Shrinky Dink Crafts 2: Thanksgiving

Ask your students to list items or characters that represent Thanksgiving. Write their answers on the blackboard. They will probably list words such as, turkey, Pilgrims, Indians, corn, pumpkin pie, pumpkins, green bean casserole, and more.

Give your students a brief review about the first Thanksgiving. Discuss both the Pilgrims and the Native Americans. Talk about the culture of each group of people. What did clothing did each group wear? What foods did each contribute to the first Thanksgiving? How did the Native Americans and Pilgrims benefit from each other?

Let the students know that they are going to create Thanksgiving drawings that will be shrunk later on in the oven.

You will need the following items to create your Thanksgiving Shrinky Dinks:

1. Shrinky Dink sheets
2. Scissors
3. Pencil crayons
4. Baking sheet
5. Oven

Follow the directions below to create your shrinky dink Thanksgiving characters:

1. Head to the Shrinky Dink website to purchase some shrinky dink sheets. The sheets cost between $3-$5 a package. Each package includes several shrinky dinks. Just click on the link above and choose "Shop Online".
2. Give each student one shrinky dink sheet. Each shrinky dink sheet will make about five Thanksgiving symbols.
3. Have the students flip the shrinky dinks sheets so that the rough side is facing up toward them. Tell them to color on the rough side. The smooth side should be facing down on their desk.
4. Have the students use pencil crayons to first draw an outline from one of the suggestions made on the blackboard.
5. Have the students use pencil crayons to color in their Thanksgiving symbol.
6. Each student will then cut out his or her drawing. He or she will need to leave a clear edge around the drawing to compensate for the shrinking.
7. Place each shrinky dink craft rough side up on a baking sheet.
8. Go to the kitchen and preheat the school's oven to 325 degrees.
9. Place the baking sheets in the heated oven for sixty seconds and no longer!
10. Remove the shrinky dink Thanksgiving symbols from the oven and allow to cool for ten minutes before removing from the baking sheet.