Make a turkey out of: small pinecone for the body, a peanut for the head, red chenille stems for the waddle, orange chenille
stems for the beak and feet, tan paper twists (or corn husks) for the tail, and 7mm wiggle eyes. Glue the peanut to the top of the pine cone.
We've made napkin rings shaped like turkeys. Use an empty toilet paper tube cut to the size you like. Use brown const. paper for body and head. Red, yellow, and orange for feathers. Red for the waddle.
Cut one end of natural twisted craft paper into arches. Pinch the other end and tie with raffia. Roll a napkin to tuck inside the paper "husk".
Tuck a mini feast of treats inside these party cups. Use two plain white favor cups (those short fat ones are good) Glue a black paper pilgrim hat to the top one; cut out paper eyebrows for the bottom one. Tape cups together to form a hinge.
Make pretty treat "boats" using paper ribbon tied at each end with raffia. Fill with popcorn, cranberries, (or cranraisins) and nuts.
Kids love to decorate mini pumpkins. Write a family members name on each with markers or glitter pens. (you could paint faces on them too).
Glue freshly fallen leaves to folded sheets of construction paper for seasonal place cards. (they could make a greeting card with this too).
Roll modeling clay into a cone. Poke a candle in the top to create a hole, and pinch one end to make a basket. When dry, paint clay and fill "horn" with fruit shaped cereal.
Materials:
8"x10" construction paper (in fall colors) 8'x10' white paper, (like the kind in your printer)trim one side a little bit. Fall stickers, markers, crayons, leaves, whatever the kids want to use to make their books. Stapler, or hole puncher w/yarn.
To Make: Fold construction paper in half, Fold white paper (about three sheets) Then place it in construcion paper. Either staple together or punch three holes in sides and tie yarn through.
Then let the kids glue leaves on the cover or where ever. I always write their name (if they can't) on the front. "Joshua's Thanksgiving book" etc..
Then we like to trace our hands, draw pictures, write stories, what were thankful for, and decorate with stickers...
Materials: Pinecones; construction paper in assorted fall colors; scissors; craft glue; pencil; marker
I make one first, which they use as a guide for the theirs. Olders kids can cut out the shapes. Cut the shapes out for the wee little ones and let them glue the paper on.
To Make: 1. Gather pinecones. Stand them on sides to balance naturally. 2. Cut out tear-shaped pieces of paper, varying sizes from about 1' to 1 1/2' long. 3. Glue the larger tears to the back of the pinecone, forming a semicircular tail. 4. Glue smaller pieces onto front scales of the pinecone, creating neck feathers. 5. Draw a neck and head profile on a piece of construction paper and cut out. 6. Glue head to front of pinecone and add a few "feathers" around the bottom.
Materials: Brown construction paper, pencil; scissors; colored feathers; craft glue; marker; tongue depresser.
To Make:
1. Trace child's hand on paper. Cut out. 2. Glue feathers onto each of the four finger shapes. 3. Draw eye on thumb. 4. Glue stick to back of turkey to make a handle.
Materials: Three colors of 12'x18' construction paper; scissors; craft glue;one sheet of 9'x12 constructions paper; marker; clear contact paper.
To Make:
1. Cut one sheet of large construction paper into a scalloped semicircle, leaving one 18' side straight.
2. Take a second sheet of paper and cut it into a scalloped semicircle slightly smaller than the first sheet. Again, leave one edge straight. Lay it on top of the first sheet, lining up the straight edges. Glue in place.
3. Take the third sheet of paper and cut another scalloped semicircle, smaller than the second sheet. Place the third sheet on top of the other two, lining up the edges. Glue in place.
4. Cut the head and neck out of 9"x12" piece of paper.
5. Add a mouth and eyes with marker, and position paper in the center of the scallops. Glue in place.
6. Cut two sheets of Con-Tact paper, slightly larger than 12'x18'. Postition one sheet over place mat, remove backing, and smooth onto mat. Do the same with the second sheet. Trim around scalloped edges with scissor.
Make a turkey hand-take a piece of brown construction paper, have girls (or guys) trace their hand then cut it out, take some feathers and glue onto back of hand, take a red "gobbler" and place below thumb. Put on "eyes" you buy them or just write one. Put this on a popsicle stick. On the back or front have
children write down what they are thankful for. They can use this for decorating their place at Thanksgiving or just give to Mom(most of my girls said they were thankful for Mom!). We made placemats for the Thanksgiving dinner table. First we went on a nature hike at the park. Give each child a bag, let them get
anything they want(no cigarette butts!). Give each child a med. size piece of construction paper and a piece of typing paper. They can glue on the flat leaves and the larger pieces they will need to do crayon rubbings with the typing paper. As we all did this I described "Fall", this will teach little ones about seasons. Once their creations are done, take clear contact paper
and make it into a placemat. One mom took to the idea so much she had her kids make 10 of them for her Thanksgiving table!
What we did was go on a nature walk and collect leaves, seedpods, etc. Then we came home and arranged them on a piece of wax paper (whatever size you want). Next, we placed another piece of wax paper (same size) over top and ironed them together. The older girls ironed with supervision, I helped the 3 year old. This year we have made 10 placemats this way. (or they also look nice hung up on the window).
First, make 2 inch cuts in an unopened lunch bag in the end that opens. This will be the feathers. Next, stuff the lunch bag with newspaper, and tie with a piece of string or rubber band leaving the cut part out. Using construction paper, make the head, eyes, and waddle. Glue all of the parts on the turkey. Children can draw the feathers on with a brown marker.
* Special thanks to my friend Nicole for sharing these ideas!
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