Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids: Turkeys, Wreaths and Table Decorations

Thanksgiving crafts keep little hands busy while the kitchen is busy, and they make the table look festive too. These ideas include turkeys, wreaths, place cards and gratitude crafts, for ages 3 to 10. Most need only paper, glue, crayons and things you can find on a walk.

Turkey crafts

1. Handprint turkey. Paint your child's palm brown and fingers in red, orange and yellow. Press it on paper: the thumb becomes the head and the fingers become the feathers. Add an eye, a beak and legs.
2. Paper plate turkey. Color a paper plate brown for the body and glue paper feathers around the back.
3. Gratitude turkey. Color our turkey page and write one thing you're thankful for on each feather.
4. Pine cone turkey. Glue colored paper feathers into the back of a pine cone and add a paper head.
5. Toilet-roll turkey. Wrap a tube in brown paper, add googly eyes and a fan of paper feathers.

Table decorations

1. Place cards. Fold card in half, color a small pumpkin or leaf and write each guest's name. It's great handwriting practice.
2. Placemats. Color an autumn scene, add a border of leaves and cover with clear contact paper.
3. Napkin rings. Cut strips from colored pages, decorate with leaves and tape them into rings.
4. Centerpiece. Fill a jar or basket with pine cones, leaves and mini pumpkins.
5. Leaf garland. Cut out leaves in fall colors and string them across the table or a window.

Wreaths

1. Paper plate wreath. Cut out the center of a paper plate and glue on leaves (real or paper).
2. Handprint wreath. Trace and cut out lots of hands in fall colors and glue them in a circle.
3. Gratitude wreath. Each leaf on the wreath has something you're thankful for.

Gratitude crafts

1. Thankful tree. Draw a bare tree and add paper leaves with things family members are grateful for.
2. Gratitude jar. Decorate a jar and fill it with notes all month.
3. Thank-you cards. Color a greeting card for someone who helps you.
4. Gratitude chain. Each link has something you're thankful for.

See also: teaching gratitude to kids.

Using nature

Go on an autumn walk and collect leaves, acorns, pine cones and twigs. Use them for collages, wreaths and centerpieces. See fall crafts for kids for more.

Kids' table activity kit

Set up the kids' table with:

• A stack of Thanksgiving coloring pages
• Crayons in a cup
• A few mazes and I Spy pages
• A paper tablecloth to draw on

Ideas by age

Ages 3–4: handprint turkeys, paper plate wreaths and placemats.

Ages 5–7: gratitude turkeys, place cards, pine cone turkeys and napkin rings.

Ages 8–10: thankful trees, centerpieces, garlands and helping younger kids with crafts.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Starting on Thanksgiving morning. Make crafts a few days early.
• Too much glitter. Keep it simple and use glitter glue.
• Forgetting to involve kids in the table. Let them place their crafts on the table themselves.

Frequently asked questions

What's the easiest Thanksgiving craft for toddlers?

A handprint turkey. It's quick, colorful and makes a lovely keepsake.

How can kids help decorate the Thanksgiving table?

Making place cards, placemats, napkin rings and a centerpiece gives them a real job.

What are good gratitude crafts for kids?

Thankful trees, gratitude turkeys, gratitude jars and thank-you cards.

See also: Thanksgiving activities for kids.

A make-ahead plan for the week

Spreading crafts across the week keeps Thanksgiving Day calm:

• Saturday: go on a nature walk and collect leaves, pine cones and acorns. Press the leaves.
• Sunday: make handprint turkeys and start a thankful tree.
• Monday: color placemats and cover them in contact paper.
• Tuesday: make place cards with every guest's name.
• Wednesday: napkin rings and the centerpiece. Set the table together.
• Thursday: enjoy! Keep a kids' table kit ready for after dinner.

Supplies to gather before you start

Paper plates, brown, orange, red and yellow paper, glue sticks, washable paint, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, clear contact paper, ribbon and a stack of printed pages.

How can older kids help younger ones?

Give older children a "craft leader" role: they demonstrate each step, hand out supplies and help with tricky cutting. It builds confidence and keeps everyone busy.

What can we do with the crafts afterwards?

Keep a few favorites in a labelled envelope with the year. Turkeys and place cards make lovely keepsakes to bring out again next year.

Can older kids make more ambitious decorations?

Yes. Try a leaf-printed tablecloth on brown paper, hand-lettered place cards, or a centerpiece built from a hollowed-out pumpkin filled with flowers and leaves.

How do I stop little ones getting bored halfway through a craft?

Break crafts into short steps, prepare pieces in advance and let them decorate freely. If they wander off, leave the craft out so they can come back to it later.