Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that brings everyone together to share food, stories, and laughter. For kids, however, the highlight often goes beyond the meal. Thanksgiving crafts are a wonderful way for kids to dive into the festive spirit, express their creativity, and even add a personal touch to your holiday decor. And as a bonus, these activities keep little hands busy while adults prepare for the main event!
If you’re looking for ways to entertain kids this Thanksgiving, DIY crafts are a perfect choice. They’re fun, easy to adapt, and require simple materials. Below is a list of 19 kid-friendly Thanksgiving craft ideas that will engage and delight, bringing a burst of color, creativity, and holiday cheer into your home!
1. Thanksgiving Turkey Handprint Art
Thanksgiving handprint art is a classic that lets kids create something memorable each year. By tracing their hands on paper, they form the shape of a turkey’s body. After adding colors and feathers, they have a cute turkey that can be displayed.
Children love seeing their handprints become a unique Thanksgiving decoration. This activity also allows them to use their favorite colors and add fun details, like glitter or googly eyes. Over time, these handprints can become cherished keepsakes, tracking your child’s growth.
2. Pinecone Turkeys
Kids can turn ordinary pinecones into delightful Thanksgiving turkeys. This craft combines nature with creativity, as children attach colorful paper feathers and googly eyes to the pinecone base.
Once complete, these little turkeys make adorable table decorations. They’re easy to assemble and encourage kids to gather natural materials, sparking their interest in the outdoors. Display them on the Thanksgiving table for a charming seasonal touch.
3. Paper Plate Pilgrim Hats
Creating pilgrim hats from paper plates is an enjoyable way to get into the Thanksgiving spirit. By cutting the center from a black paper plate and adding a yellow buckle, kids can make their own hats.
This craft doubles as a costume piece, giving kids a playful opportunity to dress up. After crafting, they can wear the hats around the house, making them feel part of the Thanksgiving story. It’s a simple yet meaningful addition to the festivities.
4. Corn Kernel Art
With just dried corn kernels and glue, kids can create vibrant Thanksgiving scenes. Outline shapes, like turkeys or pumpkins, on paper, and fill them with kernels for a textured look.
Children enjoy working with the colorful corn kernels, which aren’t typical crafting materials. It’s a great sensory experience, letting them play with textures while creating art that reflects the Thanksgiving harvest. Place their creations on display as unique, seasonal decor.
5. Thanksgiving Garland
Thanksgiving garlands bring charm to any room, and kids love making them. Using paper shapes like leaves, pumpkins, and turkeys, kids can string together a beautiful garland to hang around the house.
Garlands are perfect for windows, doorways, and mantles, creating a cozy Thanksgiving ambiance. This craft also helps develop fine motor skills as kids cut and string each piece. It’s a festive decoration they’ll proudly showcase.
6. Leaf Prints
Leaf printing celebrates the beauty of fall leaves in a hands-on way. Kids dip leaves in paint and press them onto paper, making colorful impressions that mimic autumn’s vibrant tones.
This activity introduces them to different leaf shapes while fostering creativity. It’s an ideal way to incorporate the outdoors into holiday crafts, turning nature into art. Leaf prints can even be framed as seasonal artwork.
7. Mason Jar Pumpkin Lanterns
These pumpkin lanterns add a warm glow to Thanksgiving decor. Kids can paint mason jars orange and draw pumpkin faces, creating a festive lantern that’s safe with LED candles.
Mason jar lanterns are kid-friendly and cozy, adding a Halloween-to-Thanksgiving transition. They make great centerpieces and give children a taste of creating “grown-up” decor. Plus, they’re reusable year after year.
8. DIY Thanksgiving Placemats
Personalized placemats add a thoughtful touch to the Thanksgiving table. Kids can decorate their own with Thanksgiving themes, like turkeys, pumpkins, and leaves, making each placemat unique.
These DIY placemats keep kids occupied and allow them to showcase their creativity. Laminating the finished placemats makes them reusable for future Thanksgivings, creating a treasured holiday tradition. They also serve as mementos of each child’s evolving artistic style.
9. Feather Headbands
Inspired by Native American culture, feather headbands are simple yet festive. Kids cut a paper band to fit their head, decorate it, and glue on colorful feathers.
This craft offers a fun way for kids to celebrate the holiday’s heritage in a respectful and playful manner. Wearing the headbands during dinner makes them feel special and immersed in the Thanksgiving spirit. It’s an easy craft that yields adorable results.
10. Clothespin Turkeys
Clothespin turkeys are versatile and can be clipped onto plants, bags, or even used as place card holders. Kids decorate clothespins with feathers, eyes, and a beak to make these cute birds.
They add a Thanksgiving flair to any surface, making them perfect for decorating the house. It’s a quick craft with endless uses, and kids will love seeing their creations clipped all around the home.
11. Button Pumpkins
Button pumpkins provide a fun twist on traditional pumpkin decor. Kids can fill in a pumpkin outline with buttons, adding a unique texture to their artwork.
Using buttons helps develop fine motor skills, and children enjoy the sensory element of choosing and arranging each button. Once finished, these button pumpkins look fantastic displayed on a wall or fridge, adding a festive yet handmade touch.
12. Leaf Crown
A leaf crown makes kids feel like royalty of the autumn season. They can glue colorful leaves onto a paper band to create a crown fit for a Thanksgiving celebration.
This craft is wearable and fun, offering a chance for kids to be playful while exploring nature’s beauty. It also makes for great photos, capturing sweet holiday memories that can be cherished for years.
13. Fall Suncatchers
Bring color to your windows with fall suncatchers. By pressing leaves or tissue paper between sheets of contact paper, kids can create beautiful suncatchers that glow when placed in sunlight.
This craft introduces kids to the concept of color blending and light. It’s a simple, hands-on activity that enhances your holiday decor while letting children explore creativity in a new way. The vibrant colors create a warm and cozy vibe for your home.
14. Thankful Tree
A thankful tree lets kids express gratitude in a creative form. Small branches are arranged in a vase, and kids can write what they’re thankful for on paper leaves that they hang on the branches.
This craft not only enhances Thanksgiving decor but also teaches the importance of gratitude. Kids enjoy writing and sharing their blessings, making this a meaningful addition to the holiday. Display the tree as a reminder of what Thanksgiving is truly about.
15. Paper Bag Puppets
Turn paper bags into Thanksgiving puppets, perfect for a holiday puppet show. Kids can create turkeys, pilgrims, or Native American characters, using markers and paper for details.
Once decorated, these puppets provide endless playtime possibilities. Kids can act out Thanksgiving stories or create their own tales, fostering imaginative play. The puppets are simple to make but offer lasting entertainment.
16. Gratitude Rocks
Encourage mindfulness with gratitude rocks, where kids paint rocks and write something they’re thankful for. These rocks can be placed around the house as little reminders.
This craft combines creativity with reflection, allowing kids to think deeply about gratitude while getting hands-on with paint. The rocks are charming keepsakes and reminders to stay thankful throughout the holiday season.
17. Pumpkin Seed Mosaic Art
Kids can create beautiful art with pumpkin seeds by painting and arranging them into designs like turkeys or leaves. Gluing the seeds onto paper adds texture to their artwork.
This craft celebrates Thanksgiving’s harvest theme, encouraging kids to get creative with patterns and shapes. The tactile nature of handling seeds makes it engaging, and the final piece is perfect for holiday decor.
18. Nature Collage
A nature collage combines outdoor elements, like leaves and twigs, with Thanksgiving-themed designs. Kids can arrange leaves as feathers or acorns as eyes to create characters or scenes.
The activity combines a nature walk with crafting, helping kids connect with the outdoors. It’s a great way to introduce them to mixed-media art, and each collage serves as a unique Thanksgiving decoration.
19. Thanksgiving Coloring Book
Sometimes, simple crafts are the most effective. Print out Thanksgiving-themed coloring pages and let kids decorate their own holiday coloring book.
These coloring books provide a calming activity, perfect for a quieter Thanksgiving moment. Kids can explore Thanksgiving symbols, colors, and scenes, all while engaging their artistic side. The completed pages make a charming addition to the holiday decor.
Wrapping Up
Thanksgiving crafts are more than just activities – they’re a chance for kids to express creativity, learn about the holiday, and connect with family traditions. From handprint turkeys to gratitude rocks, each craft provides a unique way to bring Thanksgiving spirit into your home. Plus, these DIY crafts offer lasting memories, decor, and keepsakes to cherish year after year.
So, gather your supplies, embrace the creativity, and enjoy watching your kids bring their holiday visions to life this Thanksgiving!