As the leaves begin to fall and the crisp autumn air sets in, there’s no better time to bring a little squirrel fun into your homeschool days! The fall season is the perfect time to create simple preschool crafts, set up sensory bins, and explore the world of squirrels and acorns with your young children. Whether you’re focusing on fine motor skills, introducing animal crafts, or just looking for a fun way to celebrate autumn, these squirrel + acorn ideas are a great addition to your homeschool plans.
We’re three simple everyday moms who love to weave hands-on activities into learning, and this blog post is packed with squirrel-themed fun for little hands. From read-aloud books to easy crafts and sensory play, you’ll find the perfect activity to enjoy this season.
Why Squirrels + Acorns Make a Great Project for Preschoolers
Squirrels are a fun animal to study during the fall months. Their bushy tail, scampering movements, and habit of gathering acorns make them fascinating for kids of all ages. When you focus on squirrels, you can introduce different animals like red squirrels, gray squirrels, or even characters from children’s books like Scaredy Squirrel.
Exploring squirrels and acorns also gives preschoolers plenty of opportunities to practice fine motor skills—whether they’re cutting, gluing, or threading acorns into a sensory bin. Crafts and play centered on squirrels are also a great way to teach about God’s creation while adding so much fun to your homeschool rhythm.
Cute Squirrel Crafts for Little Hands
1. Pine Cone Little Squirrel Craft
Gather pine cones on a nature walk and transform them into a little squirrel with a felt or paper bushy tail, googly eyes, and tiny ears. This easy craft uses simple supplies but makes a great project that preschoolers will love showing off.
2. Paper Plate Acorn Craft
Cut a paper plate into the shape of an acorn. Let your preschooler paint or color it brown, then decorate the cap with torn bits of paper, tissue paper, or fabric scraps. This is a fun activity that strengthens fine motor skills while helping little hands practice tearing and gluing.
3. Handprint Squirrel
Trace your child’s handprint on construction paper to make the squirrel’s body, then add a curly paper tail and whiskers. This keepsake craft is not only adorable but also an easy craft that makes a perfect activity for family keepsakes during the fall season. Such an easy squirrel craft!
Acorn Activities for Preschool Crafts
- Sorting + Counting Acorns: Collect acorns outside and let your preschooler sort them by size, color, or texture. It’s a fun way to sneak in math skills.
- Acorn Painting: Dip acorns in fall-colored paint and roll them across paper for a unique autumn art piece.
- Acorn Sensory Bin: Fill a tub with dried leaves, pinecones, and acorns. Add scoops, cups, and toy squirrels. This is a great addition to your fall sensory bin activities and will bring so much fun to your homeschool week.
Read-Alouds About Squirrels + Acorns
Pairing your crafts with engaging picture books makes the experience even richer. Here are some favorites to add to your fall homeschool basket:
- Scaredy Squirrel by Mélanie Watt – A silly, fun story about a cautious little squirrel who learns about bravery.
- The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri – Perfect for young children to learn about how squirrels prepare for winter.
- Nuts to You! by Lois Ehlert – Bright and engaging illustrations make this a fun activity for story time.
- Squirrel’s Fall Search by Anita Loughrey – A great seasonal read to celebrate the fall season.
These books pair wonderfully with squirrel + acorn crafts and bring the characters to life during homeschool.
Homeschool Ideas for Fall with Squirrels
Beyond crafts and books, here are a few simple ideas to make this perfect time of year extra special in your homeschool:
- Take a nature walk and look for signs of squirrels gathering food. Encourage observation and journaling for older siblings.
- Create a squirrel “hide and seek” game by hiding acorns around the house or yard. Have your child pretend to be a squirrel gathering food for winter.
- Explore habitats and talk about different animals that share the woods during fall.
- Bake “acorn cookies” together as a fun way to bring the theme into the kitchen.
If your kids are loving these crafts and activities, you’ll definitely want to check out our full Squirrel + Acorn Unit Study created especially for preschool and early elementary ages. Inside, you’ll find engaging lessons on the life cycle of a squirrel, hands-on math and literacy activities, fun squirrel science experiments, themed crafts (including acorns, pinecones, and those bushy tails!), and ready-to-go printables that make planning simple. It’s the perfect way to bring the fall season to life in your homeschool—and it’s packed with everything you need to make learning both fun and meaningful.
Sensory Bins
If you’re looking for preschool crafts that are simple, hands-on, and filled with seasonal charm, squirrel and acorn themes are a perfect activity for the fall season. Setting up a sensory bin filled with leaves, pinecones, and acorns is a fun way to give little hands something to explore while building fine motor skills. These easy craft ideas aren’t just for young children—kids of all ages can join in the fun, making this a great project for families who homeschool together. Whether you’re creating animal crafts to celebrate different animals like red squirrels, or reading a favorite book such as Scaredy Squirrel, autumn is the perfect time to enjoy these fun activities that add so much fun to your homeschool days.
Squirrels and acorns are a wonderful way to combine learning, creativity, and play in your homeschool. From animal crafts with a bushy tail, to easy crafts for little hands, to fun activities in a sensory bin, these projects are not only a great way to celebrate the fall season, but also a perfect activity for developing fine motor skills.
Whether you’re making crafts, reading books like Scaredy Squirrel, or exploring outside with your young children, the possibilities are endless. These squirrel and acorn themes are a great addition to your homeschool days and will bring so much fun to kids of all ages.
More Squirrel Fun for Your Homeschool
If you love finding fresh preschool crafts, you’ll enjoy this simple everyday mom approach to making activities both fun and manageable. A favorite in our homes has been creating Dixie cup squirrels—all you need are a few cups, paper ears, and a big bushy tail made from tissue paper or yarn. It’s such a fun way for little hands to bring a little squirrel to life without a lot of prep work.
To tie in music and movement, try adding a squirrel song to circle time or morning time. Singing together is a perfect activity for young children and a great addition to your daily rhythm.
And because homeschool moms are always sharing, we like to make resources available use for others. If you decide to share these crafts or printables with your homeschool group, just remember to respect the creator’s terms of use so that everyone can enjoy them fairly.
So grab some pinecones, paper plates, and a pile of acorns—it’s time to make cute squirrel crafts with your preschoolers!
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