20 Johnny Appleseed Day Crafts for Kids

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Looking for hands-on ideas to celebrate September 26? These Johnny Appleseed Day crafts are just right for classrooms, homeschool, or even a quiet afternoon at the kitchen table. They’re full of apples, stories, and playful ways to help kids connect with this legendary character.

Plus, you’ll find options for all ages. Want even more ideas for fall? Don’t miss our list of apple activities for kids that go perfectly with these apple-inspired creations.

Collage of 16 Johnny Appleseed-themed kids’ crafts featuring apples, trees, baskets, and paper characters, with bold text reading “20 Simple Johnny Appleseed Day Crafts for Kids.”

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Johnny Appleseed Day Crafts

Johnny Appleseed Puppet

Kids can make a friendly puppet of a legendary apple planter using simple supplies and a printable template. They get to add fun details like a pretend cooking pot hat and a little paper apple in the puppet's hand, bringing a storybook character to life.

After making their puppet, children will love using it to act out stories and engage in imaginative play.

kidscraftroom.com

Apple Tree Hat

Little ones can make a silly wearable hat resembling a mini apple tree. Using a printable template, they'll assemble the paper branches filled with red apples and add a strip of “grass” around the brim.

Kids adore this activity because they can wear the hat and pretend to be a tree after making it, which leads to giggles and imaginative play.

Related: Handprint Apple Tree Craft

kidscraftroom.com

Paper Plate Bitten Apple

Kids transform an ordinary paper plate into a big red apple, taking a “bite” to reveal the core and seeds. This clever project even uses the child's handprint as part of the design, making it extra personal and fun.

Little ones will surely giggle at the pretend bite mark and enjoy painting the plate and adding their handprint to create a playful piece of art.

Also try: Apple Dot To Dots

Johnny Appleseed

Children cut and glue simple paper shapes to create their version of a famous apple-loving character. With the help of a printable template, they'll put together a friendly figure complete with a cooking pot hat and a red apple in hand.

Along the way, they practice cutting and gluing, resulting in a storytime character they're proud to show off and play with.

barleyandbirch.com

Paper Mache Apples

Using a ball of newspaper and paste, kids can create round apple shapes from scratch and paint them in bright colors once they dry. This project is delightfully messy and hands-on, which is a big part of the fun for children.

They enjoy squishing the papier maché and painting their apples and end up with sturdy, decorative apples they can display or use for pretend play.

Related: Apple Tracing Worksheets

homeschoolpreschool.net

Johnny Appleseed

Little ones cut out and assemble pieces of paper to make a friendly character with a cooking pot for a hat and a red apple in his hand. Designed with preschoolers in mind, the pieces are simple shapes that kids can easily cut and paste, allowing them to practice fine motor skills.

Children have a great time building this character and will be excited to use it during story time or to show off their finished project.

Apple Tree Name

Kids create a paper apple tree that's unique to them by adding apples labeled with each letter of their name. They write (or glue pre-cut) letters onto small paper apples and place them among the tree's branches in the correct order.

This activity doubles as a playful spelling exercise, helping children practice their letters and name spelling while making a fun piece of art to display.

kidscraftroom.com

Apple Basket

Kids create a cute little basket of paper apples that pop out in 3D. They cut out and assemble a paper basket that stands off the page, and then fill it with small paper apples in different colors.

Children enjoy “picking” the apples in and out of the basket, turning their artwork into a mini pretend play game once they finish.

Also try: Apple Life Cycle Worksheets

www.naturalbeachliving.com

Johnny Appleseed

Using a simple paper lunch bag and a free template, kids can make a puppet of a famous pioneer known for planting apple seeds. They'll glue on the cut-out face, pot-shaped hat, and even a little paper apple to bring the character to life.

After creating, kids can have a blast reenacting the legend's story with their new puppet, which makes learning about history extra engaging.

Apple Picking

Kids use the outline of their hand to form a tree covered in apples, ready for “picking.” They trace or paint their hand to make the tree's branches, then add lots of little red apples all over—sometimes using finger paint or stickers as the apples.

It's an excellent fall activity that combines a personal touch (their handprint) with creative play, and kids get excited to show how their apple tree “grew” from their hand.

funhandprintartblog.com

Paper Plate Apple Handprint

Toddlers and preschoolers can paint a paper plate red (using a fun sponge-stamping method) and then add a cut-out of their handprint to turn it into an apple. The painted plate becomes the round red apple, and the child's green handprint serves as the apple's leaf, giving the activity a personal touch.

Young kids enjoy stamping paint with a sponge and love seeing their handprint become part of the art, making this a cute fall keepsake.

Related: Torn Paper Apple Craft

nontoygifts.com

Egg Carton Apple

Kids can create adorable miniature apples with just a recycled egg carton and some paint. They cut out the carton cups, paint them red (green or yellow), and add little stems and leaves to make them look like tiny apples.

Children love this art because they can make a whole bunch of these mini fruits, and it teaches them about reusing materials while they play pretend farmer or fill up a make-believe apple basket.

Also try: Apple Pattern Worksheets

Apple Name

Using a set of paper apples, each holding one letter, kids spell out their names in a fun, hands-on way. They arrange the apple cutouts in order and glue them onto a strip of paper or a background to showcase their name as a cute apple-themed display.

This personalized project engages children with letters—kids enjoy seeing their name in the completed project and love assembling all the letters.

lifeovercs.com

Melted Bead Suncatchers

Kids arrange colorful plastic beads in the shape of an apple, and with an adult's help, melting them, the beads fuse into a pretty sun-catching ornament. Little ones will enjoy sorting and placing the beads in a pattern, and seeing them melt into a solid, translucent apple design feels like creating magic.

Once it's cooled, they can hang their handmade suncatcher in the window and watch it glow with bright colors when sunlight shines.

www.craftsbyria.com

Paper Apple

Using the provided template, kids cut and glue together pieces of paper to create a bright red apple art. They can layer some of the paper pieces or fold parts to give the apple a bit of 3D texture, then add finishing touches like a green leaf on top.

With this one, there's plenty of room for creativity—children might decorate their apple with glitter, draw on a funny face, or even have a friendly paper worm peeking out, making each apple their own.

Related: Apple Do A Dot Printables

twitchetts.com

3D Construction Paper Tree

Kids build a three-dimensional tree out of construction paper that can stand upright. They create a trunk and branches from paper and then decorate the tree with little paper apples (or colorful leaves) to make it look full of fruit.

Children are fascinated by how this project turns flat paper into a standing tree—they love assembling it and then using it for pretend play, like having their mini apple tree to pick from.

activelittles.com

Apple Using Pool Noodles

In this activity, an everyday pool noodle becomes a cool painting tool for an apple-themed art project. Kids dip a sliced piece of pool noodle into red paint and stamp big round apple shapes onto paper, creating a picture that might look like a tree full of apples or a pile of apples in a basket.

Little ones have a blast with the stamping process—it's easy for them to grip the foam and make bold prints, and they love seeing a summer toy repurposed into a fun fall art project.

Also try: Apple Worksheets

www.firefliesandmudpies.com

Apple Outline

This resource provides simple apple-shaped outlines in different sizes that kids can use as a starting point for various creative projects. Children can color in the blank apple shapes, cut them out, or decorate them with anything from tissue paper to glitter.

Having these outlines prepared makes the process easier and allows kids to concentrate on the enjoyable aspects—like painting and decorating—while creating fall decorations or learning about apples.

Related: Apple Popsicle Stick Craft

www.craftsonsea.co.uk

Apple Suncatchers

Preschoolers can make a simple stained-glass style apple decoration that looks beautiful in the window. Using an apple-shaped outline, some clear contact paper, and bits of cut-up tissue paper, kids create a colorful mosaic that sunlight can shine through.

This easy autumn activity lets little ones practice cutting or tearing paper, and it rewards them with a bright, cheerful suncatcher they'll be proud to hang up.

Also try: Tissue Paper Apple Craft

abcsofliteracy.com

Letter A Apple

This project turns the letter “a” into an apple, helping kids connect phonics with art. With a free template, children cut out a large lowercase “a” along with a paper leaf and stem, then assemble them so the letter looks like a ripe apple.

The activity makes learning the alphabet more engaging—kids practice letter recognition and sounds while creating a fun piece of fall art.

Related: Yarn Apple Craft

More Fun Kid’s Ideas

Top 21 Must-Read Apple Books for Kids: Fun Fall Favorites
17 Fun To Read Johnny Appleseed Books For Kids
13 Fun & FREE Apple Activities For Kids

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photograph of found of Simple Everyday Mom, Sam

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Sam is the crafter and founder of Simple Everyday Mom. She has been featured in Oprah Mag, Good Housekeeping, The Spruce Crafts, Country Living, The Bump, and more.

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