Thanksgiving morning arrives, the turkey roasts in the oven, and your living room turns into a racetrack for energetic kids. How do you keep the little ones entertained while keeping your sanity intact? Hand them craft supplies!
Festive DIY projects keep kids focused, build their creative confidence, and give them a fun role in holiday prep. Best of all, you do not need expensive store-bought kits to make great memories. Grab your glue sticks, gather some construction paper, and set up a fun holiday crafting session.
1. Pinecone turkey crew
Turn a casual backyard walk into a crafting adventure. Have your kids hunt for sturdy pinecones in the yard, then brush off any lingering dirt. Cut feather shapes from red, orange, and yellow felt or construction paper.
Supplies needed:
- Dry pinecones
- Colorful felt or heavy craft paper
- Googly eyes
- Craft glue or low-temp glue gun (with adult supervision)
Tuck the paper feathers into the back gaps of each pinecone using tiny dabs of glue. Glue two googly eyes and a tiny felt beak onto the top front. These rustic gobblers make charming additions to your Thanksgiving dinner table. If your kids love gathering natural supplies outside, try these creative leaf crafts for preschool for your next fall project.
2. Paper plate gratitude pie
Looking for an easy craft that teaches the spirit of Thanksgiving? This interactive pie wheel lets kids spin to reveal what makes them most thankful.
Take two heavy-duty paper plates. Paint the top plate brown like a pumpkin pie crust, then cut a single triangle slice out of it. On the bottom plate, help your child draw lines dividing it into six or eight slices. Have them write or draw something they appreciate in each slice, like family, pets, or homemade treats.
Pin the two plates together right in the center with a brass paper fastener. Now kids can spin their pie wheel during dinner to share their thankful thoughts with the family.
3. Toilet paper roll pilgrims
Do not throw away those empty cardboard tubes. Save them up to create a simple set of historic table figures. Kids love turning everyday household items into playful toys.
Wrap the lower half of a cardboard tube in black construction paper for clothing and the top section in beige paper for the face. Add cut-out paper hats, white collars, and tiny buckled belts. Draw smiling faces using fine-tip black markers.
Pro Tip: Make an entire village! Combine these figures with cardboard tube turkeys and paper characters to create an interactive centerpiece display on the kids’ table.
4. Mason jar turkey lanterns
Brighten your evening feast with glowing mason jar lanterns that radiate cozy autumn warmth. Kids of all ages can complete this project with minimal mess.
Brush non-toxic Mod Podge over a clean glass jar. Layer yellow, orange, and red tissue paper squares over the wet glue until you cover the glass completely. Once dry, glue a pair of oversized googly eyes and a felt beak to the front of the jar.
Drop a battery-operated LED tealight inside the jar. Do not use real candles for safety reasons. The glowing tissue paper creates a stained-glass effect that lights up the whole room.
5. Handprint Thanksgiving wreath
Preserve your children’s tiny handprints with a keepsake wreath. Parents cherish these memory-making crafts for years. This project often becomes a favorite holiday tradition.
Trace your child’s hand onto green, brown, orange, and red construction paper about 10 to 12 times. Carefully cut out all the handprints. Cut the inner circle out of a paper plate to create a sturdy wreath base.
Glue the handprints around the paper ring, overlapping them in a circular pattern so the fingers point outward like colorful leaves. Finish the top with a burlap ribbon bow. Hang it on your front door so guests get a handmade welcome.
6. Cinnamon stick turkey ornaments
Crafts can engage more than just sight. This sensory project fills your home with the warm aroma of sweet spiced cinnamon.
Bundle three large cinnamon sticks together using a hot glue gun to form a sturdy turkey torso. Glue real leaves or felt cutouts behind the sticks to serve as spread-out tail feathers. Add a small wooden bead to the top front for a head, painted with a tiny beak.
Loop a piece of twine through the back so you can hang these ornaments around your home. Your kitchen will smell like freshly baked apple pie instantly.
7. Corn on the cob bubble wrap printing
If your kids crave messy, textured art fun, bubble wrap printing delivers quick satisfaction. It creates detailed patterns that resemble real corn kernels.
Cut sturdy cardstock into large oval corn shapes. Wrap a piece of bubble wrap around a small rolling pin or wooden block. Coat the bumpy side of the bubble wrap with yellow, orange, and red washable paint. Craft specialists at Crayola note that rich washable paints offer strong colors while keeping cleanup easy.
Press and roll the painted bubble wrap directly onto your paper corn shapes. Glue green paper husks to the bottom of the cob once the paint dries. You now have colorful Indian corn prints.
8. Popsicle stick turkey coasters
Give your holiday guests a practical place to rest their warm apple cider mugs with these sturdy wooden coasters.
Line up 6 to 8 wooden craft sticks side by side. Glue two additional sticks diagonally across the back to lock them into a solid square shape. Have your kids paint the front of the wooden square with brown acrylic paint.
Once dry, add googly eyes, a red felt wattle, and an orange beak right in the center. Glue craft feathers fanning out along the top edge of the coaster. Spray with a clear sealant if you want protection against drink spills.
9. Egg carton pumpkin patch
Turn trash into treasure with an easy upcycled cardboard project. Cardboard egg cartons offer the natural shape you need for mini pumpkins.
Cut individual egg cups out of a paper egg carton. Trim the edges so two cups join together to form a rounded sphere. Glue the two halves together with liquid craft glue. Let your toddlers paint the entire cardboard pumpkin bright orange.
Poke a small hole in the top and insert a twisted green pipe cleaner to create a stem and leaf. You can explore more upcycled craft ideas in our roundup of easy spring crafts for kids to keep the creative momentum going all year long.
10. Silly turkey leaf headbands
Skip fancy holiday outfits and let kids wear custom turkey crowns to dinner. This wearable craft gets children into a festive mood right away.
Cut a long 2-inch wide strip of brown construction paper to fit around your child’s head. Staple or tape the ends together to form a snug band. Have your child gather fall leaves from outdoors or use silk craft leaves.
Glue the leaves in a fanned-out pattern on the inside back of the band. On the front, attach a paper turkey face complete with a dangling red wattle. Watch your kids proudly wear their feathery crowns throughout Thanksgiving dinner.
11. The gratitude tree centerpiece
Create a centerpiece that acts as a heartwarming family tradition. This gratitude tree encourages everyone to reflect on life’s simple blessings.
Collect several bare wooden twigs from your yard and place them securely inside a vase filled with decorative stones. Cut leaf shapes out of sturdy red, yellow, and orange cardstock. Punch a small hole at the top of each leaf and thread a loop of twine through it.
Ask family members and kids to write things they feel thankful for on the leaves throughout Thanksgiving week. Hang the leaves on the twig branches. Early childhood advisors at PBS Kids note that practicing gratitude helps children build emotional resilience and empathy.
12. Coffee filter tie-dye turkeys
Looking for a colorful art activity that feels like a cool science experiment? Coffee filter tie-dyeing delights kids every single time.
Flatten white coffee filters on a washable tray. Let kids color the filters completely using yellow, orange, red, and brown washable markers. Using a spray bottle filled with clean water, mist the colored filters lightly. Watch the ink bleed together into smooth tie-dye patterns.
Once dry, fold the filter slightly to serve as tail feathers. Glue a brown paper body cutout to the front of the filter, complete with eyes and a beak. Hang them in windows where sunlight shines through the colors.
13. Clothespin turkey place cards
Give your young artists an important role in organizing the family feast. These clothespin holders display guest seating assignments while adding personal charm to the table.
Paint wooden spring clothespins dark brown using non-toxic craft paint. Glue tiny googly eyes and a red felt wattle onto the top clip section of each clothespin. Fan out small silk leaves or paper feathers behind the back of the pin.
Write each dinner guest’s name on a small card cut from cardstock. Clip the card into the turkey’s wooden beak and place it neatly on top of each dinner plate. If you have younger kids who love clothespin activities, explore our list of summer crafts for toddlers for more beginner ideas.
14. Paper bag turkey hand puppets
Keep kids entertained after dinner by setting up a puppet show stage. Classic brown paper lunch bags offer a great base for custom turkey puppets.
Keep the brown paper bag folded flat with the bottom flap facing up. The flap serves as the turkey’s head. Glue googly eyes, a yellow beak, and a red wattle onto the flap. Lift the flap slightly to glue paper feathers onto the back body section.
Kids can slip their hands inside the bag to make the turkey flap its mouth and talk. Encourage them to put on a funny holiday play for parents and grandparents while you serve dessert.
For more creative holiday art inspiration and family project ideas, check out the early childhood resources at NAEYC.
Wrap up your festive crafting day
Holiday crafting with children is not about museum-worthy perfection. It comes down to laughing together, making a little creative mess, and crafting memories your kids will talk about for years. Which of these fun Thanksgiving DIY crafts will your family try first this year?
Gather your supplies early, set up a dedicated crafting table, and let your children’s imaginations run wild. Happy Thanksgiving and happy crafting!