Contributed by Info Guru Lisa Pratto
Kids love crafts and there is no better time of year to try your hand at a new craft project than fall.
In fact, Thanksgiving craft ideas are an ideal place to start for some fun family bonding. Relax; you do not need to be Picasso to try any of these.
10. PB Pinecone
Be nice to your feathered friends and make a Peanut Butter Pinecone to hang in a tree. If nut allergies are an issue, you can use anything edible and sticky. The goal is to make the birdseed stick to the pinecone.
9. Cornucopia
Does anyone remember what a cornucopia is anymore? Why not craft one, fill it with fresh fruit and explain the meaning to your kids.
8. Pilgrim Hats
Everyone that every went to grammar school can probably close their eyes and picture the infamous pilgrim hats carefully constructed out of black construction paper each year. You can re-create them at home for a fun project.
7. Place cards
Most kids love to help out with the Thanksgiving meal preparation. Ok. They like to help with the fun stuff; you won’t catch any voluntarily washing dishes or anything. Crafting some place cards for the table should be right up their alley, though.
6. Candy Corn
Whether you think this treat is tasty or not, it can be used for a ton of Thanksgiving craft ideas, from simply gluing them on paper (like macaroni) to elaborate holiday decorations.
5. Collect Leaves
If you have family and friends living in the south or west, they may be thrilled to get a box of colorful leaves in the mail from you and your children. You could even write notes on the leaves.
4. Wax Leaves
The same leaves can also be dipped in paraffin wax, which is a classic craft for fall and a jumping off point for many Thanksgiving craft ideas.
3. Leaf Rubbings
Again on the leaf theme, you can create leaf rubbings on paper with crayons, pastels or even charcoal. Watching the images emerge with detailed veining is always a treat.
2. Trace Hand
Another one of those classic Thanksgiving craft ideas is tracing a child’s hand and then transforming that into a drawing of a turkey. The thumb becomes the head and the four fingers are the tail feathers. A forward-thinking parent saves these to be professionally framed and decorates with them for decades to come.
1. Thankful List
The real meaning of the holiday is to be thankful and to realize how lucky each of us is to have the wonderful people in our lives that we do. Have your children decorate a plain white tablecloth and tell what they are thankful for. If you use permanent marker, you can save it and add to it year after year.