Day-of Thanksgiving Ideas for the Crafty Kiddo
Looking for some ideas to occupy your 3-5 year-old on Thanksgiving Day?! Here are some ideas to get their creative juices flowing this Thanksgiving weekend to get everyone in the holiday spirit!
(1) Make a Turkey Collage
What you’ll need: assorted construction paper, scissors, white paper, glue, googly eyes, a roll of tape (masking, duct, painter’s, or packing tape will all do!)
What to do: Use a roll of tape to trace a large brown circle and slightly smaller brown circle onto a piece of brown construction paper (trace around the outside of the tape for the larger circle and around the middle of the tape for the smaller) and cut out. Cut out an orange construction paper triangle nose and LOTS of colorful construction paper squares (about 1 inch pieces). Set out with a piece of white paper, googly eyes (or DIY eyes made with white paper and a black marker), glue and the collage squares. Then invite your kiddo to make a turkey by gluing the brown circle onto the page, add googly eyes and an orange nose, and rows of feathers using the paper squares.
Tip: When they're done, keep the collage fun going by having additional pieces of paper handy to make more collages until they run out of collage pieces!
(2) Get Creative with Decorations - Here are just a few of the ways you can get your kiddo in the decorating spirit!
paint, color, or decorate pumpkins + gourds - gather stickers, crayons, paint, or any other craft items that would be fun to use for decorating and let your kiddo go to town decorating pumpkins and gourds! Set them out to dry outside in a place where they wish to add a little extra festive decor
make a Thanksgiving banner - write Happy Thanksgiving along a long sheet of easel paper and invite your kiddo to decorate! OR line the kids' table with paper to color during their meal for even more fun!
make a thankful chain - cut out strips of paper and have your kiddo write or draw a picture of different things they’re thankful for then staple or tape them together to make a long chain and use for decoration
make personalized place cards - invite your kiddo to decorate a place card for each person who is attending Thanksgiving! To make these EXTRA special, trace and cut out handprint turkeys or gather fall leaves and clothespins to make a three-d place card everyone is sure to love!
(3) Make a “Grocery List” (or Wishlist)
What you’ll need: grocery store ads, scissors, markers or crayons, construction paper
What to do: get your kiddo involved in the process of grocery shopping this Thanksgiving by offering them grocery store ads, scissors, glue, and markers or crayons to make their own grocery list! Model and supervise them as they cut out pictures of different foods they “need from a grocery store” and write down the names of each item.