With Thanksgiving on the horizon, children are likely chattering about pilgrims, parades, and their favorite kind of pie. 
Thanksgiving offers an exciting time for children, and it’s an opportunity for parents to instill in them the value of gratitude. Add a bit of extra fun to the holiday by collaborating with your children to make some of these easy Thanksgiving crafts.
What You May Need
For several of the crafts we list, you’ll need a few different items. You can get creative and substitute some of them out, so you can work with what you already have at home. A few craft supplies you may need to use includes:
- Construction paper
- Paint
and/or markers
- Staplers
(There are a few different kinds you may consider using)
- Scissors
- Paper plates
- Felt
- Glue
1. A Leaf Garland
Trace and cut out some leaves from felt, and help your child use a hot glue gun (check out this guide to the best Cordless Heat Gun Brands) to attach them to string. Then, let your child choose where in the house to hang their creation.
2. Thanksgiving Advent Calendar
Draw a tree on a piece of poster board, and attach leaves made from construction paper to the branches. Write a date on each leaf, and each morning take the leaf for your date off its respective branch. Then, let it “fall” to the bottom of the poster board.
RELATED: 7 Easy Advent Calendar Ideas
3. Thank You Cards
Sit down with your child and make cards out of construction paper. Help them decorate the cards and write thank you messages for the important people in their life. These can include family members, teachers, or their babysitter.
4. Pinecone Turkey
Collect pinecones and use nature to create fun little turkey friends. Glue leaves to the back of the pinecone to represent the turkey’s feathers. Then, use googly eyes and a construction paper beak to make the face.
5. Pilgrim Hat
Use a headband and construction paper to make a pilgrim hat. Cut out black construction paper in the shape of a hat and use brown paper to create the buckle. Attach this to a headband, and let your child wear it to dinner.
6. A Bookmark
Print out some free, fall-themed bookmarks from online that your child can color in. Glue cardboard to the backside of these, or laminate it, to make the bookmark sturdy.
MORE THANKSGIVING RESOURCES
- THE ULTIMATE THANKSGIVING PLANNER
- HOW TO PREPARE YOUR FIRST THANKSGIVING DINNER
- HAPPY THANKSGIVING! (& WHY I WON’T BE COOKING)
- MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY ROAD TRIP SMOOTH AND SAFE WITH THESE TIPS
- 5 SIMPLE RULES TO STAY UNDER BUDGET ON BLACK FRIDAY
- HOW I PREPARE FOR THE UPCOMING HOLIDAY SEASON
- 10 Thanksgiving Movies to Watch With Your Family
- Fun Thanksgiving Games for the Entire Family
- Printable Thanksgiving Riddles
- Fun Turkey-Themed Thanksgiving Snacks
