Gobble Up the Fun: 40 Thanksgiving Crafts & Activities for Kids

Thanksgiving—a time of gratitude, family, and of course, delicious feasts. But amidst the bustling kitchen and the last-minute decorations, how do we keep the little ones engaged and part of the festive spirit? Fear not, for we’ve embarked on a creative quest across the vast expanse of the internet to bring you a treasure trove of Thanksgiving Day crafts and activities tailor-made for kids.

Whether you’re in search of simple crafts to keep tiny hands busy while the turkey roasts to golden perfection or looking for frugal yet festive decorations that kids can take pride in creating, we’ve got you covered.

With 40 fantastic Turkey Day crafts rounded up, there’s no shortage of inspiration to spark the imagination of children of all ages. From colorful turkey placemats that add a personal touch to the Thanksgiving table to gratitude trees that remind us of the holiday’s true meaning, these activities are more than just pastimes—they’re a gateway to creating lasting memories.

So, grab your glue sticks, round up the construction paper, and prepare for a day filled with creativity, laughter, and a whole lot of thankful crafting. Let’s dive into this cornucopia of activities and make this Thanksgiving one for the craft books!

1. Make salt dough gingerbread boys & girls ahead of time, then the kids can decorate them for the tree.
2. Pumpkin pie playdough
3. Playdough turkeys (cute and you can use the above pumpkin pie playdough with it!)
4. Construction paper & feathers turkey
5. Handprint turkeys (I remember these from when I was really young!)
6. Turkey spoon craft & more turkey spoon crafts
7. Rice Krispie turkeys – great for those who love rice krispie squares!  And you could use them as bribery that they get to eat them after they have had their dinners!
8. Really cute turkey finger puppets
9. Paper bag turkey
10. Thanksgiving coloring pages
11. Make turkey counting books – great for toddlers.
12. Thanksgiving memory game
13. Coffee filter turkeys
14. Thankful can & thankful turkey
15. Make your own candy canes – do this craft to get ready for Christmas!
16. Cereal box turkeys
17. Turkeys made from paper plates
18. Indian Corn artwork
19. Thanksgiving Day place cards
20. Corn placemats and thankful tree
21. Recycled turkey placecards
22. Turkey pops
23. Vintage Thanksgiving cards to print
24. Inexpensive Thanksgiving decor
25. Thanksgiving Day “Thankful” nature banner (great way to get the kids outside!)
26. Turkey nut holder
27. Draw pictures of the Macy’s Day Parade floats – then use them for Christmas cards
28. Adorable Thanksgiving tree
29. Turkey hats
30. Handprint turkey softie
31. Thanksgiving placemats to color
32. Pinecone turkey
33. Patchwork trivet
34. Pipe cleaner turkey table favors
35. Thanksgiving Day skits – great for your budding actors and actresses
36. Make crayons in harvest colors
37. Turkey cookies & more turkey cookies
38. Turkey centerpieces out of old gloves
39. Tampon turkey Thanksgiving centerpiece – this is hysterical!

And lastly, the top five Thanksgiving Day movies from Reader’s Digest, if they get to watch a bit of television.

Have more crafts to share?  Please include them in your comments so we can share them with our readers!  Don’t forget to sign up for our RSS, and you’ll also be entered to win a free exclusive MomsBudget Holiday Planner – draw is on November 20th.