Thanksgiving Crafts for Children

While dinner is being cooked in the kitchen and football is played on the television (or in the backyard), the children are in desperate need of something to distract their growling tummies from the aromas! Here are some Thanksgiving craft ideas to keep them entertained until the goodies are ready for the table.

–    Simple Leaf Wreath: cut out a 9” circle from poster board and then a 4 ¾” circle from within that one to create the wreath base. Staple string to the back to create a loop for hanging. Have the children cut out leaves from brown, red, orange, and yellow construction paper. Decorate each leaf with the veins and/or glitter and glue to the base for a beautiful fall wreath.
–    Gourd Centerpieces: the kids will enjoy creating something pretty for the dinner table, so have them paint gourds with fall colors and glitter.
–    Turkey Craft: this craft is the pinnacle of all Thanksgiving crafts and there are a variety of ways you can make one. Try turning a pinecone into a turkey with pipe cleaners shaped into wings, feathers for the fan tail, pom-poms for the face, and cutting construction paper pieces for the eyes, beak, and wattle. There’s also a cool turkey craft kit available for purchase that comes with everything you need to make a foam one.
–    Candy stick Puppets: The Martha Stewart website has an adorable craft, including the templates to print out, to make candy sticks into turkey and pilgrim puppets.

Hopefully these ideas will keep the children happy and out of the kitchen! Happy Thanksgiving Crafting!