65 Easy Thanksgiving Crafts to Entertain Kids of All Ages
Creative fall projects for toddlers, preschoolers, elementary students and more.
What's not to love about Thanksgiving? Turkey season offers festive decor, a tasty Thanksgiving meal, and easy Thanksgiving crafts to keep kids entertained.
While you're busy preparing the turkey and delicious sides for dinner, let little ones test their creativity with the simple DIYs below. We share how to make wooden spoon scarecrows, pie soap and confetti-stuffed paper turkeys. Or, use your child's handprint to make owls, turkeys and pumpkin hats. There are even a few food crafts, like turkey lollipops made of chocolate, marshmallows and candy corn.
We especially love these arts and crafts because they require minimal materials — think paint, paper, glue, felt and buttons, to name a few. Plus, they're great for preschoolers, kindergartners, elementary schoolers, and even middle schoolers alike (with parental supervision recommended). And since fall crafts are always fun to do together, consider adding these Thanksgiving crafts for adults to the agenda. Trust us, with any of these crafts, this year's Thanksgiving celebration will be your best one yet.
Paper Bag Turkey
Use a grocery bag and two paper lunch bags to DIY an eye-catching "turkey" centerpiece. And when it comes to filling it with confetti, the more, the better.
Thanksgiving Hats
Blogger Brittany shares all the steps to make fun Thanksgiving-themed hats. For this one, she used brown paper bags, craft paint and cardboard. Other favorites include her popcorn ball, pumpkin pie and candy cornucopia ideas.
Beaded Pipe Cleaner Pumpkins
This craft only requires two basic materials: orange pony beads and pipe cleaners. It's a mess-free project, where you twist and warp pipe cleaners into the shape of a pumpkin.
Handprint Leaf Turkey
Here's a Thanksgiving classic: Start by tracing your little one's hand on brown paper. Next, cut out pieces for the turkey's beak and legs, then use a black marker to draw the eyes. Glue some leaves onto a paper plate (you'll use these as the "feathers"), then attach the turkey's body (aka their handprint) on top.
Glittery Book Page Leaves
After gathering a few leaves in different shapes and sizes, trace them onto book pages. Cut the shapes out, deck them out in glitter and use clothespins to attach them to twine for hanging.
Leaf Lion
Put a smile on your kid's face with this easy craft. Once they've gathered their favorite fall foliage, all they have to do is set their lion on top. Now, that's what we call a mane!
Give Thanks Hands
Here's an easy DIY that involves tracing kids' hands and wrists (with fingers closed together) onto a large foam sheet. Don't forget to finish their new creation with a festive sticker, or they can easily use glitter to write any phrase they wish.
Pie Boxes
Blogger Kelly has fun pie labels to print and place on simple pie boxes. You can use her labels or decorate your own leftover boxes with glitter, felt, tissue paper and colorful markers. We're leaving the creativity up to your little one!
Color-Wrapped Wheat
Purchase a few wheat stalks, bunch them together and then wrap embroidery floss around them to create colorful centerpieces for the Thanksgiving dinner table. It's a simple craft for kids and adults alike.
Gratefulness Leaf Garland
Print out blogger Laura's leaf template or use your own leaves to trace onto card stock. You'll need a woven garland and small clothespins for hanging. For the final touch, have kids write what they're grateful for on the leaves.
Balloon Turkeys
If your kid loves balloons, this craft is for them. Along with double-stick tape and scissors, this project requires colored card stock, balloons and large googly eyes.
Paper Bag Turkey
Here's a quick and easy craft. Parents can even prep all the paper cut-outs and feathers in advance to rule out any decision-making.
Coffee Can Scarecrow
Scarecrows are great for Thanksgiving and the overall fall season. Before throwing away coffee cans, use them to make adorable scarecrows to add a festive touch to your home for Thanksgiving. The blogger recommends this craft for kids seven and up.
Turkey Windsocks
Attract a flock of turkeys with these noise-free windsocks, customized with the ribbons and feathers of your choice.
Hand Turkey Drawing
You can't go wrong with a good old-fashioned hand turkey! Have your kids watch our step-by-step tutorial video, then get to work crafting their Turkey Day masterpieces.
Watercolor Coffee Filter Turkey
It's always fun playing with watercolors. This coffee filter turkey only requires a few materials: watercolor paint, paint brushes, construction paper and googly eyes.
Turkey Coloring Cups
Simple, practical and cute. That's how we'd describe this blogger's turkey coloring cups craft. Use googly eyes and construction paper to make the turkey's face, and try brown paper or plastic cups for the design.
Leaf Finger Puppets
Look to the outdoors to find the materials for these leaf finger puppets. Your little crafter can pick up leaves, twigs, pebbles and bark to DIY these toys.
Leaf Painting
With a some puffy paint in fall colors, they can create all of their favorite designs on leaves. Make it even more fun by using different types of leaves — maple, hydrangea, you name it.
Leaf People
Looking for something to do with all of those leaves your kids collected? Turn them into leaf people! All you need are puffy paint, cardstock, markers and glue.
Get the tutorial at Emma Owl »
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