"As much as I like to believe the holidays are a good time to slow down a bit (a practice we can all use a bit more of), sometimes they can be downright hectic, even in the best way. Maybe this year is your first year hosting the Thanksgiving Day feast at your house, or you’re simply preparing a dish to bring to the family gathering. With your to-do list probably growing by the day, there’s no better time for keeping your kids occupied with adorable Thanksgiving crafts that radiate the season’s spirit.
So if you’re looking for some extra time to get things done before the holiday, but don’t want to put your kiddos in front of a TV while you’re checking things off your list, we’ve got you covered. Here we present you with a list of more than 30 simple, kid-friendly Thanksgiving crafts that will keep your little ones occupied. Then, when you finish your to-do list way ahead of schedule, you can take some much-needed time to slow down and recharge. How does that sound? Read on for 30+ Thanksgiving crafts and activities to do with your kiddos this fall.
1. Coffee Filter Turkey
Get creative with a popular item that’s already in your home—a coffee filter. Coffee filters are so pretty when colors are added. Instead of paint, you’ll be using markers.
2. Thanksgiving Word Scramble
A fun, festive activity that also gets the brain working? The perfect combination!
3. Fingerprint Turkey Napkin Rings
This year, I’m going to incorporate more DIY decorations for my Thanksgiving tablescape, and I’m excited to get my family involved with this craft. Every turkey will have its own little touch.
4. DIY Thanksgiving Garland
We love this DIY garland you and your little ones can make together and then use as home decor for the rest of the month! We know they’ll be so proud to see their work displayed.
5. Thanksgiving Bingo
A fun and easy game like bingo is always a crowd pleaser and a fun way to spark your little one’s competitive side.
6. Thanksgiving Placemat Coloring & Activity Page
These placemats will make your little one feel like they’re at their favorite restaurant (even though a home-cooked meal is delicious too)!
7. Thanksgiving Banner
We’re in full holiday mode right now and making a banner to set the mood is a great way to introduce each holiday.
8. Thanksgiving Around the World Pumpkin Craft
Your kids may be excited to learn that some other countries also celebrate Thanksgiving. With this craft, they can add a feather for each new country they learn about. An activity that’s both fun and educational is always a ‘yes’ in my book.
9. Interactive Handprint Gratitude Tree
In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, this hands-on gratitude project doubles as charming wall decor. Not only do many kids love the sensory delight of painting with their hands, but they’ll feel extra empowered about writing what they’re thankful for since they’ll be on display for everyone to admire. This crafter opted to hang a roll of brown butcher paper for the canvas—that way, as holidays and seasons change, you can clip off each creation and start fresh!
10. Turkey Bookmark
With the cooler weather here, cozying up with the kids either indoors or outdoors with a book sounds amazing. Add a little fun by making a Thanksgiving-themed bookmark.
11. Handprint Turkey Lightbulb Craft
Turn the bright on this Thanksgiving with these fun candy-filled turkey light bulb creations! Fill an empty plastic craft light bulb with autumn-colored candy like Reese’s Pieces or the brown, yellow, red, and orange M&Ms, and then give it a turkey face and handprint cutouts for feathers. Kids can write gratitudes on the hands for a personal touch, and even include them as Thanksgiving Day decor for everyone to munch on as they anticipate the day’s meal.
12. Toilet Paper Roll Turkey Craft
Don’t recycle those empty toilet paper rolls just yet! Instead, let your little ones make their own turkeys out of them with this simple and fun craft.
13. Thanksgiving Coloring Pages
When I was little, coloring could keep me entertained for hours on end as it was one of my favorite activities. If your kids are the same, these festive Thanksgiving coloring pages are nothing but perfect!
14. Paper Plate Turkey Craft
We love a craft that we can make out of supplies we already have at home, and this paper plate turkey makes a fabulous refrigerator decoration.
15. Thanksgiving Slime
If slime has taken over your life like many other mamas, embrace the chaos and take it one step further: make it festive! (Bookmark this hack to get slime out of clothes, just in case.)
16. Fluffy Turkey Slime
Here’s another direction for some Turkey Day slime! We know, while it tends to be thrilling for kids, it can be the foe of the parent who’s doing laundry (here’s a great hack to get it out of clothes). This fluffy turkey presents kids a sensory outlet to the many turkey-related arts and crafts out there, and will leave them not only with something to display, but to squish, squeeze, shape, and play with to their heart’s content. Want something more sparkly? Add some glitter or confetti!
17. Wood Bead Wreath
Make a Thanksgiving-themed wreath for your front door or your kids can make a personalized one for their bedroom door. It can be a family affair!
18. Thanksgiving Find & Count Game
Is your little one working on their counting skills? If so, this printout is a great way to keep them learning and having fun while doing it.
19. Thanksgiving Turkey Treat Bags
We know Halloween is over, but that doesn’t mean we have to give up treats, right? These turkey treat bags are not only fun to put together, but also delicious!
20. Handprint Turkey Crown
Crown your little one queen or king of Thanksgiving with this adorable turkey crown made from their handprint cutouts—you’re not going to want to throw this one out!
21. Cornucopia Thanksgiving Craft
Every year, my family tries to think of new and creative ways to display how we’re thankful. Make this cornucopia craft, display it at Thanksgiving dinner, and have your kids write down what they’re thankful for on their art.
22. Thanksgiving Handprint Tree
We love that this handprint tree celebrates the reason for the holiday by allowing your little one to think about what they’re thankful for.
23. Thanksgiving Day Craft Table
Construct joyful leaf medallions radiating bright colors by setting up a Thanksgiving-spirited craft table that includes various paints, beads, markers, yarn, and silver dollar-sized circles with penciled outlines of leaves. Kids can decorate these medallions however they wish, and then string beads along the yarn before tying it off. Whether worn as necklaces or hung on the wall alongside their favorite autumn leaves they collected, they certainly display holiday cheer. You can encourage them to write what they’re thankful for on each medallion, too!
24. Construction Paper Turkey
This easy-to-follow template will be one of your kid’s favorite crafts of the season, guaranteed.
25. Lil’ Turkey Handprint Craft
We can’t think of a better (or cuter) craft for your little turkey. We know this one will stay on the fridge well past the holiday.
26. Corn Painting
Don’t let your leftover corn go to waste—use it for corn painting!
27. Thankful Turkey Countdown
This Thanksgiving craft is extra fun because your little one can add a feather each day of the week leading up to the holiday. The best part? Each feather is meant to represent something they’re thankful for. Have a Kleenex on hand for your happy tears that are sure to appear.
28. Cereal Box Mayflower
Your little ones will be ready to set sail after this craft! They can make their very own Mayflower with just a handful of supplies.
29. Acorn Hand Warmer
A pocket-sized fall friend that’s as functional as it is adorable! With some brown and green felt, a couple of buttons, brown embroidery thread, sewing needles, and rice you have what you need to shape and stitch this acorn together. Before sealing it completely, fill it with rice—that way, you can microwave it to serve as a hand warmer. You can even experiment with trying different Thanksgiving icons for an entire festive collection.
30. Paper Bag Turkey
This paper bag turkey is not only super simple, but can double as a puppet for hours of non-stop entertainment.
31. Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt
This scavenger hunt is a great way to keep your little ones entertained and active all day! Plus, they’ll feel so proud when they’ve completed it.
32. Candy Corn Turkey
The only thing better than a cute craft is a cute edible craft. If your little ones would agree, try making these candy corn turkeys this year. We love that they require no baking, so they’re safe for your kiddos to complete on their own.
33. Paper Plate Turkey Wreath
A happy little DIY wreath radiating autumn colors that’s sure to greet visitors and make them smile, whether on the front door or the door to your little one’s bedroom. You only need colored cardboard paper, a brown marker or paint, googly eyes, glue, and, of course, a paper plate, and you’ve got the perfect precursor holiday wreath to winter’s holidays. For an extra glammed up wreath, try glitter, glue or stick-on gems, feathers, and the like, too!
34. Hedgehog Pine Cones
We couldn’t resist including these darling hedgehog pine cones! While not exactly a Thanksgiving animal per say, their autumn vibes certainly give them a reason to be gathering around with the turkeys, pumpkins, and other festive holiday displays. After some pine cone collecting, dip your kiddo’s favorite finds in a mixture of water, glue, and gold mica powder. Use brown, orange, and black play dough to shape the face and legs, and once the pine cones are done drying, glue all the pieces together—including some googly eyes! Depending on how everything shapes out, you may be able to skip the glue and simply press everything to the pine cones.
35. Turkey Painted Rocks
Try all these different ways to decorate a turkey rock this year. You can even place them in your garden!
Brett Nicole Hayden, Assistant Editor
As the Assistant Editor, Brett works with the editors of The Everymom on the content creation process by updating stories, sourcing images and graphics, and pitching and contributing her own articles. Her favorite topics to write about are culture, relationships, and living. She’s also The Everymom’s resident baby names and family movies expert!
Patty Schepel, Editorial Intern
As the editorial intern, Patty works with The Everymom’s team on pitches, creating original articles, updating existing content, photo sourcing, writing shopping product descriptions, inputting freelance articles, and more. When she’s not working, you can find her spending time with her family, training for half marathons—she ran one 16 weeks pregnant—traveling, cooking, reading a rom-com, and keeping her sourdough starter, Rose, alive.