With Autumn half term fast approaching, it’s time to start thinking about which activities you’re going to do with the kids whilst they’re at home for a whole week! The Preloved team have thought of some budget autumn activities that are great for keeping those energetic kiddywinks entertained by making crafty autumn items, whilst getting to spend some quality time together outdoors.
If you go down to the woods today…
The trees are shedding their fruits, and whether you decide to head to the woods or just venture into the garden, there are plenty of beautiful thrifty crafts to be created using nature’s arts and crafts materials!
Leaves
There are endless numbers of crafty creations that can be made using leaves, such as:
Leaf creatures
Leaf collages
Decorative mobiles
It’s a good idea to preserve the leaves with wax paper before making your leafy creations. You can do this by dipping the leaves in a plastic container which is filled with (one part) Glycerin and (two parts) water, and letting them soak for three days. Your leaves can also be preserved by using wax paper. Place a sheet of wax paper on top of a towel on the ironing board. Next place the leaves on top of the wax, followed by another sheet of wax paper and another towel. With your iron turned to full heat (so it doesn’t use any steam), iron the leaves for around 20 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
Pine cones, acorns and conkers
You can have fun painting these Autumn delights weird and wonderful colours, making Autumn wreaths, creating nature-inspired jewellery for girls and boys, and of course, playing conkers!
Sticks
Any tired-looking vase can be revamped using sticks. Get the kids to help source some that are a suitable thickness, then chop them down to make them all the same size. Align them around the vase and use a piece of decorative ribbon to tie around the outside. Your new creation can be used as a candle holder for the mantel piece, or source an LED light and use it as a night light for bedtime!
Bird feeders
Bird feeders are a great thing to make all year round. They can be made from pine cones, acorns, even pumpkins! Click here to see a previous blog post written about bird feeders!
Hedgehog Houses
With bonfire night quickly approaching, it’s more important now than ever to build a cosy house for hedgehogs where they can be safe from bonfires, and maybe even spend their winter. Hedgehog houses can be made from wood and disused terracotta pots. Get the kids to help you cover them with fallen leaves for camouflage, leaving the entrance clear for the hedgehogs to wander in and out as they please!
Apples
Stamps
With those fallen apples, it’s a great idea to make stamps! They can be cut into all different shapes and sizes, dipped in paint, and then brilliant crafty pictures can be made!
Baking
A spot of autumn baking could also be in order. With the apples you’ve collected, you can make a simple apple crumble, or even some apple crisps as a healthy snack after all that foraging!
Head over to our Autumn Activities Pinterest board for more crafty Autumn inspiration!
All images sourced from Pinterest