Thanksgiving is amazing: The whole family comes together in one place, and we get a million side dishes and pumpkin pie. But there’s a lot of time to fill before the Thanksgiving feast is ready, and a lot of work that has to happen to get it on the dinner table. For little kids who wake up expecting the holiday to be nonstop fun, like a Christmas 2.0, Thanksgiving morning can be a bit of a letdown.
Sure, putting on a movie or playing video games is always an option to keep the kids happy while the cooking gets done. But one way to make the day feel more special is to dedicate some space for the kids to do Thanksgiving crafts or make DIY table decorations or gifts to share with grandparents.
If the idea of adding Thanksgiving activities on top of peeling potatoes, filling pies, and remembering to baste the turkey is causing a panic, never fear. While these Thanksgiving arts and crafts are super fun and adorable, they’re also low- or no-mess. In fact, these kids’ Thanksgiving crafts are so simple that little ones can do them on their own or the crew watching football can easily lend a hand during commercials. And if Thanksgiving itself is just too hectic, feel free to try them over the long weekend — perhaps while munching on a leftover turkey sandwich.
Some kids like to focus on gratitude on Thanksgiving, and for them, we’ve got easy Thanksgiving crafts that will help them share what they’re thankful for with the entire family. For little kids who need help staying out of the kitchen and away from the hot stove, our fillable turkey centerpiece and real sailing Mayflower will keep them occupied and stop them getting underfoot. There are even children’s Thanksgiving crafts that kids can make to decorate the table, like woven paper placemats and beaded harvest corn. Whether you’re looking for toddler-friendly craft projects, elementary school activities, or Thanksgiving crafts for teens, we’ve got you covered. Here’s hoping that crafting on Thanksgiving becomes a fun new family tradition.
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Toilet Paper Roll Gratitude Turkey
This paint-free toilet paper roll gratitude turkey gives littles a simple understanding of the meaning behind the holiday and won’t destroy the Thanksgiving table settings before all the guests arrive.
Jewel Leaves
Cut leaf shapes from construction paper (or save time with foam versions) and allow kids to add peel-and-stick gems for this pretty and easy Thanksgiving craft. They can hang their creations in the window, or make one for every place setting while the adults deal with peeling all those potatoes.
Cotton Swab Tree
The worst part about letting kids paint isn’t the project itself, it’s dealing with the brushes and smocks afterward. The painting supplies for this cotton swab Autumn tree can be tossed in the trash and the tiny amount of paint needed means the kids’ special Thanksgiving outfits will still look great when they’re done.
Woven Thanksgiving Placemats
Make the kiddie table extra special by giving them everything they need to make their own woven Thanksgiving placemats. These placemats make after-dinner clean up easier, too. Win-win!
Fall Slime
This one might not be the cleanest craft, but slime-crazed kiddos will jump at the chance to make a special batch for Thanksgiving. Once the fall slime is ready to play with, they’ll be happily occupied until dinner is ready.
Stuffed Turkey Centerpiece
Perfect for slightly older kids who want to be in the kitchen where the action is but are too young to help prepare the meal, this stuffed turkey activity is one part game, one part craft that will keep them out from underfoot. Decorate a plastic water bottle to look like a turkey, and let them fill up the bottle using tweezers to transfer tiny objects like beads, beans, or dried pasta. The finished masterpiece can be a table centerpiece.
Sponge Paint Turkey Hats
These festive sponge paint turkey hats look better when they’re not perfect, making it a quick and easy craft to do with the kids while waiting for the oven timer to go off. Grab some paper plates and have fun.
Paper Plate Mayflower
Grab Dad and an uncle or two from in front of the television and enlist their help in making a fun Paper Plate Mayflower with the kids. Once the ships are dry, the kids can work up an appetite by “sailing” them back and forth across the room with the help of a string and clothespins.
Pumpkin Pie Craft
Kids who can’t wait for dessert will love making this pumpkin pie paper craft that will last long after the real pie is gone. To cut down on the level of supervision needed, older kids can cut their own squares from tissue or construction paper, while toddlers can tear small pieces until their pie slice is filled in.
Pony Bead Corn
Pony beads and pipe cleaners are all it takes to make these cute Thanksgiving harvest corns. A mess-free craft that’s also quiet? Yes, please. These crafts are a little more sturdy than some others, so they might even make it to next year’s Thanksgiving table.
Washi Tape Turkey
Colorful washi tape is so fun for kids and adults! Paper plates and colorful tape combine to make these cute washi tape turkeys the kids can make on their own while bonding with friends and cousins.
Pumpkin Pie Gratitude Spinner
Using just paper plates, crayons, and a brad, kids can make these fun pumpkin pie gratitude spinners to share what they’re thankful for. Pie gets its own wedge, obviously. Everyone is thankful for pie!
Maple Leaf Turkeys
Take a break from all the cooking and go for a walk outside to burn some pre-dinner calories. While walking, little crafters can gather the prettiest fall leaves around. Use them to make a flock of sweet maple leaf turkeys who can watch over everyone while they eat.
Thumbprint Tree
Doodle a quick tree trunk using marker or crayon and let kids go wild adding their thumbprints in fall colors to create this an autumn thumbprint tree. This easy craft will be dry by pie time and makes a great gift to send to Grandma and Grandpa or anyone who wasn’t able to make it to dinner this year.
Thankfulness Pumpkin
Kids can assemble these thankfulness pumpkins before dinner and pass them around during the meal so the entire family to add what they’re grateful for. These are a sentimental and sweet edition to the holiday table.
Apple Turkey
Kids can make these colorful apple turkeys on their own as decorations to brighten up the table, or as snacks to nibble on while they wait for dinner to cook. This is an old-school classic, so adults may want to make one too!
Gratitude Stones
Most parents really want to make sure they are raising grateful kids, so here’s a great way to encourage that. After kids make these gratitude stones, they can hand them out to guests or keep them as the useful daily reminder to appreciate all that we have in our lives.
Fruit Loop Harvest Corn
One part fun craft, one part snack, this Fruit Loop harvest corn project will keep kids occupied and happy until the real corn is ready. Smart parents will plan to make sure to have plenty of Fruit Loops on hand as it is awfully hard to resist the snacking!
Turkey Windsock
Gobble gobble! Grab some glue and ribbons in seasonal colors to help the kids make these festive turkey windsocks that will help any first-time guest know they’ve arrived at the right house for Thanksgiving.
Leaf Suncatcher
Give kids something to do before it’s time to eat and add some bright color to the dining room windows with these easy and fun leaf suncatchers. The stained glass effect is pretty, especially on a sunny Thanksgiving day.
Painted Rocks
This craft, courtesy of Handmade Charlotte, is a great way to spend a morning. Start with a long walk to collect rocks and then set the kids up with some great fall paint colors and let them make this festive message.
Crayon Turkeys
Well, could these turkeys be any cuter? Yeah, we didn’t think so either. This crayon craft from Paging Super Mom is a fun idea for a Thanksgiving table decoration that all little artists will love.
Paper Plate Thanksgiving Turkey Wreath
There are some crafts that are investment in terms of both time and money and then there is this super cheap but very cute wreath from I Heart Crafty Things. Paper plates, construction paper, and googly eyes — nothing fancy here!
Nutter Butter Turkey Cookies
Oh boy — kids are going to love this one! These Nutter Butter turkey cookies from I Heart Naptime are both a fun craft and an edible table decoration. Yum!
Origami Turkey
Sometimes the older kids need a distraction too, so this origami turkey craft from The Spruce Crafts is a nice break from screen time. A stack of paper and a little patience is all this classic craft takes.
