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There are so many great Autumn craft ideas for children it is hard to know where to start. Depending on the age of the children involved, crafts are an amazing venue for teaching children hand eye coordination, focus, and self-expression. And Autumn is such an amazing time of year for art projects.

* Autumn colored acorns: Supplies needed - acorns, paint, sandpaper, glitter, magic markers, string.

Acorns are so versatile and durable. Collecting them is fun, as it gets children outside in the fresh air instead of sitting at their desks waiting for someone to hand them a bag of their own. Acorns do suffer from weevil infestation so there are a couple of ways to get rid of them. A few days before the craft project, bake the acorns at a low temp for 30 - 45 minutes or it has been suggested to bag them and put them at the back of the freezer for a few days. If time is an issue, dump the acorns into a bucket of water. Infested acorns will float; the un-infested will sink. It is the un-infested acorns then that you can use.

Make sure they are dry. If you do soak them, you may have to leave them to dry overnight or pop them in the oven for a half hour or so. They can also be a bit waxy. A scrub with soap and hot water will help remove the wax or use a little bit of sandpaper on the acorns which will give the paint something to cling to. Dab a little glue around the acorn hat so that it will be secured to the acorn body.

Autumn colors of mustard, eggplant, bright burgundy or cranberry, light green, orange can be applied. Funny faces can be added. Use a bit of glitter on the acorn hats to give them some pizazz. Add them to a vase or set them in a small candy dish for an instant decoration. You can also recycle these Autumn acorns and use them as Christmas tree ornaments by gluing a loop of fishing wire to the acorn hat. Fishing wire can be frustrating to work with for children. Colored yarn works just as well.

* Make an acorn fairy or scarecrow: Supplies needed - acorns, Popsicle sticks or thick twigs, tissue paper, glue, yarn, fabric, pipe cleaners.

Using the acorn as the face, the children can draw a face with magic markers or colored pens, they can even paint one on. Glue it to the top of a Popsicle stick or if you like, you can decorate the Popsicle stick first leaving room to glue the acorn head on. A thick twig can also be used for the body. If need be, wrap the stick with fabric or yarn to give it some thickness before the final decoration. Ask the children to

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