As autumn sets in, it’s the perfect time to bring fall into the classroom through creative and engaging art projects. These elementary fall art projects are designed to inspire young artists from kindergarten to fifth grade. The projects offer a wonderful way to teach children about colors, shapes, and forms while allowing them to celebrate the beauty of the season. Whether you’re looking to introduce 2D and 3D concepts, experiment with mixed media, or simply create festive fall decorations, these activities are perfect for your elementary art classes.
1. 2D & 3D Pumpkin Cut Out Project
Pumpkins are synonymous with fall, and what better way to explore both 2D and 3D art forms than by creating a pumpkin cutout project? In this activity, students will learn about the illusion of form in two dimensions and actual form in three dimensions. Using simple materials, construction paper, scissors, and glue, students will cut and overlap shapes to craft unique pumpkins.
One of the highlights of this project is the creation of a 3D vine by spiraling paper, adding a tactile element to the artwork. It’s an engaging way to teach students about cutting, overlapping, the illusion of form, and actual form. This is a perfect young elementary fall art project.
- What they’ll learn: 2D and 3D form, cutting and layering techniques, and creativity in pumpkin designs.
- Recommended for: Kindergarten to 2nd grade (adaptable for Pre-K).
- Get everything you need to teach this project here!
2. Bat Mobile & Autumn Landscape Drawing
Nothing says fall or Halloween like Jack-o-lanterns and bats, both are included in these elementary fall art projects. This project combines two exciting activities: creating a bat mobile and drawing an autumn landscape.
Students will learn how to form strong compositions and add depth to their work by discussing the use of colors and placement in their autumn landscape. Allow students the freedom to choose what to include in their autumn landscape. Keep requirements loose to guide them but not box them in. I recommend the following guidelines: nothing can sit on the bottom edge of the paper, at least one element needs to touch the top of the paper, the ground must go from the bottom edge to behind the objects.
The bat mobile is a simple yet fun 3D project where students trace their hands to form the bat’s wings, then cut and hang them up to create a spooky display. While a group of students works with you to trace and cut hands for the bat mobile, the rest of the class can work on their autumn landscape. This creates a smooth running classroom while working on two elementary fall art projects at once.
- What they’ll learn: Composition, depth, 2D and 3D art, warm colors.
- Recommended for: Kindergarten and up (can be adapted for Pre-K, the bat mobile is a fun easy project for that age).
- Get everything you need to teach this project here!
3. Scarecrow Wax Resist Project
This wax resist scarecrow project offers a fun way for students to explore warm and cool colors while creating a mixed-media work of art. The activity begins with students drawing their scarecrow using crayons in warm hues, followed by a layer of cool-toned watercolor. The crayon’s wax repels the water, creating a striking effect that makes the scarecrow “pop” off the page.
The scarecrow wax resist activity is perfect for teaching young artists about color theory, specifically the contrast between warm and cool colors, and how using more than two types of materials creates a mixed media work of art. If students finish early have them design another scarecrow drawing or create warm and cool color designs.
- What they’ll learn: Color theory, wax resist technique, mixed media art.
- Recommended for: Kindergarten and up.
- Get everything you need to teach this project here!
4. Painted Pumpkin Project
For older elementary students, this painted pumpkin project is an exciting way to learn about shape, form, and color mixing. Instead of the typical round, orange pumpkin, students focus on creating bumpy, lumpy heirloom pumpkins in a variety of colors. Using washable markers, they begin by sketching the pumpkin’s shape and then blending the marker with different colors of paint to transform the drawing into an interesting painting.
This project emphasizes the transition from flat shapes to the illusion of form, helping students understand how shading and color blending can add depth and dimension to their artwork. It’s an excellent introduction to painting techniques and allows students to explore the illusion of form.
- What they’ll learn: Form vs. shape, color mixing, blending techniques.
- Recommended for: 2nd grade and up (adaptable for middle school).
- Get everything you need to teach this project here!
5. Autumn Leaf Painting
Celebrate the beauty of falling leaves with this autumn leaf painting project, which teaches students about positive and negative space, overlapping, and color contrast. This 3-4 day lesson begins with students tracing real or paper leaves to create an overlapping design. They then fill in the positive spaces with warm watercolor tones and the background with cool-colored markers.
This mixed-media project allows students to use a variety of materials, including pencils, crayons, sharpies, and watercolor, to create a dynamic piece of art. It’s a wonderful way for elementary art students to experiment with different materials and techniques, all while celebrating the vibrant colors of fall.
- What they’ll learn: Positive and negative space, overlapping, warm and cool color contrast.
- Recommended for: 2nd grade and up (adaptable for middle school).
- Get everything you need to teach this project here!
Do you love all of these elementary fall art projects? Get them bundled, drop-in ready, at a discount here.
Quick Elementary Fall Art Projects Activities
Need quick, no-prep fall activities to keep your fast finishers engaged? These directed drawing activities are ideal for keeping students occupied while reinforcing the skills they’ve learned in class. Here’s a quick rundown of some fun, easy-to-complete fall-themed activities:
- Pumpkin Patch Activity: Students learn to draw overlapping pumpkins, creating a 3D effect. They complete the scene by adding the ground, sky, and other seasonal elements.
- Bare Tree Scene: Perfect for late fall or early winter scenes, students practice drawing bare trees and can create a silhouette landscape with colorful backdrop.
- Bat Drawing: Get spooky by teaching students how to draw a bat, then let them design their own Halloween scene.
- Scarecrow Design: Students create unique scarecrows, focusing on filling the entire page and adding fall details to the background.
- Autumn Landscape: Encourage students to draw their version of a fall landscape, incorporating corn stalks, hay bales, pumpkins, scarecrows, and more.
Each of these quick activities includes a directed drawing guide, teacher notes, and checklists, making them ideal for self-led or sub-plan activities. Grab a ready-to-go elementary fall art activity pack here.
Final Thoughts
Autumn is a season bursting with color and inspiration, making it the perfect time to introduce your elementary students to these fun and educational elementary fall art projects. Whether your students are creating scarecrows, painting pumpkins, or making a bat mobile, each of these projects offers a unique opportunity for them to explore new materials, techniques, and concepts. Best of all, they’ll get to celebrate the beauty of fall in a fun and creative way.
Do you need ideas for middle and high school fall art projects? Check out some suggestions here.
I hope this list of elementary fall art projects helps inspire your next fall activity. Thanks for stopping by! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and TikTok for weekly visual journal demos and other project ideas. Subscribe here to get freebies, project tutorials, and more straight to your inbox. Until next time!
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