thanksgiving crafts, part 2

i don't know about you, but i'm always looking for something for my kids to do during the three days they have off for thanksgiving break. it is especially difficult to keep them busy when i'm trying to cook in the kitchen and can't be their personal cruise director. i need something that will keep them entertained for an hour or so while i'm trying to get the turkey business taken care of.

this craft is super easy. the kids can do all of this themselves and you will probably have most of these materials in your house.

here's what you need:

paper plates

brown paint

construction paper

glue sticks

markers


1) paint the paper plate with the brown paint. this should be done in time for it to dry before you continue with the rest of the project.

2) trace your child's hand on different colors of construction paper. have your child cut these out.
3) have your children cut out the turkey body, beak, legs, etc. if you make one of these projects in advance, they can copy the design you have done.

4) allow the kids to write down what they are thankful for on each hand. if you have an older child, this is a great way to get them involved in helping their siblings to express what they are thankful for.

5) allow your children to glue on all the pieces.

6) have your children bring their turkey's to the dinner table as placemats. as you are eating your thanksgiving meal, they can share all the things they are thankful for.

thanksgiving craft: the thankful tree

i was in a store yesterday and the christmas music was already blaring. really?! what about thanksgiving?! you know......that silly little holiday between halloween and christmas? ugh. personally, i really enjoy the spirit of thanksgiving. couldn't we all use a little reminder of what we already have before jumping into the "don't haves", "needs" and "wants" that surround christmas? this thankful tree is going to do the trick in our home this year.

supplies needed: 
fall colored construction paper
scissors
ribbon, twine or leather cord
pen
hold punch
a branch of a tree (no leaves)--this can be as large as you like it to be, just remember to scale the size of the leaves accordingly.
tall vase or pot 


step 1:
use template to trace leaves onto various fall colored construction paper colors (enlarge with copier, if needed)

leaf template

step 2: 

cut out leaves

step 3:

use a hole punch to make a hole at the top of the leaf

step 4:

tie small loops of twine or ribbon through hole in the top of the leaf for hanging

step 5:

write "is thankful for....." in the middle of each leaf.

step 6:

have each of your family members write their name and what they are thankful for and hang their leaf on the tree.

this would be a wonderful daily project for a small family to write daily what they are thankful for during the weeks leading up to thanksgiving. this would also be a fabulous activity for a large thanksgiving family celebration.

do you have any fun holiday crafts that you do with your family to remind you of being thankful for the blessing in your lives?