1. Thankful Tree---Using brown constriction paper, cut out the tree. Cut leaves out in red, orange and yellow. Tape the tree to your wall, and everyday have your little one write (or say) something they're thankful for on a leaf and tape the leaf to the tree.
I've seen these on Pinterest a few times, so last year they became a part of our Thanksgiving tradition. I think it's a great way to make your child consider all that they have to be grateful for, and I think it's fun and sometimes surprising to hear what Monkey comes up with.
2. Thanksgiving Puzzle--- I did this one with my daughter anther two friends one night last year when I was babysitting, and they seemed to enjoy it. Click this link to print out the puzzle. Have your little one color it, and then cut out the puzzle pieces, and have them assemble it. To make the pieces more sturdy glue them to card stock or construction paper before cutting them out.
3. Hand Turkey--- Have your child trace his/her hand on brown, red, orange, and yellow construction paper (you'll need 2 hands in each color). Cut out. Trace and cut out a bowling-pin shape from brown construction paper for the turkey's body. Have your little one glue the brown hands to the front of the turkey, and the red, orange, and yellow hands to the back of the turkey to make feathers. Create a face using googly eyes, orange constructions paper for the beak, and red construction paper for the gobble. Add a couple of orange feet, and voila!
4. Leaf Turkey--- For this craft, take your little one on a nature hike, and have him/her collect a variety of leaves. When you get home, cut out one large circle and one small circle from brown construction paper. Cut out a beak and feet from orange construction paper. Have your little one assemble the turkey by glueing the leaves to the back of the large brown circle. Glue the body and feathers onto another sheet of construction paper, and add the small circle for the head. Add googly eyes (or eye), beak, and feet.
5. Turkey Game--- This fun game can be found here. It's a free printable, and Monkey loved it. Every number you roll determines which part of the turkey you draw. The first one to finish his/her turkey wins!
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| She won! |
6. Pinecone Turkey--- This one requires another nature hike to find pinecones (unless you're like me and have many pine trees dropping needles and cones into your back yard). Once you've found some good ones, bring them home and cut out orange, red, and yellow "feathers" to glue to the back of them. You'll also need two small orange triangles to form the beak. Cut out two small circles (in any color) for the eyes. Have your little ones assemble them with some glue, and you're all set.
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| I love our slightly drunk-looking turkeys. Also, they remind me of the penguins on Madagascar. |
7. Scarecrow--- For this one you'll need a paper plate and yellow, red, pink, orange, and blue construction paper. Cut out two small blue circles for eyes. Cut out two medium-sized pink circles for cheeks. Cut out an orange triangle for the nose. Cut out "straw" from the yellow to go under the hat. Also trace your child's hand twice onto the yellow, and cut those out for the "straw" under the face. Cut out a hat from the red. Help your little one assemble the scarecrow as seen below. Don't forget to draw the smile.
Since we're taking a turkey break, try out this cutesy craft next:
8. The Mayflower--- This craft is a good way to start a conversation about the history behind Thanksgiving. (That's right; it's isn't all about the turkey.)
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| This one is from two years ago. Monkey's hands were so small :-( |
Have your little one dip their hand in black paint and press it onto a sheet of light blue constructions paper. Once the handprint dries have them add the little details like the waves and sails.
9. Pipe-cleaner Turkey--- So, it may not all be about the turkey, but considering that it's a big part of most people's Thanksgiving, here's another cute turkey craft.
If you buy the Natural Fuzzy Sticks craft pack at Wal-Mart, the instructions for this turkey is on the back, but here they are anyway:
You'll need:
3 light brown pipe cleaners
2 dark brown pipe cleaners
2 green pipe cleaners
2-3 red pipe cleaners
2 googly eyes
1 triangle cut out of orange construction paper
Glue and scissors
To form the turkey's body, take one light brown pipe cleaner and tightly coil it so that it forms a large circle. To form the head, coil another light brown pipe cleaner in the same way. When you have 1/4 of the pipe cleaner left, wrap it around a portion of the body to form a neck. Glue the googly eyes and triangle to the head. Cut a small piece off of one of the red pipe cleaners, and attach it to the face, under the triangle beak. To form the first feather, attach a green pipe cleaner by wrapping one end around the side of the body, form a U with the green before wrapping the second end around the body. Do the same with the remaining pipe cleaners for form all the feathers. Cut the remaining dark brown pipe cleaner in quarters. Attach one quarter to the bottom of the body, and bend part of the end to form one toe. Repeat with another quarter to form another foot. Use the remaining quarters to cut out and attach two more toes on each foot.
Need something less time consuming? Try this:
10. Turkey Color-by-letter--- Simply click this link, print out the turkey, and have your little one color it in. No fuss, no mess, no problem :-)
