Discovery Point Blog

November 11, 2015

Four Thanksgiving Craft Projects to Share with Your Kids

Thanksgiving is a time of celebration and reflection for the whole family. Spending time with younger children can ensure that they feel part of the activities surrounding this special day. Choosing craft projects with a Thanksgiving theme can not only keep small hands occupied before and during turkey day but can also provide you with mementos of the holidays your family will treasure for many years to come. Here are four of the best Thanksgiving craft projects to share with your little ones from the childcare experts at Discovery Point.

Hand-Made Turkeys

This craft project is a perennial favorite in schools and childcare facilities for good reason. Tracing around a child’s hand on harvest-colored construction paper and then decorating this handprint to resemble a turkey with crayons, stickers and cutouts is an ideal way to commemorate the holidays each year. By saving these precious handprints in a scrapbook or photo album, you can create a record of your child’s hand from early childhood through to their graduation from elementary school and beyond.

Thankful Wreaths

Paper or Styrofoam plates and colorful squares of tissue or construction paper can serve as the basic building blocks for these inspirational projects. First, cut the centers from plates to create a wreath shape for each child in your family. You can then ask your children to think about the people and things they are grateful for this Thanksgiving. School-aged children can write these down on colorful pieces of paper; for younger children, you can provide some assistance. When your children have filled each square with a name, object or concept, you can help them glue their thanks to their own personal wreaths. This project can help your children keep the real meaning of Thanksgiving in mind all through the holiday season.

Leaf Collages

Collecting colorful leaves from your own yard or on a nature hike can provide the raw materials for a wide range of craft activities. One of the most beautiful and lasting ways to celebrate the harvest season is by helping your children to choose their favorites. By purchasing new or used picture frames and cutting cardboard to the same size as the backings for these items, you can provide each child with the opportunity to create his or her own unique work of leaf art. The glass frames will keep these leaves protected to ensure the longevity of these artworks for display throughout the year.

Playful Puppets

A pair of googly eyes, craft sticks and cleverly cut construction paper can inspire your child to create his or her own puppets for a Thanksgiving Day extravaganza. Autumn leaves can be used to form the multicolored tail of a strutting turkey, and brown and black paper can be cut to form the hats of Pilgrims. A shoebox or other small open-topped container can be fashioned into a gala theater by adding a wood skewer as a curtain rod and cloth or paper towel scraps for the curtains in front. Make a long slit on the bottom to allow the puppets to move freely across the stage; then sit back and watch your child’s imagination at work.

You can depend on the early childhood education experts at Discovery Point to provide engaging and appealing activities and expert care for your precious little ones all through the year. We wish you all the best during this joyous holiday season.