This is a demo store. No orders will be fulfilled.

Free shipping on orders $65+ | FREE Beaker Creature Pods 2-Pack with Purchase
FREE shipping on orders of $65+
FREE shipping on orders over $79
Interested in fun, learning activities? Explore our blog! >
Order by December 14th to get your perfect gift by Christmas! >
headlights
Close Nav
Toggle Nav
Menu
Account
My Cart

Thanksgiving Crafts of Gratitude!

With all the go-go-go of the holiday season, the reason for this special time of year can get lost in the shuffle. Carve out some quality time with the family with these reflective and creative crafts that will encourage your children to count their blessings.

Pumpkin Pie Spinner of Thanks

Supplies:

  • White paper plate, or white paper to cut into a circle
  • Doilies or decorate cardboard cake plates
  • Orange construction paper
  • Brads
  • Sticky letters (or you can always write your own)

1. Using construction paper, trace out a white circle for the pie shape (if you grabbed a paper plate, you are all set). Use a bowl as a guide to get a good shape. Then, do the same with the orange paper.

2. Using a pencil, lightly draw pie slices onto the white and orange circles, “cutting” the circles into eighths (hurray for fractions practice).

3. Then cut out one fraction of the pie for the opening on the orange circle only.

4. On the outside of the orange part of the pie, write or spell out “I am thankful for…”

5. Ask your child what they are thankful for…their answers will surprise and delight you (and might even make you laugh).

6. Poke the brad through the center of the orange paper, white plate, and doily (or whatever decorative item you are using), and attach it to the back. Now you are ready to spin round your pie of gratitude. Pass it around during Thanksgiving dinner!

 

Turkey Thank You Cards

Supplies:

  • White cardstock
  • Brown and red felt or foam sheets
  • Googly eyes
  • Craft feathers
  • Scissors and glue

1. Cut the white cardstock in half and fold it over to make the notecard.

2. Trace the turkey’s head by using a cup or small bowl. Draw two triangles for the beak with the foam or felt paper, and then fashion the gobbler.

3. Glue everything together for the face. So cute!

4. Next, pick your feathers. On the front of the notecard, glue them directly onto paper, then glue the turkey face right over.

5. Have your child write (or assist them in writing) thank you notes to important people in their life. Examples could be their babysitter, maybe a grandmother or grandfather, or perhaps even the local police station!

 

The Bulletin Board of Gratitude

Supplies:

  • A bulletin board (nothing fancy necessary)
  • Some festive ribbon
  • Tape or pushpins

As parents or caregivers, it’s important to let kids in on what we are, in fact, thankful for during this holiday season. Children love to hear what’s on their minds all the time, but especially during this time of year. For this activity, section off the bulletin board for each member of the family. Everyone will have a space to express themselves.

Encourage children – and Mom and Dad – to pull from magazines, print out images from the internet, draw pictures, or grab memorabilia from around the house to self-represent their bulletin board section.

Leave the bulletin board up for the season and watch it fill up with images of gratitude.

 

Coffee Filter Turkey Craft!

Coffee Filter Turkey Craft with a Fine Motor Twist! Just in time for Thanksgiving, this craft is a fun and engaging activity for the whole family! Check out the Reel below for a video version of how to put this craft together. 

Here is what you'll need:
- Coffee filters
- Makers
- Water
- Twisty Droppers
- Create-a-Space Tray
- Construction Paper

Use markers to color the coffee filter. You can color or make a design. Using the fine motor tools, spray water onto the coffee filter until it is fairly saturated and the colors begin to run. Allow it to dry. Create a turkey with the construction paper and glue it onto the coffee filter!

* Pro-tip: make sure to do this craft on a tray to catch the water. We used a Create-a-Space for this activity! *

Benefits of this activity: 

Twisty Droppers: Irresistible eyedroppers put a fun twist on water play and building fine motor skills! Squeeze the bulb to begin early science exploration, experience cause, and effect and build little hand muscles too!

Color Recognition: Whether you are working on color recognition, color mixing, learning color names, this activity is a great way to learn colors in a fun way. 

Fine Motor Skills: Sensory toys for toddlers and fine motor skills toys can help prepare your child for school. Even with the advancements of technology, holding and manipulating a pencil will be a cornerstone of their learning experience.

Coffee Cup Mayflower

Save your next Starbucks cup (and holder) for this easy-to-make rendition of the Mayflower, the ship that carried 102 pilgrims from Plymouth, England, to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in the year 1620.

1. Remove the lid from the cup and cut the top half of the cup away.

2. Place the cup into the cup holder and squeeze the ends a bit to make a “ship shape”. Note – if there’s a logo on your cupholder, you may need to cut the cup holder, flip it “inside out” and tape it back up.

3. Remove the lid from the cup and cut the top half of the cup away.

4. Place the cup into the cup holder and squeeze the ends a bit to make a “ship shape”. Note – if there’s a logo on your cupholder, you may need to cut the cup holder, flip it “inside out” and tape it back up.

Gratitude Garland

Paper chains are perfect for preschoolers and this sweet garland is a great way to remind everyone to be thankful this Thanksgiving! We’re guessing the pilgrims were pretty grateful for the Native Americans that taught them how to plant corn and other crops that helped them survive their first year in America.

1. Help your kiddo cut several sheets of orange, red, yellow, and brown construction paper into 4 vertical strips each. (Cutting is great fine motor skill practice!)

2. Ask your kids to name some of the things they’re most grateful for – you may need to get the ball rolling by suggesting things like yummy school lunches, friends to play with, books to read, mommies who love them, etc. Then write the responses on the paper strips using a marker. (Or, if your kids are practicing letters and learning to write, have them write the words themselves.)

3. Loop the first strip and staple the ends. Loop the next strip through the first and staple. Repeat until your chain is complete.

4. Hang in a prominent place to remember all the things you and your family have to be grateful for!

Tin Can Turkey

Paper chains are perfect for preschoolers and this sweet garland is a great way to remind everyone to be thankful this Thanksgiving! We’re guessing the pilgrims were pretty grateful for the Native Americans that taught them how to plant corn and other crops that helped them survive their first year in America.

1. Choose an unopened soup can to sacrifice for your project (you can put it back in the pantry in December). Wrap a piece of brown construction paper around it and mark the length and height with a pencil, then let your preschooler cut it to size. Tape or glue it tight around the can.

2. Place the can end down on a sheet of brown construction paper and have your preschooler trace and cut the circle; have your preschooler glue it to the closed end of the can. Repeat so both ends of the can are covered.

3. Cut a small, teardrop-shaped head; neck; small triangular beak; and turkey feet, then let your preschooler apply glue and place them onto your bird, along with some silly, googly eyes.

4. Next, trace a feather shape onto a sheet of cardboard or thick paper (the cover of your construction paper pack will do the trick). Cut it out and encourage your kiddo to trace it, several times teach, onto orange, red, green, and yellow sheets of construction paper. Cut these out, then cut a few triangular notches into each “feather” to make it look authentic.

5. Cover the bird’s bottom with school glue, then show your little one how to layer and spread the feathers. It’s easiest if one person holds the can, turkey face facing down, and the other presses the feathers onto the bottom. Continue gluing and layering until your bird’s plumage is perfect.

Share this post
Thanksgiving Crafts of Gratitude!

With all the go-go-go of the holiday season, the reason for this special time of year can get lost in the shuffle. Carve out some quality time with the family with these reflective and creative crafts that will encourage your children to count their blessings.

Pumpkin Pie Spinner of Thanks

Supplies:

  • White paper plate, or white paper to cut into a circle
  • Doilies or decorate cardboard cake plates
  • Orange construction paper
  • Brads
  • Sticky letters (or you can always write your own)

1. Using construction paper, trace out a white circle for the pie shape (if you grabbed a paper plate, you are all set). Use a bowl as a guide to get a good shape. Then, do the same with the orange paper.

2. Using a pencil, lightly draw pie slices onto the white and orange circles, “cutting” the circles into eighths (hurray for fractions practice).

3. Then cut out one fraction of the pie for the opening on the orange circle only.

4. On the outside of the orange part of the pie, write or spell out “I am thankful for…”

5. Ask your child what they are thankful for…their answers will surprise and delight you (and might even make you laugh).

6. Poke the brad through the center of the orange paper, white plate, and doily (or whatever decorative item you are using), and attach it to the back. Now you are ready to spin round your pie of gratitude. Pass it around during Thanksgiving dinner!

 

Turkey Thank You Cards

Supplies:

  • White cardstock
  • Brown and red felt or foam sheets
  • Googly eyes
  • Craft feathers
  • Scissors and glue

1. Cut the white cardstock in half and fold it over to make the notecard.

2. Trace the turkey’s head by using a cup or small bowl. Draw two triangles for the beak with the foam or felt paper, and then fashion the gobbler.

3. Glue everything together for the face. So cute!

4. Next, pick your feathers. On the front of the notecard, glue them directly onto paper, then glue the turkey face right over.

5. Have your child write (or assist them in writing) thank you notes to important people in their life. Examples could be their babysitter, maybe a grandmother or grandfather, or perhaps even the local police station!

 

The Bulletin Board of Gratitude

Supplies:

  • A bulletin board (nothing fancy necessary)
  • Some festive ribbon
  • Tape or pushpins

As parents or caregivers, it’s important to let kids in on what we are, in fact, thankful for during this holiday season. Children love to hear what’s on their minds all the time, but especially during this time of year. For this activity, section off the bulletin board for each member of the family. Everyone will have a space to express themselves.

Encourage children – and Mom and Dad – to pull from magazines, print out images from the internet, draw pictures, or grab memorabilia from around the house to self-represent their bulletin board section.

Leave the bulletin board up for the season and watch it fill up with images of gratitude.

 

Coffee Filter Turkey Craft!

Coffee Filter Turkey Craft with a Fine Motor Twist! Just in time for Thanksgiving, this craft is a fun and engaging activity for the whole family! Check out the Reel below for a video version of how to put this craft together. 

Here is what you'll need:
- Coffee filters
- Makers
- Water
- Twisty Droppers
- Create-a-Space Tray
- Construction Paper

Use markers to color the coffee filter. You can color or make a design. Using the fine motor tools, spray water onto the coffee filter until it is fairly saturated and the colors begin to run. Allow it to dry. Create a turkey with the construction paper and glue it onto the coffee filter!

* Pro-tip: make sure to do this craft on a tray to catch the water. We used a Create-a-Space for this activity! *

Benefits of this activity: 

Twisty Droppers: Irresistible eyedroppers put a fun twist on water play and building fine motor skills! Squeeze the bulb to begin early science exploration, experience cause, and effect and build little hand muscles too!

Color Recognition: Whether you are working on color recognition, color mixing, learning color names, this activity is a great way to learn colors in a fun way. 

Fine Motor Skills: Sensory toys for toddlers and fine motor skills toys can help prepare your child for school. Even with the advancements of technology, holding and manipulating a pencil will be a cornerstone of their learning experience.

Coffee Cup Mayflower

Save your next Starbucks cup (and holder) for this easy-to-make rendition of the Mayflower, the ship that carried 102 pilgrims from Plymouth, England, to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in the year 1620.

1. Remove the lid from the cup and cut the top half of the cup away.

2. Place the cup into the cup holder and squeeze the ends a bit to make a “ship shape”. Note – if there’s a logo on your cupholder, you may need to cut the cup holder, flip it “inside out” and tape it back up.

3. Remove the lid from the cup and cut the top half of the cup away.

4. Place the cup into the cup holder and squeeze the ends a bit to make a “ship shape”. Note – if there’s a logo on your cupholder, you may need to cut the cup holder, flip it “inside out” and tape it back up.

Gratitude Garland

Paper chains are perfect for preschoolers and this sweet garland is a great way to remind everyone to be thankful this Thanksgiving! We’re guessing the pilgrims were pretty grateful for the Native Americans that taught them how to plant corn and other crops that helped them survive their first year in America.

1. Help your kiddo cut several sheets of orange, red, yellow, and brown construction paper into 4 vertical strips each. (Cutting is great fine motor skill practice!)

2. Ask your kids to name some of the things they’re most grateful for – you may need to get the ball rolling by suggesting things like yummy school lunches, friends to play with, books to read, mommies who love them, etc. Then write the responses on the paper strips using a marker. (Or, if your kids are practicing letters and learning to write, have them write the words themselves.)

3. Loop the first strip and staple the ends. Loop the next strip through the first and staple. Repeat until your chain is complete.

4. Hang in a prominent place to remember all the things you and your family have to be grateful for!

Tin Can Turkey

Paper chains are perfect for preschoolers and this sweet garland is a great way to remind everyone to be thankful this Thanksgiving! We’re guessing the pilgrims were pretty grateful for the Native Americans that taught them how to plant corn and other crops that helped them survive their first year in America.

1. Choose an unopened soup can to sacrifice for your project (you can put it back in the pantry in December). Wrap a piece of brown construction paper around it and mark the length and height with a pencil, then let your preschooler cut it to size. Tape or glue it tight around the can.

2. Place the can end down on a sheet of brown construction paper and have your preschooler trace and cut the circle; have your preschooler glue it to the closed end of the can. Repeat so both ends of the can are covered.

3. Cut a small, teardrop-shaped head; neck; small triangular beak; and turkey feet, then let your preschooler apply glue and place them onto your bird, along with some silly, googly eyes.

4. Next, trace a feather shape onto a sheet of cardboard or thick paper (the cover of your construction paper pack will do the trick). Cut it out and encourage your kiddo to trace it, several times teach, onto orange, red, green, and yellow sheets of construction paper. Cut these out, then cut a few triangular notches into each “feather” to make it look authentic.

5. Cover the bird’s bottom with school glue, then show your little one how to layer and spread the feathers. It’s easiest if one person holds the can, turkey face facing down, and the other presses the feathers onto the bottom. Continue gluing and layering until your bird’s plumage is perfect.

 READ MORE