25 Easy Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids

family thankful jar with colorful cards
Photo: Courtesy of Alice and Lois

Celebrate the holiday with Thanksgiving crafts for kids. They'll love to lend a helping hand when decorating the table with handmade Thanksgiving crafts. These easy-to-make Thanksgiving traditions keep the spirit of the season front and center for children of all ages (and help hungry kids stay occupied until dinner is on the table). These easy crafts for kids will prepare your home for the big day with place cards, centerpieces, decor, and more.

01 of 25

"Thanks" Garland

Child holding "Thanks" sign
Andy Lyons

Dress any mantel or doorway with this quick and easy Thanksgiving craft for kids. Just cut leaves from our free template, then glue to ribbon or string along with store-bought glitter letters.

02 of 25

DIY Busy Bags

fun add-ins for busy bags project thanksgiving tiny dinosaurs pens
Alice and Lois

These adorable drawstring goodie bags keep kids entertained before, during, and after dinner. Have your Thanksgiving helpers paint designs onto small muslin bags using acrylic paint, then fill them with small toys like crayons, a deck of cards, or stickers and place them on the kids' table before dinner. Then, while you're preparing the meal or chatting with guests, the kids have plenty of goodies to keep them occupied.

03 of 25

DIY Thanksgiving Pie Boxes

Thanksgiving craft turkeys

Package up a sweet slice of the holiday with this easy Thanksgiving craft for kids. Made with our free template and construction paper ($5, Walmart), these DIY pie boxes are easy to assemble and perfect for sending home Thanksgiving leftovers.

04 of 25

Family Gratitude Jar

family thankful jar with colorful cards
Courtesy of Alice and Lois

This adorable thankfulness jar is the perfect way to celebrate Thanksgiving as a family. Download and print the free printables and attach them to a Mason jar. Pass out paper cards and pens, and have members of your family write down what makes them feel grateful. Then, at Thanksgiving dinner, take turns reading the cards aloud for a meaningful way to remember life's blessings.

05 of 25

Cootie Catcher Kids' Game

Fortune-tellers with Thanksgiving theme
Marty Baldwin

Remember playing this as a kid? We've remade it, Thanksgiving-style. Instead of a fortune, receive a holiday-related question or suggestion. This is the perfect family activity to keep little ones entertained before the big meal.

06 of 25

Gratitude Tree Display

finished gratitude tree in vase with hanging paper leaves thanksgiving
Courtesy of Alice and Lois

Share thankfulness with your kids this year by crafting this cute gratitude tree. Build a miniature "tree" by putting a small branch into a vase. Ask your kids to write down what they're thankful for on paper leaves and tie them to the branch for a meaningful Thanksgiving decoration.

07 of 25

Thanksgiving Calendar

Child opening "Our Daily Thanks" envelope
Marty Baldwin

Thanksgiving is a great time to celebrate what you and your kids are grateful for, and an easy way to do so is with a do-it-yourself daily thanks calendar. Attach mini craft envelopes to a painted piece of foam core and place it in an inexpensive picture frame. Each day, have each family member write a note about what they are thankful for. Place in that day's envelope, then open the envelopes during Thanksgiving dinner. This family craft makes a special yearly Thanksgiving tradition.

08 of 25

Fall Leaf Crown

Child wearing leaf crown looking outside
Dana Gallagher

Thanksgiving crafts for kids don't have to be complicated! This fun take on the flower crown showcases the beauty of fall foliage. To make, measure a 1-inch-wide ribbon around the child's head, and add 20 extra inches to tie it. Cut the ribbon and hot-glue dried leaves in a crown shape to the ribbon. Cut the bottom of the leaves flush with the ribbon and dress up your Thanksgiving littles.

09 of 25

Downloadable Placemats

Two placemats with markers
Marty Baldwin

Looking for an easy Thanksgiving craft for kids? Just hit print. These activity-filled printable Thanksgiving placemats feature a bracket-style vote-off of holiday favorites. Have the table shout out their favorite for each head-to-head. The winning food advances!

10 of 25

Marshmallow Treat Turkey Dessert

Marshmallow Treat Turkey Dessert
Hannah Bigot

This delicious dessert doubles as a fun Thanksgiving craft idea. Prep the base of these marshmallow treats ahead and let each child decorate their own little turkeys. Set out bowls of supplies like candy corn, candy eyes, and candy-coated chocolate pieces.

11 of 25

Cupcake Liner Turkeys

Thanksgiving craft turkeys made of cupcake paper
Ryan Liebe

These turkey crafts are oh-so-easy to make! Use a mix of white and patterned cupcake liners to form the turkey's body, adding cut paper embellishments to finish off the paper bird. This cute Thanksgiving craft also doubles as a quick place card idea!

12 of 25

Printable Thanksgiving Placemats

Colored placemat with crayons
Adam Albright

Placemat crafts make Thanksgiving Day dinners much less stressful! Print our free template and let each child decorate their own. It keeps them busy during dinner prep and gives them something to show off after dinner.

13 of 25

Thanksgiving Bingo

Bingo cards with Thanksgiving theme pictures
Marty Baldwin

Same Bingo rules, new Thanksgiving game twist. Print this easy Thanksgiving game and use candies or nuts for the kids to mark their spots.

14 of 25

Turkey Placemat

Child's craft turkey placemat
Kathryn Gamble Lozier

A great way to lure kids to their seats while Thanksgiving dinner is being prepared is to offer them a fun activity. To make this fun Thanksgiving craft, cut out two circles from construction paper for the body and head, and accent them with paper to create the eyes, beak, and feet. Ask each child to create feathers and other details from paper scraps, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, and other small crafts items. Then use the decorated turkeys as charming placemats.

15 of 25

Pilgrim Hat Place Cards

Pumpkin table markers with hats
Marty Baldwin

This family craft will star on your Thanksgiving table. Get to work with the kiddos painting plain terracotta pots to look like pilgrim hats. Add colorful embellishments and finish with a hand-written name. Personalize it even more by letting each child decorate their own with paint markers.

16 of 25

Gratitude Placemat

Person filling out "Gratitude" list
Carson Downing

Thanksgiving traditions start with you. For a feel-good activity, have each child decorate these gratitude placemats. They can share what they're thankful for during dinner and take home a thoughtful keepsake. Print these placemat crafts and set them at each place setting.

17 of 25

Thanksgiving Coloring Pages

Activity sheets and crayons
Adam Albright

Looking for easy crafts for kids that won't break the bank? Print a set of these free coloring sheets, set out crayons, and you're all set. This family craft is perfect for entertaining Thanksgiving guests during the hectic meal prep.

18 of 25

Pom-Pom Acorns

Child holding pom poms
Ryan Liebe

This Thanksgiving craft idea starts with nature. Keep the kids out of the kitchen by having them search for acorn tops outside. Then add multicolor pom-poms to the tops to make this easy and festive fall craft. Use these as decorations on the table, or get creative by gluing them to ribbons for an acorn necklace or a multicolor garland.

19 of 25

Mayflower Napkin Clip

Thanksgiving crafts with turkey and ship
Marty Baldwin

This cute pilgrim-theme Thanksgiving craft for kids will help them keep the holiday's history in mind. Print the pattern and assemble as shown. Transform the paper craft into a napkin clip by adhering a clothespin (clip side down) to the back of the crafts-stick mast. Clip the paper Mayflower to a bright blue cloth napkin to give the appearance that the ship is sailing.

20 of 25

Glove "Talking" Turkey

Child wearing turkey glove
Kathryn Gamble Lozier

The turkey on the table doesn't have to be the only bird present at Thanksgiving. Try making a turkey craft! Use markers to decorate white work gloves with turkey-feather designs. Cut out pieces of felt for the wings and beak. Glue the felt pieces and a button eye on the glove. Too many little ones to provide gloves for everyone? You can use the same technique on white paper turkeys!

21 of 25

Pilgrim Hat Place Card

Thanksgiving hat with name
Jay Wilde

This place card is an easy pilgrim craft for kids that offers adults the perfect opportunity to discuss the history of Thanksgiving. To make it, download and print the pattern. Cut a curved slit in the base of the hat and insert the top to give it dimension. Outline the hatband and buckle using a black pen, and use a silver gel pen to define the curve at the top of the hat. Use the black pen to write each guest's name.

22 of 25

Wreath of Thanks

Wreath with writing on leaves
Marty Baldwin

This Thanksgiving craft for kids is the perfect way to be thankful. Wrap a simple foam wreath ($5, Michaels) with brown linen. Fray edges for a rustic tone and secure the linen ends to the back of the wreath with glue or a pin. Print out the leaf patterns on decorative paper. Add each family member's name to a leaf using a printer, rub-on letters from the crafts store, or a marker. Cut out the leaves. Ask the kids to write words of thanks and attach each leaf to the wreath with a decorative pin or a dab of crafts glue.

23 of 25

Turkey Place Card

Turkey placeholders with name banner
Jay Wilde

Kids will love making this simple and cute Thanksgiving craft. Download and print the pattern and cut out, and assemble as shown. Use dimensional foam for a 3-D effect, and cut with decorative-edge scissors to create feathers with texture. This easy Thanksgiving craft for kids makes the perfect place card when you add each guest's name to the turkey's banner.

24 of 25

Paper Turkey Crayon Holder

Turkey crayon holder craft
Alexandra Grablewski

Thanksgiving arts and crafts starts with paper and glue. Turn cut paper shapes and a festive paper cup into a cute-as-can-be crayon container for the kid's table! Glue cut feathers to the back of the paper cup, and add a circular face to complete the bird. Cover the kids' table with kraft paper and add a few of these cups for an easy Thanksgiving craft for kids that will keep them busy for hours.

25 of 25

Thanksgiving Costumes for Kids

Two children wearing pilgrim craft costumes
Aaron Dyer

Creative Thanksgiving craft ideas aren't limited to hands-on activities. Encourage your littlest guests to dress up in honor of the holiday. Paper pilgrim attire is all it takes to start the fun! Cut shapes to fit each child's head and have them assemble their creations.

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