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I have always been the type of person who loves the holidays. I love the decorations and preparations, and I love all of the little activities you get to do in the lead-up to a holiday.
Not surprisingly, that excitement has only grown now that I have toddlers to introduce to the holiday fun — especially at Thanksgiving. Turkey Day is the perfect excuse to use crafts to spur conversations about gratitude and thankfulness.
My memories of Thanksgiving when I was a child involve my mom cooking a ton, while my siblings and I worked on a craft project. Giving kids a project on Thanksgiving morning can keep them occupied while you get other tasks accomplished — such as perfecting your stuffing recipe or trying not to burn the pie!
Mini Turkey Roast Piñata
What’s for dessert this year? Turkey! Well, an adorable mini turkey roast piñata, that is. Even the vegetarians at your gathering will want one of these cute little turkeys on their plate. This project will take a little planning ahead, a great activity to keep kids engaged during their school break. After the piñatas are finished, fill them with whatever treats and surprises you desire! Head to Handmade Charlotte for all the details.
Homemade Pine Cone Bird Feeders
Send the kids outside to gather up some pinecones (tip: ones that are fully open work best) for this fun project. Add a little peanut butter, bird seed and twine and you’ve got a bird feeder! Hang them around your yard and enjoy watching your new feathered friends. Kelli at Freebie Finding Mom has all the info for this simple project.
Paper pumpkin pie
This adorable idea from A Night Owl is the perfect toddler activity and only requires a handful of supplies. The cotton ball marshmallows are essential, though, and I imagine my kids would insist on quite a few more than two. Paper pumpkin pie could be a lovely idea to set up while you’re making an actual pie for the day.
Autumn crowns
These autumn crowns from Jellie and Beans could be a fun two-part activity. First, have your kids go explore the back yard and collect leaves and twigs, then set them up at the table with cardboard and double stick tape to create their autumn crowns.
Thanksgiving cheese and fruit board
If your kids aren’t so excited about munching on healthy snacks, I challenge you to work with them on a Thanksgiving cheese and fruit board. It would be a simple project for kids to work on for a Thanksgiving appetizer, and they can do almost all of the work themselves. Kids are notoriously more likely to eat something they’ve had a hand in making, so you could even let them help choose the ingredients. You can find a simple recipe to start with at Hello, Wonderful.
Pony bead napkin rings
Napkin rings, placecards and placemats were my self-appointed Thanksgiving dinner task as a child. I would spend hours drawing place cards and then relished in the opportunity to decide who had to sit where. This simple craft idea from Art Bar will keep the kids busy for hours — your little ones can string beads onto pipe cleaners (you can help them spell if needed) and they can even roll up the napkins to put inside. Your table will definitely look fancier for the occasion!
Twig turkey
Here’s another cute idea from Housing a Forest that would work especially well with kids who love to build or sculpt. Once again, it’s a two-part activity for which your kids will need to scavenge for the best sticks to build their turkey. You can use oil pastels to give the twigs a little color, or just leave them natural if you don’t want to add that step or if your kids’ fine motor skills aren’t quite there yet.
Gourd turkeys
Do you have a separate kids table for Thanksgiving dinner? If so, these turkey gourds and balloons are the perfect decorations for your kids to create on Thanksgiving morning to make their spot look special. Full instructions for these decorations can be found on Design Inspired.
Painted corn husks
If you’re looking for a festive activity for autumn, these painted corn husk headbands from Hello, Wonderful are a great option. To make this project, you’ll need some dried corn husks (available at craft stores). Then, let the kids paint and decorate them with bright colors. Younger kids will need help to hot-glue the leaves to the headband or a popsicle stick.
Leaf stamp tablecloth
Creating something decorative to use for the holiday with the kids is a really special idea. The beauty of this tablecloth idea from Hands On As We Grow is that it could be customized to work with kids of almost any age. Toddlers could stamp and older kids could help create the stampers and patterns. You could also take this idea and run with it to make gifts for grandparents for the holidays.
Paper turkey craft
This simple but creative craft idea from The Inspired Treehouse is sure to be a hit. If your kids can cut or fold paper, they should be able to work on this peacefully at the craft table. Smaller kids would need a little assistance, but could help with a glue stick and adding googly eyes.
Thankful tree
Making something life-sized (at least to a kid) is sure to spark their creativity. The minute my kids see me getting out oversize paper, they arm themselves with markers, ready to dig in. Allow them lots of time to work on the tree portion of this project, and then sit down together to write about all the things your family is thankful for. Full instructions and leaf templates are available at Sycamore Stirrings.
Cheerio corn on the cob
My toddlers love any craft that involves food as a supply, and I have a feeling this Cheerio craft will be a hit this Thanksgiving. Stacey from Glued to My Crafts offers instructions for how to do it on her blog. Multigrain cheerios would add a little extra depth to the corn if you happen to have them on hand. Just make sure you give each kid a cup of cereal for snacking.
Thankful pumpkins
Thanksgiving crafts can lead to elegant table decor for your Thanksgiving dinner. The beauty of this project from Kelly Elko is that the whole family can contribute by adding their words about what they’re thankful for with a Sharpie. Kids can kick-start the project by painting the pumpkins and messages can be written by the adults.
Thanksgiving turkey windsocks
We’ve finally got a use for all the cans of pumpkin you’re going to be using over Thanksgiving! Wash them and strip the labels off, then make them into these Thanksgiving turkey windsocks. This clever idea from Happiness Is Homemade will keep the kids busy for hours. When the craft is finished, you could hang it on the door to welcome your Thanksgiving dinner guests.
Paper plate turkey hats
These paper plate turkey hats from Honey and Lime are super-simple to make, requiring only paper plates, construction paper and the all-important googly eyes. Your kid can then wear their turkey hat and gobble around the house all day.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in November 2019, and updated in November 2023.
