The Best Scarecrow Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten

Fall is such a magical season for preschool and kindergarten teachers! I always noticed that we were really getting into a good routine after fall break. Between the colorful leaves, cozy sweaters, and pumpkin-scented everything, it’s the perfect time to introduce your little learners to all things scarecrow. These cute and quirky characters aren’t just fun—they’re a great way to build fine motor skills, boost literacy, and explore the harvest season in a hands-on, creative way. If you’ve been searching for scarecrow activities for preschool or even for your kindergarten students, you’re in the right corn field. Ha! Today, I’m sharing a collection of fun scarecrow crafts, book recommendations, snack ideas, and even simple ways to make your own scarecrow right in your classroom. 

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Why Scarecrow Activities for Preschool and K are a Favorite

When fall rolls around, we’re all looking for engaging activities that keep preschool children learning while having fun. The challenge? Finding activities that are both meaningful and manageable—something that won’t leave you swimming in paper scraps or glue sticks by the end of the day.

That’s where scarecrow-themed lessons come in! Scarecrows make the perfect fall theme because they combine literacy, art, science, and dramatic play in one adorable package. Whether you’re decorating your classroom, setting up a dramatic play area, or introducing a thematic book, there are so many fun ways to explore this timeless fall symbol.

Scarecrow activities encourage:

• Fine motor practice (cutting, pasting, threading, and assembling)
• Literacy skills (labeling parts of a scarecrow, sequencing stories)
• Creativity (mixing different colors and textures for scarecrow art)
• Listening and rhythm (through scarecrow songs and rhymes)
• Collaboration (as little learners work together to make their own scarecrow)

As you can see, scarecrows really help create a great fall theme that gives you a perfect opportunity to integrate multiple skills in one unit.

The Best Scarecrow Books for Preschool and Kindergarten

Reading themed books is a fun way to bring your fall unit to life! Here are some of my favorite scarecrow books that young children absolutely love:

• The Scarecrow’s Hat by Ken Brown – A classic scarecrow story about problem-solving and kindness. Preschool teachers love how it encourages sequencing and storytelling!

• The Little Scarecrow Boy by Margaret Wise Brown – Beautifully illustrated and heartwarming, this story helps kids explore emotions and family.

• The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams – A fun fall theme favorite! Preschoolers love the repetitive pattern and spooky-but-silly sound effects. It’s a great idea to pair this story with movement and sound activities.

• The Scarecrow by Beth Ferry – The pictures in this fall themed book are breathtaking and it lends itself perfectly to any scarecrow activity.

• Timmy the Timid Scarecrow by Lola Usupova is another adorable and unique fall-themed story about bravery and friendship!

Each of these stories ties beautifully into hands-on activities like making scarecrow puppets, sequencing story cards, or labeling parts of a scarecrow using correct labels and free printable cut templates.

Favorite Scarecrow Crafts for Little Hands & scarecrow activities for preschool and kindergarten

I’m always on the hunt for fun ideas and crafts that build fine motor skills during the fall season. You don’t need fancy supplies to make cute scarecrows! Most of these easy scarecrow crafts use simple materials you probably already have in your classroom.

Toilet Paper Roll Scarecrow Craft

Recycle those toilet paper rolls into adorable paper roll scarecrow crafts! Have students wrap the roll in construction paper, draw a scarecrow face, and glue on a scarecrow’s hat made from felt sheets or brown paper bags. Add googly eyes, a triangle nose, and a little glue smile.

Teacher Tip: For extra fine motor practice, invite children to stuff the hat with a few corn kernels or pieces of raffia for “hair!”

If you’re looking for additional fine motor practice, head over to this blog post or check out this resource. There are some adorable scarecrows included!

Paper Plate Scarecrow Craft

This paper plate scarecrow craft is always a hit. Using paper plates, different colors of paper, and craft sticks, students can create a fun scarecrow face. Add googly eyes, yarn, or pipe cleaners for the hair, and don’t forget the scarecrow’s hat!

Pair this with a scarecrow rebus story or scarecrow songs for a cross-curricular connection that builds literacy skills and eye-hand coordination.

Paper Bag Scarecrow Craft Puppet

Turn a brown paper bag into a puppet for dramatic play. Add the correct labels for body parts, and let preschoolers retell stories like The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything.

Add felt sheets for patches, popsicle sticks for arms, or even pipe cleaners to make movable parts. Your kids will be so proud to take the paper bag puppet they made home. 

Extension Idea: Have students use their puppets to act out scarecrow theme activities or invent their own scarecrow fun stories!

Popsicle Stick Scarecrows

Glue popsicle sticks together to form a base, then decorate with scraps of paper, yarn, or buttons. It’s such a fun activity for younger kids and helps them explore different textures while practicing fine motor skills.

Use a free printable scarecrow template or paste scarecrow craft template to make setup even easier!

Make Your Own Scarecrow: A Classroom Adventure

There’s something magical about building your own scarecrow! Whether you do it with your whole class or as a center activity, this is a great way to blend creativity, teamwork, and learning. Check out the picture above! My son, Tyler, was so excited and definitely thought he was alive when we visited the pumpkin patch together. Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect to be fun!

Here’s how to do it:

1. Collect simple materials—old clothes, a teddy bear or pumpkin for the head, brown paper bags, and felt sheets.
2. Invite children to stuff the scarecrow using corn kernels or newspaper.
3. Use different colors for clothing and accessories.
4. Give your scarecrow a name and let students describe its personality!

Lesson Plan Idea: Tie in descriptive writing or labeling activities using pages from this Big Fall Crafts & Writing Pack. It’s a perfect opportunity to teach adjectives, labeling, and sequencing in one themed lesson.

Scarecrow Snacks: Yummy and Thematic!

What’s better than fall crafts? Fall snacks! Try these scarecrow snacks made out of graham crackers for a sweet, creative treat.

Scarecrow Snack Directions:

• Spread peanut butter or sunbutter over a graham cracker.
• Use different colors of cereal or candy for eyes, a nose, and a smile.
• Add pretzel sticks for “straw” hair.
• Let each child decorate their own scarecrow face!

This fun way to wrap up your fall unit can double as a fine motor activity, too. 

Integrate Literacy & Art with the Big Fall Crafts Resource

After all that scarecrow fun, keep the learning going with the Big Fall Crafts, Writing, Labeling, Vocabulary & Sequencing Resource.

It’s designed to help you:

• Reinforce vocabulary with free printable cut-and-paste templates
• Label scarecrow parts with correct labels
• Support fine motor and eye-hand coordination
• Encourage writing and literacy through thematic prompts

Everything’s ready to print, so it’s a perfect way to simplify your lesson plans and still create something adorable to display in your classroom or hallway bulletin board! The fall scarecrow craft is my favorite. I provided differentiated writing sheets because these crafts are fun for kids of all ages.

If you want to save money and have easy crafts for the entire year, you’ll want to purchase the bundle . I included SO MUCH! You’ll find big low-prep crafts for every single season and holiday, writing pages, cards, sequencing, books, and so much more! (I’m sure I shouldn’t have made this such a big pack, but I wanted you to have every fun activity I could think of!)

Once your fall unit is complete, you’ll be able to use anything from this Mega Bundle of Big Crafts — perfect for every season. This bundle includes adorable scarecrow crafts plus themes for St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Spring, Summer, and more. It’s a great time saver for teachers who love themed learning but don’t want to start from scratch every month. These make such a great addition to your lesson plan ideas. I’ve used them with PreK, Kindergarten, and 1st grade students in an after school program. They were a big hit!

Bonus: Scarecrow Songs and Play Ideas

Add some music to your fall fun! Try scarecrow songs like “I’m a Little Scarecrow” (to the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot”) or “Dingle Dangle Scarecrow.” These help build rhythm, coordination, and language development.

Set up a dramatic play area  with hay bales, cute scarecrows, and fall crafts your students have made. You can even create a scavenger hunt for “fall things” like leaves, pumpkins, and pictures of scarecrows hidden around the room!

The bundle shown above includes this adorable pumpkin patch along with 10 other themes!

scarecrow activities for preschool & k: Boom Learning Fun

Have you tried Boom Learning yet? This Scarecrow-Themed Color By Code included in the fall bundle is so much fun! I started making these sets during the pandemic and honestly just fell in love with how easy they are. Kids love them!

Scarecrow activities for preschool and kindergarten: Final Tips for a Successful Scarecrow Theme

• Keep materials simple—paper plates, craft sticks, brown paper bags, and pipe cleaners are all you need for these fall activities
• Encourage creativity: no two scarecrow faces should look alike!
• Display student work with a photograph of the craft activity for parents to enjoy.
• Always include a terms of use note if you share or modify templates.
• Have so much fun—because when you enjoy it, your students will too!

Why Scarecrow Activities are so Special to Us!

On a personal note, I thought I would share why scarecrows are so special to our family! My daughter Aniston had her heart set on “wearing a microphone” in a school play. She had been a part of them for years but never landed a main role. I told her if drama was her thing, she could take classes and singing lessons. She worked so hard for months to be prepared for her Wizard of Oz audition. The directors asked her what part she wanted and she told her the Scarecrow was her favorite. We were so proud of her when she landed the role of a lifetime!

The kids worked for 6 months. They performed 3 shows and seeing her up there in a lead role was such a great moment for all of us! My daughter, Heidi, was cast as a Lullaby League girl and a Jitterbug. (Don’t worry, her time in a leading role was coming soon!)

I hope these scarecrow activities for preschool and kindergarten have inspired you to have all kinds of fall-themed fun in your classroom this year!

Looking for more?

Check out my favorite games to use all year long in the classroom!

You may be interested in other fall-themed blogs, like this Halloween round-up or my Johnny Appleseed unit!

Happy Teaching & Parenting this week, friends!