3 Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids: Native Americans

The Native Americans were very much a part of Thanksgiving here in the United States. When the Pilgrims landed in America in 1620, they made friends with the Native Americans who help the Pilgrims survive the harsh beginnings, taught them to plant their harvest, and celebrated the first Thanksgiving together. Since many of the Native Americans lived in a teepee (one type of home), here is a fun craft to make. It can be used as a photo magnet to place on the refrigerator.

Materials needed:
3 craft sticks
3 toothpicks (colored ones if possible)
Heavy-duty glue (or low temperature glue gun, with adult supervision)
Photo of the child
Thanksgiving or harvest adhesive stickers (optional)
Adhesive magnet strip

Procedure:
1. Glue the three craft sticks into a teepee shape.
2. Adhere three toothpicks at the top of the teepee (these represent the branches or wooden poles use to hold up the canvas teepee)
3. Invite the child to paint the teepee (craft sticks) with poster paints.
4. Take a photo of the child and glue this to the back of the teepee. The teepee acts as a frame.
5. Encourage the child to place holiday stickers on the frame.
6. Place a magnetic strip to the back of the frame.

Many tribes of Native Americans made totem poles. These poles are a symbol of unity, tradition, and pride. The pole shows animals and mythical figures that are associated with a family of the tribe. Here is one version of a craft that is fun for children to make.

Materials needed:
1 feather
1 large craft stick (tongue depressor)
4-5 nuts in their shell
Poster paints
Black marker
Heavy-duty glue (or low-temperature glue gun, adult supervision needed)

Procedure:
1. Invite the children to paint the nuts with poster paints in a variety of colors.
2. First, glue the craft stick to the feather.
3. Then glue each painted nut to the craft stick, one on top of another.
4. When dried, the children can add faces to the nuts with a black marker.

During Thanksgiving the Pilgrims and Native Americans ate turkey. This craft is for the younger group and teaches shapes (circles and triangles) as they make this paper turkey. This cut and paste craft teaches the body anatomy of the turkey using circles and triangles for body parts.

Materials needed:
Brown construction paper or grocery bag
Red and orange construction paper
Scrapbook paper, wallpaper samples or construction paper in colors
Glue
Safety scissors
Googly eye or black marker

Procedure:
1. Glue a large brown circle onto a sheet of light colored construction paper.
2. Add a small brown circle for the head of the turkey. Glue on a googly eye or draw one with a black marker.
3. Cut and paste red triangles for a beak and wattle.
4. Orange triangles make great feet.
5. Cut and paste elongated triangles, using colorful paper to represent the tail feathers.

Introduce turkeys to the children by looking at books. Discuss that turkeys are large birds, both wild and domestic. Wild turkeys are greenish bronze in color. Wild turkeys fly and sleep in trees. The Pilgrims hunted wild turkeys for their Thanksgiving feast. A turkey's head and neck are bare. The red skin hanging from the turkey's neck is called the wattle. Turkeys eat insects, seeds, berries, and tender plants. And the most important information about the turkey is the sound it makes: gooble, gooble, gooble!

Take time to make Thanksgiving crafts for kids - you will be glad you bonded with your children and they will learn wonderful lessons while creating art.

Source: Personal Experience at Home and in the Classroom

For more Thanksgiving fun read these articles by the same author:
Thanksgiving Activities for Kids: Getting Ready for the Feast
Teaching Gratitude to Children through Art and Activities During Thanksgiving