How to Make a Super Easy Fall Wreath with Toddlers and Preschoolers

Inside: How to make a super easy fall wreath with Toddlers and Preschoolers, using a paper plate! A fun keepsake to hang at your Thanksgiving get-toge ther.

Every holiday I love to display keepsakes my (now grown) children made in school.

I cherish them!

I have a special drawer that holds all these treasures, and every time I pull one out to display, I silently thank the teacher that made it happen.

After almost 20 years of teaching, I now get tagged in many personal Facebook photos, where alumni parents have pulled out holiday treasures their children made in my classroom, thanking me for creating memories they can display year after year.

So, a year into teaching, my co-teacher came up with a simple fall wreath that our 2 and 3 year olds could easily do. We display them during our preschool Thanksgiving Feast, and then the children take them home to hang in their homes.

I love traditions. I love these paper plate wreaths that we make year after year!

How to Make a Super Easy Fall Wreath with Toddlers and Preschoolers

Before we even get started making these easy fall wreaths, we explore the real deal.

We go outside and run in the leaves. We stomp in them, we toss them in the air, we admire all the different colors.

We read picture books about leaves, we create some leaf art, and we sing Leaves on the Tree. (This song, by the way, is a favorite with all of our preschool classes!)

Related post: Fall Watercolor Leaf Art

And then we get started on our paper plate leaves.

What you will need for this simple fall wreath:

• White paper plates 
• Brown washable tempera paint
• Washable white glue
• Fake fall leaves
• Small gems (optional)
• Your choice of thin ribbon
• Your choice of wider ribbon
• Hole punch
• Stapler

Watch the Video:

Getting started:

• Cut the centers out of the paper plates, so that you just have a ring.
• Have a small container for each child, combining some glue and the brown paint.
• Place these on the art table along with the leaves.

Making these easy fall leaves:

Have the children use a paintbrush to apply the mixture of brown paint and glue on the plate.

Then invite them to press the leaves on the glue and paint mixture.

Let them dry completely.

Using a hole punch, make 2 holes at the top of the wreath and string a short piece of ribbon through them and tie. This will be the loop for hanging.

Take a piece of wider ribbon and create a bow that will be stapled to the bottom of the leaf.

And that’s it! A simple fall leaf that kids can make!

More fall activities:

Watercolor Leaf Art

Preschool Leaf Sorting and Graphing

Sponge Painted Leaves

🍎 Planning your fall theme? We’ve done the work for you! 🍎