Simple Thanksgiving crafts for preschoolers foster celebration and motor skills. Little guys are highly visual and love hands-on activities. Don’t be shy about using this approach.
Here are a few ideas to try with your preschooler. Remember, sometimes it’s okay to be messy. Messy is fun! It’s the process, not the product, that’s important.
Paper Turkeys
Begin with this easy paper turkey. Here are the materials you will need:
- Multi-colored feathers (can be found at any craft and hobby shop)
- Brown, orange, red, and white construction paper
- Black marker or black Sharpie
- Scissors
- Glue
If you know your child gets frustrated with the cutting process, pre-cut the pieces. Have the parts ready to assemble onto the little turkey bodies. Be sure to pre-cut the eyes, wattle, and beak. The turkey body can take any shape you wish, including the one in the picture above.
Have your preschooler glue on their turkey parts and presto – a cute paper turkey. If you make one in advance for them to see, remind them not to worry about making their turkey look exactly the same. Their effort, and the fun they have while creating, matter more than the appearance of the final product.
Make the experience more exiting for older pre-K’s and elementary ages. Foster fine motor skills when you let them trace the eyes, wattle, and beak. Allow them to cut out the shapes. Hint: the less fine motor control a child has, the larger the tracing templates need to be.
It’s okay if they don’t turn out perfectly. These imperfect first attempts will provide fond memories for years to come if you laminate the final products.
Handprint Turkeys
This is a fun but messier craft activity. Your preschooler will get a kick out of this one. You may experience a few giggles during the process. You will need:
- Construction paper (red, brown, or yellow)
- Fall color paints: red, yellow, orange, and brown
- Googly Eyes
- Glue
- Paintbrushes
I like to get a paintbrush for each color that I will be painting on their hands. It may also be a good idea to have a small basin of soapy water on the table for quick hand clean ups when you are done.
Use brown paint to cover the entire underside of the palm and create the turkey body. Then, paint each finger a different color. This process may tickle and cause giggles and squeals. Grab a video camera to catch some of the laughter to playback next year for more giggles.
After the hand is ready to print, press down onto your desired construction paper color and press firmly. Dip those little hands in the basin of water you put out ahead of time to save yourself extra clean up!
After the turkey has dried, add on googly eyes and write what your child is thankful for in each feather. Laminate these projects for adorable Thanksgiving place mats. If you want more than one hand on the construction paper, you can paint both hands.
Sugar Cornucopia
This has been a definite hit with my preschoolers in the past. This fun to put together, yummy treat makes a great Thanksgiving Day table favor.
Gather your cornucopia supplies:
- Sugar Cones
- White Frosting (edible glue)
- Fruit shaped fruit snacks, Runts Candy, or fruit shaped cereal
- Craft Stick
Place the white frosting in a small plastic bowl and use the craft stick to spread the white frosting inside of the sugar cone. After that has been completed, stick on the fruit shaped items and let set until frosting has hardened. This is a quick little edible craft. The results are awesome!
Egg Pilgrims
In addition to a few hard-boiled eggs, you will need these supplies:
- Googly Eyes
- Black Construction Paper (Boy Pilgrim)
- Coffee Filters (Bonnets for Girl Pilgrims)
- Glue
- Sharpie Marker
- Egg Carton
- Yarn
After the eggs have been boiled and cooled, stick into individual egg carton holders. You can cut these apart or choose to leave them whole. Cut out little pilgrim hats from construction paper. Black top hats for boys and little bonnets out of coffee filters for girls. Glue on desired color yarn for hair. Then, glue on hats. Attach the googly eyes and let dry. Draw on the nose and mouth with a Sharpie marker. You will have cute little egg pilgrims to decorate your table.
For more simple Thanksgiving crafts for preschoolers, visit https://www.123homeschool4me.com/2014/08/200-fall-crafts-kids-activities.html
This article was originally published on our Homeschool Launch Blog.
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