65 Best Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids of All Ages
Think construction paper turkeys, pom pom pumpkins and more fun DIYs.
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While the main event everyone looks forward to is usually the delicious Thanksgiving dinner, Turkey Day comes along with a ton of fun activities for kids. Take on some festive decorating with the family or teach your kids clever yet simple Thanksgiving crafts.
From turkey balloons to pumpkin and acorn shaped sun catchers, these craft ideas will get the whole family in the giving spirit. The best part? They’re all kid-friendly, meaning they require minimal supplies and adult assistance (parental supervision is recommended). So while you’re preparing the house for friends and family, set up the kids with these simple DIYs. There are even a few food crafts – think turkey-shaped chocolate covered marshmallow lollipops and candy-filled cornucopia.
And if you’re thinking of taking on some fall DIYs with the kids, consider adding these Thanksgiving crafts for adults to your plate. Once you’re done crafting, you’ll have desserts prepared for the big day and meaningful hand-crafted decorations for your holiday tablescape.
Turkey Pine Cones
Scavenge your backyard for pine cones until you find the perfect assortment to dress up as little turkeys.
Thanksgiving Felt Wreath
Simple yet festive, this felt Thanksgiving wreath is perfect for any doorway. Choose fall colors and cut away.
Paper Roll Turkey
Save those used paper rolls for a fun DIY creation. Let kids trace their hands in different colored construction paper, cut them out and glue them on.
Family Thankful Jar
This is one that keeps on giving. While kids can DIY the jar, all family members can participate in adding what they're thankful for throughout the season. Find an old jar and download the free printables for a fun and easy craft.
Get the tutorial at Alice & Lois »
RELATED: 85 Easy Fall Crafts for Adults
Turkey Shirt
What's better than a craft you can wear? Prep for Turkey Day with an on-theme DIY T-shirt.
Emoji Turkey Leg Balloon
With just balloons and paper, kids can can have fun recreating the turkey leg emoji for the big feast to come. 🍗
Burlap Pumpkin Garland
Hang this DIY pumpkin banner on the mantel, on top of the doorway or around your table on Thanksgiving Day.
Fall Suncatchers
Let the fall light shine in with pumpkin, acorn and apple-shaped sun catchers.
Get the tutorial at Crafts by Amanda »
RELATED: 50 Simple Fall Crafts for Kids
Watercolor Turkey Place Settings
Create a playful place setting for Thanksgiving guests with construction paper and watercolor paints. It's that easy!
Pilgrim Treat Box
Keep small kids busy at dinner with pilgrim-shaped treat boxes, perfect for holding crayons or pre-turkey nibbles.
Paper Bag Turkey
Use a grocery bag and two paper lunch bags to DIY an eye-catching "turkey" centerpiece. And when it comes to filling it with confetti, the more, the better.
Thanksgiving Hats
Blogger Brittany shares all the steps to make fun Thanksgiving-themed hats. For this one, she used brown paper bags, craft paint and cardboard. Other favorites include her popcorn ball, pumpkin pie and candy cornucopia ideas.
Beaded Pipe Cleaner Pumpkins
This craft only requires two basic materials: orange pony beads and pipe cleaners. It's a mess-free project, where you twist and warp pipe cleaners into the shape of a pumpkin.
Handprint Leaf Turkey
Here's a Thanksgiving classic: Start by tracing your little one's hand on brown paper. Next, cut out pieces for the turkey's beak and legs, then use a black marker to draw the eyes. Glue some leaves onto a paper plate (you'll use these as the "feathers"), then attach the turkey's body (aka their handprint) on top.
Glittery Book Page Leaves
After gathering a few leaves in different shapes and sizes, trace them onto book pages. Cut the shapes out, deck them out in glitter and use clothespins to attach them to twine for hanging.
Leaf Lion
Put a smile on your kid's face with this easy craft. Once they've gathered their favorite fall foliage, all they have to do is set their lion on top. Now, that's what we call a mane!
Give Thanks Hands
Here's an easy DIY that involves tracing kids' hands and wrists (with fingers closed together) onto a large foam sheet. Don't forget to finish their new creation with a festive sticker, or they can easily use glitter to write any phrase they wish.
Pie Boxes
Blogger Kelly has fun pie labels to print and place on simple pie boxes. You can use her labels or decorate your own leftover boxes with glitter, felt, tissue paper and colorful markers. We're leaving the creativity up to your little one!
Color-Wrapped Wheat
Purchase a few wheat stalks, bunch them together and then wrap embroidery floss around them to create colorful centerpieces for the Thanksgiving dinner table. It's a simple craft for kids and adults alike.
Gratefulness Leaf Garland
Print out blogger Laura's leaf template or use your own leaves to trace onto card stock. You'll need a woven garland and small clothespins for hanging. For the final touch, have kids write what they're grateful for on the leaves.
Mariah Thomas (she/her) is an assistant editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers home and lifestyle content. Mariah has more than four years of editorial experience, having written for TLC, Apartment Therapy, Women's Health and Avocado Magazine. She received her master's degree in journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and published her first book, Heart and Soul: Poems of Thoughts and Emotions, in 2019. She's also the founder of RTF Community, a platform for creatives of color to connect, learn and showcase their work.
Laura Millar (she/her) is the assistant lifestyle editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers home design. Prior to joining Good Housekeeping in 2024, she wrote for NBC's TODAY.com, where she covered everything from entertainment news to pop culture updates.
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