There are two kinds of children’s craft.
The one in the photograph.
And the thing your child actually makes.
We prefer the second one.
Crooked feathers, enthusiastic glue and all.
Thanksgiving crafts for toddlers
Keep the materials simple:
- Chunky crayons
- Washable paint
- Large pieces of paper
- Leaves
- Cardboard
- Child-safe glue used with supervision
A handprint turkey may not look exactly like a turkey.
This has never stopped a toddler.
Paper plate turkeys
You’ll need:
- A paper plate
- Coloured paper
- Crayons or paint
- Glue
Colour the plate, cut large feather shapes and let children arrange them.
Add eyes and a beak.
Name the turkey.
Apparently ours is called Kevin.
Leaf creatures
Collect fallen leaves outside.
Arrange them into:
- Turkeys
- Birds
- Funny faces
- Creatures nobody can quite identify
Add paper eyes and legs.
Your Dinkums can supervise.
Also Read:
More low-waste making, using what’s already in the house.
Gratitude leaves
Cut leaf shapes from paper and ask everyone to draw or write one thing they’re thankful for.
Little children can dictate theirs.
Stick the leaves onto a paper tree or scatter them down the Thanksgiving table.
Table decorations children can make
Children can:
- Decorate place cards
- Draw placemats
- Make napkin rings from cardboard
- Create paper leaves
- Make tiny signs for each guest
Perfectly straight lines are not required.
In fact, they rather defeat the point.
Also Read:
DIY pressed flower greeting cards
The same technique works beautifully with autumn leaves.
Thanksgiving food crafts
If children are helping with food, choose jobs appropriate for their age and supervise closely.
Simple decorating, arranging ingredients or helping assemble something can make them feel part of the preparation without turning dinner into an advanced culinary examination. Our Thanksgiving dessert recipe has a job or two they can take on.
Crafts using things you already have
Before buying a craft kit, look around.
Cardboard boxes. Paper bags. Leaves. Old magazines. String. Crayons.
Children are remarkably capable of turning recycling into something extremely important.
For what to do once the crafting is finished, our Thanksgiving activities for kids post covers the rest of the day.
More things to make and play
Ready for another little project? Explore more creative play ideas and activities.
FIND MORE THINGS TO MAKE & PLAY
Thanksgiving crafts FAQs
What are easy Thanksgiving crafts for toddlers?
Handprint turkeys, leaf pictures, colouring and simple paper crafts are lovely starting points. Choose large materials, supervise closely and let the finished masterpiece look exactly as your toddler intended.
What Thanksgiving crafts can children make with things at home?
Paper plate turkeys, cardboard decorations, leaf creatures and gratitude trees can all be made using everyday craft supplies and things collected outside.
What are some low-mess Thanksgiving crafts?
Try colouring placemats, decorating paper leaves, making place cards or arranging nature collages. No glitter explosion required.
How can children help decorate the Thanksgiving table?
They can make place cards, draw placemats, create paper decorations or arrange safe, unbreakable items. A table decorated by little hands is rather lovely, crooked edges and all.