Mom's Journey

Thanksgiving week is long when you have small kids at home and a turkey to plan. These thanksgiving crafts for kids keep things simple: they use paper plates, leaves, lunch bags and a little paint, and most of them fit into the half hour before someone needs a snack.

Below are thirteen ideas, each with a short supply list, four steps and one tip. Pick two or three for the week rather than all thirteen. If your child enjoys cutting and gluing, our cut and paste worksheets make good practice between craft days.

The pictures in this post are illustrations of each idea, not photos of finished projects. Your versions will look like your kids made them, which is the point.

Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids at a Glance

1. Handprint Turkey Card
2. Paper Plate Turkey
3. Pinecone Turkeys
4. Thankful Tree
5. Leaf Print Placemats
6. Paper Bag Turkey Puppet
7. Bubble Wrap Painted Corn
8. Paper Roll Turkeys
9. Gratitude Jar
10. Coffee Filter Turkey
11. Paper Leaf Wreath
12. Craft Stick Scarecrow
13. Thankful Pumpkin Pie

Before You Start

A little setup makes craft time calmer for everyone.

• Cover the table. Newspaper or an old tablecloth means paint is not a problem.
• Put out only what the craft needs. Five colors of paint invite a brown puddle. Three is plenty.
• Pre-cut for the youngest. Toddlers can glue and stamp long before they can cut. If you are building scissor skills, these worksheets for preschool help.
• Stay close with scissors, glue guns and small parts. Googly eyes and beads are not for children who still put things in their mouths.

1. Handprint Turkey Card

What It Is

A card where your child’s handprint becomes the turkey: the palm is the body and the fingers are the tail feathers. It is the classic for a reason, and grandparents keep these for years.

Supplies

• White cardstock, folded in half
• Washable paint in brown, red, orange and yellow
• A paintbrush
• A googly eye and a scrap of orange paper
• Glue stick

Quick How-To

1. Brush brown paint on the palm and thumb, and a different fall color on each finger.
2. Press the hand flat on the front of the card, fingers spread, then lift straight up.
3. When the paint is dry, glue on the eye, a paper beak and a small red wattle.
4. Draw two legs with a marker and write the year inside.

Tip

Do a practice print on scrap paper first. Little kids usually need one try to learn not to wiggle.

2. Paper Plate Turkey

What It Is

A paper plate painted brown for the body, with a fan of paper feathers glued behind it. It is big, bright and forgiving, which makes it a good first craft for preschoolers.

Supplies

• One paper plate
• Brown paint or a brown crayon
• Construction paper in fall colors
• Kid scissors and a glue stick
• Googly eyes, or a black marker

Quick How-To

1. Paint or color the plate brown and let it dry.
2. Cut feather shapes from the colored paper. Long ovals work well.
3. Glue the feathers in a fan along the top edge, on the back of the plate.
4. Add eyes, a triangle beak and a red wattle to the front.

Tip

Write one thing your child is thankful for on each feather before gluing them down.

3. Pinecone Turkeys

What It Is

A pinecone on its side makes a ready-made turkey body. Tuck craft feathers between the scales at the back, add a face at the front, and you have a table decoration in minutes.

Supplies

• Pinecones, dry and open
• Craft feathers in fall colors
• Small googly eyes
• Orange and red felt or paper scraps
• Tacky craft glue

Quick How-To

1. Lay each pinecone on its side with the flat end toward you.
2. Push four or five feathers between the scales at the wide end.
3. Glue the eyes, a beak and a wattle to the narrow end.
4. Let the glue set before moving them to the table.

Tip

If your pinecones are closed, leave them in a warm, dry spot for a day or two and they will open.

4. Thankful Tree

What It Is

A few bare branches in a jar, with paper leaves tied on. Each leaf carries one thing someone in the family is thankful for. Start it early in November and add a leaf a day.

Supplies

• A jar or vase and a few small branches
• Construction paper in fall colors
• A leaf to trace, or a printed leaf template
• A hole punch and string
• A marker

Quick How-To

1. Trace and cut out leaves. Aim for at least a dozen to start.
2. Punch a hole at the top of each leaf and thread a short loop of string.
3. Write one thankful thought on a leaf and hang it on a branch.
4. Keep blank leaves and the marker next to the jar so anyone can add one.

Tip

Put the jar where everyone passes it, such as the kitchen counter. Out of sight, it gets forgotten by day three.

If the thankful tree gets your family talking about feelings, these emotions worksheets keep that conversation going on quieter days.

5. Leaf Print Placemats

What It Is

Placemats for the Thanksgiving table, stamped with real leaves. Kids paint the back of a leaf, press it on paper, and peel it away to find every vein printed.

Supplies

• Large sheets of kraft or white paper
• Fresh leaves with strong veins
• Washable paint in fall colors
• A paintbrush or sponge
• Old newspaper to work on

Quick How-To

1. Brush a thin layer of paint on the bumpy underside of a leaf.
2. Lay it paint side down on the paper and press all over with a flat hand.
3. Peel the leaf away slowly and repeat with other shapes and colors.
4. Let the placemats dry flat overnight.

Tip

Thin paint prints best. If the print comes out as a blob, wipe most of the paint off the leaf and try again.

6. Paper Bag Turkey Puppet

What It Is

A brown lunch bag turned into a turkey that talks. The folded bottom of the bag is the head, so the beak opens and closes when a small hand moves inside.

Supplies

• One brown paper lunch bag
• Construction paper in fall colors
• Kid scissors and a glue stick
• A black marker

Quick How-To

1. Keep the bag folded flat with the bottom flap facing up. That flap is the head.
2. Glue paper eyes and a beak onto the flap, with a red wattle hanging below.
3. Cut feathers and glue them to the back of the bag so they show from the front.
4. Add paper wings on the sides and let everything dry.

Tip

Once the puppets are dry, let the kids put on a short turkey show before dinner. It fills the hungry half hour.

7. Bubble Wrap Painted Corn

What It Is

An ear of harvest corn printed with bubble wrap. The bubbles make rows of kernels, and kids love the pop of pressing it down.

Supplies

• White or yellow paper cut into a corn shape
• A piece of bubble wrap
• Paint in yellow, orange, red and brown
• Green or tan paper for the husk
• Glue stick

Quick How-To

1. Dab patches of different paint colors onto the bubbly side of the wrap.
2. Press the wrap onto the corn shape and rub gently.
3. Lift it off to see the kernels, and let the paint dry.
4. Cut two husk leaves and glue them to the top of the ear.

Tip

Tape the bubble wrap around a rolling pin for a roll-on version that covers the paper in seconds.

8. Paper Roll Turkeys

What It Is

A cardboard tube stands in for the turkey’s body. These are sturdy enough to stand on the table as place markers.

Supplies

• Cardboard tubes from paper towels, cut to about four inches
• Brown paint or brown paper
• Construction paper in fall colors
• Googly eyes
• Glue

Quick How-To

1. Paint the tube brown, or wrap it in brown paper.
2. Cut a fan of feathers from colored paper and glue it to the back.
3. Add eyes, a beak and a wattle near the top of the tube.
4. Cut two small feet and glue them under the front edge.

Tip

Write a guest’s name across the feathers and you have place cards the kids made themselves.

9. Gratitude Jar

What It Is

A decorated jar that fills up with small notes through November. On Thanksgiving, pass the jar around the table and take turns reading them aloud.

Supplies

• A clean jar with a wide mouth
• Ribbon, twine or washi tape
• Paper cut into small slips
• A pencil or pen
• A paper label

Quick How-To

1. Let your child decorate the jar with ribbon, tape and a label.
2. Cut a stack of paper slips and keep them beside the jar with a pencil.
3. Each day, everyone writes or draws one thing they are grateful for.
4. Fold the slip and drop it in.

Tip

For kids who cannot write yet, ask them to draw the thing and write the word underneath for them.

Gratitude notes pair well with a few calm minutes. Our mindfulness worksheets for kids have short exercises for that.

10. Coffee Filter Turkey

What It Is

Coffee filters soak up color in soft, blended rings, which makes them perfect turkey tails. This one feels a little like a science experiment.

Supplies

• White coffee filters
• Washable markers in fall colors
• A small cup of water and a brush
• Brown paper for the body
• Glue stick

Quick How-To

1. Scribble rings of marker color on a flattened coffee filter.
2. Brush or drip water over it and watch the colors spread.
3. Let the filter dry completely on a plate.
4. Cut a pear-shaped body from brown paper, add a face, and glue it to the front of the filter.

Tip

Put the wet filter on a plate or a baking sheet, since the color runs through onto whatever is underneath.

11. Paper Leaf Wreath

What It Is

A wreath built on a paper plate with the middle cut out, covered in overlapping paper leaves. It is a good one for a group, because every child can add leaves.

Supplies

• A paper plate
• Construction paper in fall colors
• Kid scissors
• A glue stick
• Ribbon or twine for hanging

Quick How-To

1. Cut the center out of the plate so you are left with a ring. An adult may need to start the cut.
2. Cut out lots of leaves. Tracing a real leaf gives a nice shape.
3. Glue the leaves around the ring, overlapping them and pointing the same way.
4. Tie a loop of ribbon to the top for hanging.

Tip

Fold each paper leaf in half lengthwise and open it again before gluing. The crease makes the wreath look fuller.

12. Craft Stick Scarecrow

What It Is

A friendly scarecrow face made from a row of craft sticks, with a paper hat and straw-colored hair. It works as a fridge magnet or as a decoration for the front door.

Supplies

• Seven or eight wooden craft sticks
• Paint in a light tan color
• Brown and orange paper
• Yellow yarn or raffia
• Glue and a black marker

Quick How-To

1. Line the sticks up side by side and glue two more across the back to hold them.
2. Paint the front tan and let it dry.
3. Glue a paper hat across the top, with yarn hair peeking out underneath.
4. Add a triangle nose and draw the eyes and a stitched smile.

Tip

Glue a small magnet strip on the back if you want it to live on the fridge.

13. Thankful Pumpkin Pie

What It Is

A paper plate pumpkin pie, divided into slices. Each slice has room for one thing your child is thankful for, and a cotton ball makes the whipped cream.

Supplies

• A paper plate
• Orange paint or orange paper
• A brown marker
• A cotton ball
• Glue

Quick How-To

1. Paint the flat middle of the plate orange and leave the rim plain for the crust.
2. When it is dry, draw lines to divide the pie into six or eight slices.
3. Write or draw one thankful thought in each slice.
4. Glue a cotton ball in the center for whipped cream.

Tip

Color the rim lightly with a tan crayon so the crust looks baked.

How to Pick the Right Craft for Each Age

Toddlers, ages two and three, do best with stamping and sticking: leaf prints, bubble wrap corn and the coffee filter turkey. Expect five to ten minutes of attention. For more ideas at this age, see our busy book printable ideas for toddlers.

Preschoolers, ages four and five, can handle the paper plate turkey, the paper bag puppet and the leaf wreath with a little help cutting. Our kindergarten worksheets have more activities for this stage.

Kids six and up can make the craft stick scarecrow, the paper roll turkeys and the thankful pie mostly on their own, and they are old enough to write on the leaves of the thankful tree.

Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids: Questions Parents Ask

Which craft is the fastest?

The handprint turkey card and the bubble wrap corn. Both take about ten minutes of making, plus drying time.

What can we make with no paint at all?

The paper bag puppet, the leaf wreath, the gratitude jar and the thankful tree use only paper, scissors and glue.

How do I keep the crafts as keepsakes?

Write the name and the year on the back as soon as it is dry, and store flat pieces in a folder. Handprint crafts are worth keeping, because the hand is never that size again.

What do the kids do while the paint dries?

A printed puzzle fills the gap nicely. These word search activities are an easy option to have ready.

I hope a couple of these find their way onto your table this year. When Thanksgiving is over and the next countdown starts, our Christmas coloring pages for kids are waiting.