Kids and Family Crafts: Thanksgiving Give Thanks Wreaths

Make Thanksgiving give thanks wreaths with your kids to encourage them to find things in their lives to be thankful for to celebrate the holiday.

Supplies Needed:

Colored Construction Paper

Tracing Templates (optional)

Scissors

Pen, Fine-tipped Markers or Pens

White Craft Glue

Instructions:

*Cut construction paper shapes that represent autumn and Thanksgiving about 3" to 5" big. Shape Ideas include ears of corn, pumpkins, hand tracing, apples, squash, cornucopia, a pie wedge or a turkey 3" to 4" To make this project with a large group of children in a home, school or church setting, make templates of each shape to trace multiple shapes. (Save and reuse the templates for future Thanksgiving wreath projects.) Cut enough pieces to cover one wreath for each child.

* Have the children write something on each shape that they are thankful for, Write a different subject on each wreath piece. Encourage the children to look at everything in their lives to pick their subjects of gratitude. Let the kids be as creative in their choices as they like. Their ideas of what is good in their lives may be different from an adult. Younger children who cannot write yet may need help filling in each shape. Either write down the items for them, help them to write or have the children draw a picture on each shape instead of writing.

*Cut a wreath out of the construction paper about the size of a dinner plate or smaller. Cut one for each child. Use white craft glue to attach the pieces around the plain paper wreath to decorate it.

*To make it a family project, instruct each family member to make his or her own wreath. Include the teenagers and adults.

*Hang the finished wreaths near the dinner table to make the room festive for Thanksgiving or place each one on the corresponding person's table setting for table décor. When everyone is sitting down for the big feast, take turns sharing the things each person is thankful for on Thanksgiving and throughout the rest of the year. Some choices may be touching or sentimental and others will add a chuckle or two to the festivities. You never know what ideas kids will write or draw.

Make Thanksgiving more than a big meal. Help your kids understand the holiday also represents bounty and gratuity for what they do have that is good in their lives. Create a family tradition with the Thanksgiving give thanks wreaths. Make a new one each year and save them for a Thanksgiving family time line to put in a scrapbook along with the menu and photographs of the day.