Have your students create garlands of fall leaves to decorate the classroom with. Provide children with templates of different types of leaves and fall colored construction paper -- red, yellow, orange, purple and brown. Instruct children to trace the leafs onto the construction paper and cut them out. Once the leaves are cut out, provide children with lengths of yarn and instruct them to attach their leaves to the yarn with tape or glue. Hang the completed crafts around the room to create a colorful fall environment.
Have your kids create collages of leaves using a rubbing technique. Set out pieces of white paper, a collection of leaves in a variety of shapes and sizes and fall colored crayons -- red, yellow, orange, purple and brown. Instruct children to place a piece of paper on top of a leaf and rub a crayon without its wrapping on top of it, with the crayon on its side; as they rub, an image of the leaf will appear through the paper. Instruct children to create as many leaf rubbings as they'd like, using as many colors as they'd like to create interesting collages.
First graders aren't too old for finger paint. Have your students create fall trees using finger paint and their fingerprints. Provide the children with white paper and instruct them to use a brown crayon to draw the trunk of tree onto the paper. Set out bowls of red, yellow, orange and purple finger paint. Instruct the children to dip their fingers into the paint and then press them onto the top of the trunks of their trees, creating the look of fall leaves; they may even press their prints around the base of the trunk to make it look as if the leaves are falling.
Children use their handprints to create a fall wreath in this craft activity. Provide children with paper plates and help them cut the center out of the plates. Distribute red, yellow, orange and purple construction paper and instruct the children to trace their handprints on the paper and cut them out. Have them color the rim of their paper plates brown and then glue their handprints around the rim of the plate. Have them further embellish their wreaths with gold glitter glue. Cut a length of decorative ribbon for each student, string it through the center of the plate and tie it into a loop; use the ribbon to hang the wreaths.