Thanksgiving is a time for family, gratitude, and of course, fun activities to keep the little ones engaged. While the grown-ups are busy preparing a delicious feast, it’s essential to have some entertaining and educational crafts ready for the kids. These 10 easy Thanksgiving crafts for kids not only provide a creative outlet for children but also teach them about the significance of the holiday.
From colorful turkey decorations to festive garlands, crafting activities catered to kids will inspire their imagination and help them appreciate the family traditions centered around Thanksgiving. By engaging in these hands-on crafts, youngsters learn the value of gratitude while happily occupying their time and contributing to the holiday atmosphere.
Parents and caregivers can easily find a variety of easy Thanksgiving crafts that accommodate different age groups and skill levels. With simple materials and a bit of guidance, children can delight in creating their own unique artwork, making lasting memories, and forming an even deeper connection to the holiday.
Easy Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids of Different Age Groups
Crafts for Toddlers
For toddlers, it’s important to choose crafts that are simple and safe. Look for activities that involve minimal adult assistance and use materials that are non-toxic, such as painted pumpkins. Encourage your little ones to explore their creativity with finger painting or using large, easy-to-grasp crayons.
- Handprint Turkey: Toddlers can make an adorable turkey using their own handprints. Just trace their hand and let them color in the “feathers” and add a googly eye and beak.
- Pom Pom Turkey: This fun craft involves gluing brightly colored pom poms to a cardboard turkey shape for a cute, fluffy decoration.
Crafts for Preschoolers
Preschoolers have a little more dexterity and can handle slightly more complex crafts. Focus on activities that develop fine motor skills while maintaining a simple and fun theme. Some great crafts for this age group include:
- Turkey Windsocks: Kids can make their own windsocks by attaching turkey feathers made of colored construction paper to a paper cup.
- Popsicle Stick Craft: Create a Thanksgiving-themed design using popsicle sticks and colored markers for a fun and easy project.
Crafts for Older Kids
Older kids have the skills to take on more intricate crafts that can serve as beautiful decorations for Thanksgiving. These activities can become cherished keepsakes and even be used as handmade Thanksgiving centerpieces or place cards.
- Beaded Corn Stalks: Older kids can create a beautiful beaded and braided cornstalk decoration using colored beads, pipe cleaners, and ribbon.
- Bedazzled Gourds: Encourage your older kids to personalize small pumpkins or gourds with sparkling gems and glitter for an elegant centerpiece or table setting.
When planning Thanksgiving crafts, remember to cater to the abilities and interests of your kids, ensuring a fun and engaging experience for all ages.
Thanksgiving Themed Crafts for Kids
Thanksgiving is the perfect time for kids to get creative with themed crafts that celebrate the holiday. In this section, we discuss a variety of Thanksgiving crafts suitable for children of all ages across four categories: Turkey Crafts, Pumpkin Crafts, Gratitude Crafts, and Decor Crafts.
Turkey Crafts
Turkeys are a Thanksgiving staple, and there are many creative ways for kids to make their own turkey-themed projects. One popular option is making pom pom turkeys using yarn, googly eyes, and colorful feathers. This fun craft can be found on Growing Up Gabel. Another exciting turkey craft involves construction paper turkeys where kids can cut out and glue sections of feathers to create their own unique designs, with an example from Twitchetts.
Pumpkin Crafts
Pumpkins are synonymous with autumn and Thanksgiving, making them the perfect subject for crafts. Young crafters can create yarn pumpkins by wrapping orange yarn around a small balloon before removing it to create a lovely spherical pumpkin shape, as seen on The Pioneer Woman. Another fun pumpkin craft is to decorate pumpkins by painting or adding glitter and ribbons, which can also serve as home decor for the holiday.
Gratitude Crafts
Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks, so gratitude-themed crafts are ideal for this holiday. One lovely idea is to create a gratitude tree where children can write things they’re thankful for on paper leaves and attach them to a homemade tree. This can become a meaningful centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table. Another simple gratitude craft is making gratitude cards for family and friends – kids can use colored paper, stickers, and markers to create unique and heartfelt messages of thanks.
Decor Crafts
To help create a festive atmosphere, kids can participate in crafting Thanksgiving decor. One option is to create beaded corn stalks like those found on The Pioneer Woman, suitable for older kids and tweens looking for a more sophisticated project. Another delightful decor idea is the handprint turkey that uses brown, orange, and yellow paint to create a turkey from the outline of the child’s hand. These can be hung around the house or used as DIY place cards for your Thanksgiving feast.
Easy Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids – DIY Tutorials
Creating Thanksgiving crafts with your kids can be a fun and educational experience. These easy DIY tutorials will keep them entertained while expressing their creativity.
For families with younger children, Beaded Corn is a fun and age-appropriate craft that helps develop small motor skills. Use opaque pony beads and chenille pipe cleaners to make colorful ears of corn. Find more information at One Little Project.
If you have older kids or want to try something a bit more challenging, the Woodland Folk craft might be the perfect choice. This adorable craft requires wood pegs, felt, and some creativity to design your own woodland creatures. Learn more about this project at Tried and True.
No Thanksgiving is complete without the iconic dessert: pumpkin pie. Encourage your little ones to create their own Handmade Pumpkin Pie Playdough. Mix up a batch of playdough using pumpkin pie spices like cinnamon and nutmeg for an authentic scent. A simple tutorial can be found here.
Explore these DIY tutorials for some hands-on learning and engaging holiday fun with your kids. There’s no better way to bond and create memories than crafting together. Happy Thanksgiving!
Material Specific Crafts
Thanksgiving crafts for kids can be fun, easy, and surprisingly creative using simple, everyday materials. In this section, we’ll provide ideas that utilize commonly found crafting materials such as felt, buttons, twine, and tissue paper.
Felt Crafts: Felt is a popular choice for turkey feathers or soft, pliable decorations. For instance, a simple felt turkey can be created by cutting feathers, wings, and the body from different colors of felt and then gluing them together, letting kids create their own unique turkey.
Button Crafts: Buttons can be used to add texture and dimension to Thanksgiving crafts. For example, kids can create a button pumpkin by gluing buttons onto a pumpkin shape cut from construction paper. They can then add a button stem and leaves to complete the piece.
Twine Crafts: Twine provides an excellent way to add a rustic flair to your Thanksgiving crafts. A simple project involves wrapping a twine pumpkin using a balloon and twine, then bursting the balloon once the twine has dried, leaving a pumpkin-shaped twine decoration.
Tissue Paper Crafts: Tissue paper is a versatile material that can be used to create colorful Thanksgiving decorations. Kids can create tissue paper corn by wrapping yellow and green tissue paper around a toilet paper roll and securing it with twine.
Paper Plate Crafts: Paper plates are both inexpensive and easy to work with. Children can have fun making a turkey paper plate by cutting out a bird shape and using feathers, markers, and googly eyes to decorate.
Cupcake Liner Crafts: Cupcake liners are perfect for adding layers and depth to crafts. A cupcake liner turkey can be formed using colorful cupcake liners as the feathers, a paper plate for the body, and cutouts for the face and legs.
Paper Bag Crafts: Paper bags can be transformed into cute little turkey puppets using just a brown lunch bag, construction paper, and some googly eyes. Kids can put on a puppet show while waiting for Thanksgiving dinner.
Toilet Paper Roll Crafts: Toilet paper rolls can be upcycled into fun Thanksgiving crafts as well. A simple Thanksgiving napkin ring can be made by cutting a toilet paper roll, painting it, and attaching construction paper or foam feathers.
Foam Crafts: Foam sheets can be used to create durable and colorful Thanksgiving crafts for kids, such as foam turkey magnets that can be placed on the fridge for a festive touch.
By utilizing these materials, your children can create exciting and memorable Thanksgiving crafts that will brighten up the holiday celebration.
Fun and Quirky Crafts
Thanksgiving is a time for family, food, and fun. Get crafty with your kids and explore some of these fun and quirky crafts that they’ll surely enjoy. These crafts are easy to create, budget-friendly, and spark their creativity during the festive season.
Quirky Leaf Friends: All you need are some fallen leaves, glue, markers, and your imagination. Transform the leaves into cute little characters by drawing faces, hands, and feet using colorful markers. The finished product can be used as a fun centerpiece or hung on the wall.
Candy Cornucopia: Bring the sweetness of the harvest to your home with this simple yet tasty craft. Grab some ice cream cones and fill them with candy corn to create mini cornucopias. Add googly eyes and draw a smiley face on the cone to make it more appealing to the kids.
Googly Eyes: Speaking of googly eyes, these little plastic wonders can turn any ordinary item into a whimsical masterpiece. From painted rocks to pinecones, let your kids explore different canvases and add their favorite googly eyes to create one-of-a-kind characters.
Cupcake Liner Owls: This easy craft involves using cupcake liners, construction paper, and glue to craft adorable owls that can be used as decoration or even as placeholders at your Thanksgiving table. Simply fold the cupcake liner in half, attach it to a cut-out owl shape, and complete the look with googly eyes and a beak made from construction paper.
Painted Rocks: Encourage your kids to unleash their inner artists with this timeless craft idea. Gather some rocks and let them paint their favorite Thanksgiving-themed images, like turkeys or fall leaves. Once they’re done, these painted rocks can be used as festive decorations around the house.
By incorporating these fun and quirky Thanksgiving crafts for kids, you’ll provide an engaging activity that not only serves as a great bonding experience but also fosters their creativity and imagination in a confident, knowledgeable, neutral, and clear manner.
Thanksgiving Activities
Thanksgiving is a time for family, fun, and crafting with your kids. Engage your little ones in a variety of activities, from making treats to coloring pages and art projects. Get creative with Thanksgiving-themed crafts that the whole family can enjoy.
Begin with some Thanksgiving treats such as candy corn turkeys and pie-slice garland. These are both easy and fun to make and can serve as lovely decorations for your home. For more artistic activities, consider Thanksgiving coloring pages and art projects like a paper fan turkey or beaded pumpkin. These projects will allow the kids to express their creativity while keeping them entertained for hours.
Looking for a craft that involves a bit of fun and learning? Try making a turkey finger puppet or paper bag turkey puppets. These adorable crafts will help improve your child’s fine motor skills and imagination. After crafting the puppets, have the children put on a Thanksgiving-themed puppet show for the whole family to enjoy.
Incorporate the spirit of gratitude with a thankful tree. Have each family member write down what they are thankful for on a paper leaf and attach it to a branch or tree made from paper or cardboard. This activity promotes a sense of thankfulness and provides a beautiful visual reminder of your blessings.
For a more outdoor-friendly activity, consider creating turkey windsocks to hang in your yard or on your porch. Made with colorful materials and featuring a turkey design, these windsocks will add a touch of festivity to your Thanksgiving decorations.
Young children can also join in the fun with age-appropriate crafts like pilgrim hat crayon cups and a Thanksgiving cootie catcher. These simple yet engaging projects will keep your little ones entertained and help them learn more about the holiday.
Decorate your home with your own DIY pumpkin pie craft to incorporate a more traditional Thanksgiving theme. All you need are some construction paper, scissors, and glue to create your very own pie decoration.
In conclusion, there are endless possibilities for Thanksgiving activities that engage the whole family. From treats to coloring pages to puppets, there are crafts to suit all skill levels and interests. Enjoy this special time with your loved ones and create lasting memories with these fun and creative projects.
Thanksgiving Traditions and Centerpieces
Thanksgiving is a time for celebrating and sharing gratitude, making it the perfect occasion to engage in fun and creative crafts with your kids. One excellent way to include the little ones in the holiday festivities is by incorporating Thanksgiving-themed centerpieces into your home decor.
A popular and meaningful craft is the Thankful Turkey. This centerpiece not only makes your table more festive but also encourages children to think about all the things they are grateful for. To create this, use a foam wreath for the turkey’s body, attach feathers made from colorful construction paper, and have your children write what they’re thankful for on each feather.
Another delightful centerpiece is the Thankfulness Gratitude Pumpkins. For this craft, let your kids paint mini pumpkins, and write words associated with thanksgiving and gratitude on them. This will create a warm and inviting centerpiece for your table.
To add an element of fun to your Thanksgiving gathering, consider creating Thanksgiving Bingo cards that include images of turkeys, pies, pumpkins, and other holiday staples. This activity will not only keep the children entertained but can also be a way to teach them about the holiday’s history and traditions.
For a decorative and functional craft, consider making turkey placemats for your dinner table. Using construction paper, let your children cut out turkey shapes and use them as a base for their placemat. Not only do these make for a beautiful table setting, but they are also an engaging activity for children.
Other creative Thanksgiving projects include paper snack cones, which are perfect for serving popcorn or other finger foods. Lace pumpkins and felt pie-slice garlands make for adorable decorations, while a “thankful pie” can be filled with slips of paper where everyone writes down their gratitude and shares them at dinner.
Incorporating these Thanksgiving crafts into your holiday celebrations allows children to engage in the traditions of the season while sparking their creativity and fostering meaningful connections with family and friends.
Easy Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids FAQs
What are some simple Thanksgiving crafts for preschoolers?
Preschoolers can enjoy a variety of simple crafts, such as construction paper turkeys or cute turkey pumpkins. These crafts typically involve minimal materials and provide little ones with an opportunity to practice their fine motor skills.
How can I create Thanksgiving table decorations with kids?
Involve your kids in creating Thanksgiving table decorations by making projects like Pom Pom Turkeys or Rock Turkeys. These crafts not only keep children entertained but also add a personal touch to your holiday table.
What are some engaging family crafts for Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is a great time for families to work on crafts together. Some engaging family crafts include DIY turkey treats and pinecone turkeys with feathers. These projects provide a fun way for families to bond while creating festive decorations or treats.
How do you make a thankful turkey craft?
A thankful turkey craft is an activity where each family member can write something they are grateful for on a “feather” made of paper or another material. Then, they attach the feathers to a paper or cardboard turkey, creating a visual representation of the things the family is thankful for this holiday season. You can find a detailed tutorial for this craft here.
What are some fun 4th-grade Thanksgiving art projects?
For 4th graders, crafts can become more complex, like Turkey Finger Puppets or Crayon Turkeys. These projects help kids develop creativity and problem-solving skills, while still being age-appropriate and engaging.
How can I incorporate Thanksgiving themes into Christmas crafts for kids?
As the holidays overlap, combine Thanksgiving and Christmas themes by creating crafts that highlight gratitude and giving. Ideas include writing thank-you notes to Santa or making gratitude garlands with Christmas-themed paper. This blend of holiday themes encourages children to appreciate the true spirit of the season.