Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids

With the crisp chill in the air comes the mom I'm bored from the kids, since they can't play outside .Now its up to you to find something to keep them entertained .Why not let them make some crafts for the upcoming thanksgiving holiday. Here are 10 ideas to keep them busy for hours.

1. Fall tree
Paper (Big piece)
Markers, paint, crayons, etc.
Glue
Fall Leaves

1: Collect pretty fall leaves.

2. Trace your hand with your fingers spread and your arm up to your elbow on your piece of paper. This will be your tree.

3. Color with markers, paint or crayons the inside of your tree.

4: Glue your leaves onto your tree. You can add any decorative touches you want Such as apples, acorns, squirrels etc.

2.Apple Turkey
Apple
Toothpicks
Marshmallows
Raisins

1: Lay the apple on its side.

2: Insert 5 toothpicks into the apple in a fan like pattern.

3: Put a little mini marshmallow on the end of each toothpick. This is your turkey's feathers.

4: Put one more toothpick in front of the other toothpicks. Place a large marshmallow on this toothpick. This is your turkey's head.

5: Place 2 raisins on a toothpick and place this toothpick into the turkey's head. This is your turkey's wattle.

3.Thanksgiving tablecloth
White Tablecloth
Fabric Paint: Suggested colors (red, orange, brown, gold, green etc.)
Sponges: Cut into shapes of leaves, pumpkins, etc.
Corn Cob or fall leaves for printing.

1: Wash, Dry and Iron your tablecloth.

2. Put your paints on Styrofoam plates. Create a masterpiece by dipping your sponges into the different paints and pressing onto the tablecloth. OR try rolling the corncob in the paint and rolling across your tablecloth. You can dip your fall leaves into the paint and then gently press them onto your cloth. Be creative!

3. Using permanent markers, have each member of the family write what they are thankful for this year. Have them include the date.

4.Hand print turkey and poem
Construction paper: White & Brown
Markers, Crayons, Etc.
Craft Eyes

1: Trace around your hand at the bottom of a piece of white construction paper. This will become your turkey's tail.

2: Cut out a peanut shaped piece out of brown construction paper. This will become your turkey's body. Keep in mind that this piece needs to fit inside the palm of your hand print. The body can extend a little bit up into the feathers though. Glue this piece to the center of your palm print with the bottom of the "peanut" equal to the bottom of the hand print.

3: Using markers or crayons, decorate your turkey. Your turkey needs a beak, wattle and don't forget to add the craft eyes.

4.Copy the poem below onto your hand print turkey picture. Don't forget to sign and date your picture.
This isn't just a turkey.
As anyone can see.
I made it with my hand,
Which is a part of me.
It comes with lots of love,
Especially to say,
I hope you have a very,
Happy Thanksgiving Day!

5.Turkey place cards
Pine cone
Pipe Cleaners in Fall Colors
Address label stickers

1: Using wire cutters, cut the pipe cleaners in half.

2: Make a loop and twist the end to create turkey feathers.

3: Twist a brown pipe cleaner to create the turkey's head.

4: Insert your turkey feathers into your pine cone.

5: Write the person's name on one of the address labels and stick the label to a blank label with a pipe cleaner in between. Insert the pipe cleaner into the turkey.

6.Hands and Feet Turkey
Construction paper in brown,
black, orange, red, yellow, white.
Maybe some green and blue as well.
Scissors
Glue
Wiggle eyes, optional

1.Trace your child's hands and feet, two feet (with shoes on) on brown construction paper and cut 6-8 hands for
feathers and wings.

2.To make the turkey's body, glue
the two feet together matching the tops for the head and spread the bottoms apart as in the illustration.

3.Make the Turkey's feet with the orange scraps, cut a diamond
shape for the beak.

4.Cut white paper eyes, or use
wiggle eyes.

5. Make the wattle out of red construction
paper. Glue them onto the body .

6.Now it's time to add the feathers and wings. Overlap the hand cutouts, gluing one top of another. The front wings are
made with the same color and glued to the front.

7.Turkey napkin holders

9-inch lightweight paper plates
Poster paint,
Small brush, crayons,
Colored pencils etc.
Scrap construction paper
Scissors
Tape

1.Roughly paint or color the edges of the plate. If using paint wait until it dries before proceeding.

2.Cut a 2 1/2 inch long scrap of construction paper, rounding one end to make head.

3.Carefully notch a V-shape on head for a beak, or draw a beak with marker.

4.Cut or draw 2 curves alongside of head for turkey's wattle. Draw eyes. Bend the paper plate in 2 straight lines- one 3 1/2 inches from the top, one 3 1/2 inches from the bottom. This will form the place to put your napkin into.

5. Bend head 1/2 inch from straight edge. Secure it to the bottom of the paper plate with tape

8.Thanksgiving Place mat

I large sheet of construction paper
Pencil
Construction paper to cut out dinner items
White craft glue or a glue stick
Scissors
Magic markers
Laminate to cover the place mat when it's finished

1.Have the child decide where she wants to place her dinner items. You might want to gently sketch or mark where this will be on the large piece of construction paper.

2.Draw and cut out the items to be included on the place mat. Then glue them to the large sheet of construction paper. Do all decorating of the items BEFORE gluing them down.

3.Do any writing or any other decorating before laminating the place mat. This can include drawings of favorite people who might at dinner, the date, the child's name etc...

9.Blessing box

Empty milk cartons
Brown construction paper
Magic markers

1.Have students save their milk cartons from lunch.

2.Wash the milk cartons and let them dry over night.

3.Cover the milk carton with brown paper leaving the top open.

4.Have students trace their hands onto construction paper.

5. Cut out the hand shapes to create turkey tails to attach to the back of the box.

6. On the front of the box print the child's name and the word blessing underneath. (ex. Jessica's Blessing Box.)

7. Each day allow the children to print their blessings on a small strip of paper and put it into their box.

8.They can take the project home and read their blessings out for Thanksgiving to their parents.

10.Turkey centerpieces

Apples
Toothpicks with rounded ends
Red construction paper and gumdrops

1.Cut the red construction paper into turkey head shape.

2.Add eyes and mouth and laminate.

3.Cut a slit in the apple for the turkey's head.

4.Give each child an apple, a turkey head, toothpicks and gumdrops.

5.Have the child put the turkey head in the slit.

6.Older children can make their own slit in the apple with a plastic knife.

7.Have the child place the toothpicks on the apple and add gumdrops. These are the feathers.

8.Legs can be added on the bottom with one gumdrop on the bottom of each toothpick.

9.The kids like to bring these home and put them on the table for thanksgiving.

10.Guests can eat the candy on the toothpicks on Thanksgiving Day.

These are just a few of the many thanksgiving crafts that can be found when searching the internet, you will be able to find enough to keep them busy for hours, and your house will look great on thanksgiving day when you proudly display all there wonderful projects.