Thanksgiving can be incredibly hectic, even in the best way. Whether you are hosting Thanksgiving or you’re preparing a dish to bring to a family gathering, your to-do list is likely growing. Amidst all the holiday prep, finding ways to keep the kids entertained can feel like a challenge. That’s where fun Thanksgiving crafts for kids come in!
We’ve gathered a list of 40 simple Thanksgiving crafts that are ideal for toddlers, preschoolers, and older kids alike. From easy DIY turkey crafts to festive fall-themed art projects, these kid-friendly craft ideas will capture the spirit of the season and provide hours of creative fun. Not only will these crafts keep your kids happily engaged, but they’ll also give you some extra time to tackle your holiday checklist. So, once everything is done, you can relax and enjoy Thanksgiving with your family.
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Ready to dive in? Read on for the ultimate list of Thanksgiving crafts and activities for kids this fall. Happy Thanksgiving, Everymoms!
1. Coffee Filter Turkey
Turkey crafts for kids are always a hit for Thanksgiving activities. Get creative with a popular item that’s already in your home: a coffee filter. Coffee filters are so pretty when you add color. Instead of paint, you’ll be using markers to make a turkey out of coffee filters.
2. Thanksgiving Word Scramble
A fun, festive activity that also gets the brain working? The perfect combination! We love Thanksgiving ideas like this one.
3. Fingerprint Turkey Napkin Rings
This year, I’m planning to add more DIY decorations to my Thanksgiving table. I am excited to involve my family in this craft by following the step-by-step instructions linked above. Every turkey will have its own little touch!
4. DIY Thanksgiving Garland
We love this DIY garland that you and your kids can make together. You can use it as home decor for the rest of the month! We know they’ll be so proud to see their work displayed. It’s a fun Thanksgiving craft that doubles as decoration.
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 to the turkey’s body for each new country they learn about. An activity that’s both fun and educational is always a “yes” in my book.
9. Gratitude Tree
In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, this hands-on gratitude project doubles as charming decor. Your kiddos can write on colorful leaves what they’re thankful for, a simple way to remind your family what this holiday is really about.
10. Turkey Bookmark
With the cooler weather here, cozying up with the kids either indoors or outdoors with a fall book sounds amazing. Add a little fun activity to your day by making a Thanksgiving-themed bookmark.
11. Footprint Turkey
Everyone knows the handprint turkey—it’s a staple in classrooms. But the footprint turkey is just as, if not even more, fun and silly. Little ones will love getting their hands (and feet) dirty.
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. 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 with a sensory outlet and will leave them with something to squish, squeeze, shape, and play with. Want something more sparkly? Add some glitter or confetti!
17. Pilgrim Hat
This Thanksgiving craft can be worn, and is a great conversation starter to teach your kiddos more about the history of Thanksgiving.
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
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
Set up a Thanksgiving craft table with paints, beads, markers, yarn, and small 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, 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. All you need is red construction paper (plus, a few more colors) to make this cute Thanksgiving turkey craft!
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 represents 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! To make this acorn, you need some brown and green felt, a few buttons, brown embroidery thread, sewing needles, and rice. 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 brown paper bag turkey craft is not only super simple, but can double as a puppet for hours of non-stop entertainment. Plus, the activity helps littles with their fine motor skills.
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. Leaf Turkey
Incorporating nature into art is beautiful, and this craft could not be easier. Kids can gather up leaves outside—while simultaneously burning off some steam—and then with glue, paper, and scissors, can have a piece of Thanksgiving decor they made themselves in under 30 minutes.
34. Hedgehog Pine Cones
We couldn’t resist including these darling hedgehog pine cones! While not exactly a Thanksgiving animal per say, they certainly have autumn vibes.
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 playdough to shape the face and legs. Once the pine cones are dry, 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!
36. My Thankful Mini Book
ABCDee Learning offers a free printable book that your little one can fill in with all the things they’re thankful for! Use as many colorful markers as you want, and let your kiddo get creative with their answers.
37. Turkey Suncatcher
Using just colored tissue paper and laminating sheets, you and your kiddos can create a Thanksgiving keepsake that can be reused for years to come!
38. Thanksgiving Place Cards
A classy addition to your Thanksgiving dinner table, you can easily get your kiddos involved with this one. Have them pick out the leaves and flowers for each card, and then let them practice their writing skills by tracing the names.
39. Leaf Art Printables
Leaf crafts during the fall season aren’t just limited to Turkeys—these printables come with an abundance of animals to choose from. From squirrels to foxes to owls, your kids will love picking their favorite and gathering the leaves they’ll need.
40. Pasta Turkey
Working with sensory items like pasta and rice can be great your kids, and this turkey craft uses pasta as feathers! Get as colorful and crazy as your want to—rainbow bow tie, angel hair, or whatever you have in your kitchen.
Brett Nicole Hayden, Former Assistant Editor
As the former Assistant Editor, Brett worked with the editors of The Everymom on the content creation process by updating stories, sourcing images and graphics, and pitching and contributing her own stories. Her favorite topics to write about are baby names, culture, relationships, and living.
Rebecca Smith, Editorial Intern
As editorial intern, Rebecca works with The Everymom team on updating existing content, photo sourcing, pitching original articles, and more. She’s passionate about creating authentic and diverse online content, and is thrilled to help women of all ages feel represented by contributing to The Everymom.