Last month I shared a collection of beach crafts that used items from the beach like seashells and sand. This month’s collection is all about beach animals and things you might see at the beach that don’t require beachy materials to make. In fact you’ve probably got what you need to make most of these beach crafts in your house already.

How about paper plates? With a paper plate you can make this cute watercolor seashell from The Educator’s Spin on It, or an adorable seagull like this one from Glued to My Crafts.

Add some white beans and you can make paper plate sand dollars like Crafts by Amanda. Or use a paper plate as a frame for a sweet beach scene like this crab and turtle one from Artsy Craftsy Mom, which includes a downloadable template and instructions to make it super easy.

Or grab a paper plate and some bubble wrap to make a jellyfish like this one from Happy Toddler Playtime. If you have paper bowls instead of plates, you can also make a jellyfish from one of those, like Natural Beach Living did.

Use your stash of craft sticks and googly eyes to make crabs, fish, sharks and more with this craft idea from The Keeper of the Cheerios.

I love this little crab made with a cardboard tube from Hunny I’m Home. With this same idea I’ll bet you could make lots of different creatures.

Grab some construction paper to make the loopy tentacles on this watercolor jellyfish from Craftsy Hacks. Or make a stained glass jellyfish like this one from Life Anchored.

Make easy puffy paint to make these fun fluffy starfish from I Heart Crafty Things, or use cupcake liners to make cute little crabs (also from I Heart Crafty Things).

Turn an old pool noodle into some super cute fish with this tutorial from Happy Toddler Playtime.

And if you’ve got some leftover yarn lying around, make pompoms and turn them into turtles like these from Craftsy Hacks. (And check out my post on different ways to make pompoms if you need a refresher!)

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