Simple Thankfulness Crafts
This is an easy craft to put together that teaches thankfulness and helps kids think positively and gratefully of the things they have in their lives during the Thanksgiving season. Lets raise up kind, caring, compassionate kids that appreciate all they have, from their home and belongings, to the family, friends, and people they have in their lives. Start young with activities for kids that teach these important character traits. Together we can build our kids character and help them to notice the details that make their lives unique and special.
Celebrating holidays with kids is always fun.
They can get creative and make handmade decorations. They can learn about the history and meaning of the Thanksgiving holiday and reflect on what they are grateful for. These are simple DIY thanksgiving crafts you can do last minute that don’t require a lot of supplies. You probably have everything you need for these already in your house. Have fun creating with your kids. Talk to them about the meaning of the holiday and encourage them to really think about what they are thankful for as you complete the crafts together. Thankfulness, even for the smallest things should never be discouraged. If your child wants to put he’s thankful for ants on his craft, let him! These don’t have to be filled with what you (or any adults) consider important. Lets take a cue from our children and be thankful for the smallest details of our lives and our world as well.
Some things my kids have mentioned they are thankful for:
- My shoes don’t squeak
- I don’t have to use mommy’s mint toothpaste.
- My skin is not green.
- I have toes.
- I can whistle.
Lets try not to take these precious little thing for granted, either. Be thankful for your tongue and nose and eyelashes as well as all the big things that grown ups worry over.
[Tweet “”I’m thankful I have toes” said my child. Lets take a cue & be thankful for the little things”]
1. Thankfulness Pie
Supplies:
paper plate
brad fastener
marker
orange paper
Instructions:
Color the outside edge of plate tan or brown (not shown in the photo) to look like pie crust.
Cut orange paper in a circle to fit in the middle of the plate with one “slice” cut out, about 1/4 of the circle, but not at right angles. Leave enough paper whole in the middle for brad to attach (notice cut out portion does not reach middle so a hole can be poked through for the brad) as in the photo.
Write with “I’m Thankful For…” with a marker on the orange paper. (optional: print a label with a Label Maker)
On the paper plate, in each 1/4 section write one thing you are thankful for draw a picture. You can help younger kids with this and let older kids write and draw their own.
Optional: for younger kids you can have pre-drawn pictures on a white paper circle they can paste onto the plate. This is what I did as I had a large group of kids who were too young to write.
Poke a hole with a pen and/or hole punch (I used a hole punch on the orange paper, but used a pen on the plate as my hole punch couldn’t reach the middle).
Insert the brad from the front through the orange paper and then the plate. Open the brad in the back to secure it. The orange paper should turn so you can read each thing the child is thankful for one at a time.
Supplies you may need:
order now for a great price on Amazon
2. Turkey Hand Print Craft
Supplies:
washable tempura paint (5 colors)
thick brushes
paper
red and orange markers
Instructions:
Paint your child’s hand with paint. Brown for the palm and the thumb.
Paint the other fingers any color of your choice and then press hand onto paper. Carefully roll hand off of the paper so as not to smear the paint.
Let it dry.
Draw a beak and feet with the orange marker. Draw the waddle with a red marker.
Optional: Write one thing the child is grateful for on each “tail feather” in black marker.
3. Ways to be Thankful & Kind Wreathe
Supplies:
paper plate
glue stick
marker
construction paper: orange and red cut into 4 leaf shapes and 1 yellow circle (size of bottom of plate)
Instructions:
Glue a yellow paper circle into the center of a paper plate. Glue 4 paper leaves around the outside, more if leaves are smaller. Ask your child what ways we can show kindness and thankfulness and write those down, one on each leaf. Write ” I can be kind in the center or use a label maker to create a sticker (as shown in photo).
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Don’t miss:
Top Four Tips to Raise Grateful Kids
Also check out:
Easy last minute Thanksgiving side dish: Turkey Fruit Platter
Mini Pumpkin Pies
The Best Pumpkin Pie Recipe Ever
and my Epic Pie Crust Recipe
These are such cute crafts! My son made a thankful turkey last week, and one of the things he said he was thankful for was power. 🙂 Our electricity went out during a big windstorm last week for 12+ hours.
XOXO