Autumn Craft for Kids - Acorn leaf Art with leaf printable

Celebrate the beginning of Autumn with a fun autumn craft for kids. This acorn leaf art is a fun and easy painting idea for toddlers and preschoolers. Begin by collecting and then painting with acorns and then use our printable leaf template to turn your acorn process art into some leaf art or a leaf garland.

Acorn process art for a kids fall/ autumn project. Toddlers and preschoolers will love this painting activity using real acorns.

Looking for more Autumn activities? Take a look at our leaf puppets, bird feeders and our woodland colouring pages


Before beginning this acorn leaf art activity we read the story 'Scaredy Squirrel' by Melanie Watt.  We then went outside to look for some oak trees and made a collection of acorns.

Scaredy Squirrel is this weeks book for the virtual book club.  To see a video of the story and for more fun acorn and squirrel ideas scroll down to the bottom of this activity. We also have a squirrel colouring page as part of our woodland colouring collection that you might like to print out and colour. 


Autumn Craft for Kids - Acorn leaf Art with leaf printable


Acorn leaf art supplies:


  • A small tray with high sides
  • Coloured sugar paper in Autumn colours
  • Poster paint in Autumn colours
  • Acorns
  • Leaf printable (optional) 


Acorn process art for a kids fall/ autumn project. Toddlers and preschoolers will love this painting activity using real acorns.


Acorn Art


Put a piece of sugar paper into a tray and squirt paint onto the paper. Then add a few acorns. 

Acorn process art for a kids fall/ autumn project. Toddlers and preschoolers will love this painting activity using real acorns.

Roll the acorns around the tray by tipping it from side to side. 

Acorn process art for a kids fall/ autumn project. Toddlers and preschoolers will love this painting activity using real acorns.

Tip the tray in all directions to encourage the acorns to roll through the paint.

Acorn process art for a kids fall/ autumn project. Toddlers and preschoolers will love this painting activity using real acorns.

As the acorns roll through the paint the colours will mix together and different patterns will be created. 

Acorn process art for a kids fall/ autumn project. Toddlers and preschoolers will love this painting activity using real acorns.

We chose to use Autumn coloured paints. 

Acorn process art for a kids fall/ autumn project. Toddlers and preschoolers will love this painting activity using real acorns.

Daisy (aged 3) couldn't resist putting her hands into the paint and squeeezing it between her fingers. 

Acorn process art for a kids fall/ autumn project. Toddlers and preschoolers will love this painting activity using real acorns.

  We cut out some oak leaf shapes to add to our paintings. 

Acorn process art for a kids fall/ autumn project. Toddlers and preschoolers will love this painting activity using real acorns.

We had lots of fun with this process art activity and the resulting artwork was really effective. 

Acorn process art for a kids fall/ autumn project. Toddlers and preschoolers will love this painting activity using real acorns.

We also made an Autumn leaf garland from our artwork. We stapled the beautiful autumn coloured leaves to a piece of string. Here is the leaf template we used. 


This activity goes brilliantly with this weeks book for the virtual book club, 'Scaredy Squirrel. 

For more fun squirrel and acorn activities click on the links below or join the virtual book club facebook page


Acorn Ramp Play for Toddlers- Toddler Approved

Acorn Sharing Game - Witty Hoots

Counting Acorns Preschool Printables-The Moments at Home

Squirrel and Acorn Ten Frame Printables and Activities by JDaniel4's Mom

Acorn Fine Motor and Counting - Views From a Step Stool

DIY Song Cube with Fall Song Printable from My Storytime Corner

Acorn Discovery Table - Inspiration Laboratories

Acorn Color Sort- Teach Beside Me

Help the squirrel find his acorn - Mama Smiles

Squirrel Brain Breaks- The OT Toolbox

Squirrel Action Rhyme - Preschool Powol Packets

Find the Acorns Printable Sight Word Game - Artsy Momma

Acorn Ordering and Sorting - Rainy Day Mum

Making Shapes With Acorns - To Be A Kid Again

Acorn Alphabet - The Educators' Spin On It

Fall Sensory Bin Acorns & Squirrels Color Picture Match- Sea of Knowledge

We hope that you have fun doing this autumn craft for kids (with free leaf printable)! We loved the painting process that was used to make this acorn leaf art. 

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