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Easy Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids

Keep your kids entertained and happy on Thanksgiving with these easy Thanksgiving crafts for kids.

Turkey day will be here in just a few short weeks. Whether you are a teacher looking for Thanksgiving activities for the classroom, or a parent looking for ideas to keep kids busy before Thanksgiving dinner with the family, these Thanksgiving crafts for kids are sure to be a hit!

Kids love crafting. It is a great way to build creativity, enhance the senses, and kids of all ages love a great craft!

Don’t let the glue, feathers, and glitter stop you from doing fun Thanksgiving crafts.

These easy Thanksgiving activities can be prepared for the kids ahead of time, which will allow them to follow simple steps independently. Yes, I think an adult should be nearby to supervise, but the children will enjoy getting creative on their own.

Let’s take a look at these simple Thanksgiving crafts that are so much fun for the entire family.

Thanksgiving Slime

Children of all ages love making this fun craft for Thanksgiving.

You may be wondering how slime is related to Thanksgiving. It’s like magic – make ordinary slime, add a Fall or cinnamon scent and special fillers, and just like that, the kids will have a favorite Thanksgiving slime.

If you are looking for things to keep the kids busy at the Thanksgiving table while you finish cooking the main course, this slime is an easy way to keep them out of the kitchen! Be sure to lay down some Thanksgiving place mats

Slime has been on the top learning toys for kids list for years. There are tons of blogs with slime recipes for kids, and a plethora of slime videos on YouTube. In fact, slime videos are among the most watched videos by young kids and teenagers.

Why is slime so popular? There is a psychology behind slime. When kids make, play with, or watch slime videos, they enter a meditative state. This mindfulness activity helps calm them down and forget about the stress of the day.

Speaking of stress, Thanksgiving can be a stressful time of year. There are turkey dinners to make, napkin holders and place cards to fill out, a dinner table to decorate, pumpkin pie to bake, and family members to entertain. Let the kids decompress from the holiday chaos with their favorite Thanksgiving crafts.

Simple Thanksgiving Slime Ingredients

Airtight container
5oz Clear Glue
1/2 Cup Elmer’s Magical Liquid Activator
Cinnamon essential oil
Red and gold glitter
Thanksgiving filler

How to Make Thanksgiving Slime

In an airtight container, mix the 5oz clear glue with almost 1/2 cup of the Elmer’s magical liquid. This liquid replaces the contact solution, water, and baking soda. It’s wonderful, and I’m so glad I found some! The bottle says to only use 1/4 cup, but we found 1/2 cup to be the right consistency.
Add 1-2 drops of essential oil to the mix. Do not use more than that, because the smell will be too overwhelming.
Add 1/2 tablespoon of red glitter, and the same for gold. As you mix it up, you can add more if you’d like.
Mix in the Thanksgiving filler. I found a Thanksgiving filler on amazon (see above), but if you’re looking for cheaper options, you can get colored beads from the dollar store. The Dollar Store beads aren’t Fall themed, but the kids have fun either way.
Mix, knead, and stretch until you get the desired consistency.

Cute Little Turkey Popcorn Treat

These turkey popcorn treat bags are huge hit! They are a fun way for the whole family to get into the spirit of making Thanksgiving turkey crafts.

What’s better than a Thanksgiving craft for kids that can also be a Thanksgiving treat? Ok, well other than good food and family…the answer is nothing.

Both the older children and young children will have a great time putting together this simple turkey craft.

How to Make the Little Turkeys

Fill each finger with different colored m&m’s. Making sure to put red in the thumb, which will become the turkey’s wattle. Check out my blog post about TURKEY FACTS FOR KIDS for a printable writing and drawing Thanksgiving activity. Don’t fill the thumb all the way.
Fill the center with popcorn. Keep enough space to fold over and tape the glove shut. You could also use a twist-tie.
Tape the glove closed
Twist the thumb so it can hang down like the Turkey’s wattle.
Tape or glue an orange triangle (beak) over the wattle’s twist.
Glue on the googly eyes. If you don’t want to purchase wiggly eyes, the kids can use a black sharpie marker and draw the eye onto the turkey.

The finished product of these hand turkeys are the perfect way to spruce up the kid’s table on Thanksgiving day.

Paper Plate Turkey Wreath

Decorate your kid’s space for the holiday season with this easy Thanksgiving turkey craft.

The paper plate turkey wreath requires simple supplies and is great for the younger kids.

In the past, I’ve made this paper plate turkey wreath with my kindergartners many different ways. For example, we have made a painted turkey wreath, a Thanksgiving wreath with leaves, made the turkey feathers out of hand prints, and made a tissue paper turkey. But, today, I’m sharing this cure turkey wreath with feathers.

Getting your kids involved in arts and crafts at a young age will benefit them for years to come. If you are interested in arts and crafts subscription boxes for your kiddos, check out my blog post, 5 Fantastic Arts and Crafts Boxes for Kids.

Pinecone Turkey

Fall is the perfect time to go outside, soak up the fresh air, and collect pine cones. They will come in handy with this great Thanksgiving craft.

The kids will love the quality time spent with you while painting and using the hot glue gun on these pine cone turkeys. The picture below is from LiveCraftEat.com. She did an amazing job, and I thought it deserved to be added to our collection of Thanksgiving crafts for kids.