| When you take the time to make Thanksgiving | | | | as the turkey's tail, showing the messages. Hang |
| crafts with your kids you get to spend some | | | | up your "thankful" turkey for your Thanksgiving |
| special quality time together. You can also teach | | | | dinner guests to see and talk about with your |
| them some of the history and meaning of | | | | kids. |
| Thanksgiving while assembling a few interesting | | | | Thanksgiving crafts for kids don't have to cost a |
| craft decorations for your home and Thanksgiving | | | | lot of money. You could, for example, make a |
| Dinner table. | | | | simple but impressive paper bag turkey to use as |
| Thanksgiving celebrations are a time to give | | | | a centerpiece for your Thanksgiving dinner table. |
| thanks and be grateful for what we have. | | | | All you need are three brown paper bags - |
| Following this theme, you could have your kids | | | | preferably two of the large grocery bags size, |
| make a "thankful" turkey. You will need a few | | | | and one medium size - a pair of scissors, some |
| sheets of light cardboard or heavy paper, | | | | newspaper, glue, a red balloon, some wiggly eyes |
| preferably in Fall colors such as red, orange, | | | | from a craft shop, and a rubber band. A stapler |
| brown, and yellow. | | | | may help as well. |
| Start by cutting a circle out of brown card. This | | | | To make the head, stuff a ball of newspaper in |
| will be the turkey's body. You decide how big you | | | | the bottom of the medium-sized bag. this will be |
| want it to be. Cut out a piece of card in a tear | | | | the turkey's head. Twist the rest of the bag |
| drop shape to make a head and beak, and glue it | | | | around to make a long, skinny turkey's neck. |
| onto the top of the body. Also cut out a turkey's | | | | Shape out the head into a beak, and glue the |
| wattle from red card and attach it. Take some | | | | wiggly eyes to the face. Make the turkey's wattle |
| yellow card, and cut out and glue on some legs | | | | from the red balloon. |
| and feet to the bottom of the body. Have some | | | | Stuff one of the large bags two thirds full with |
| creative fun adding some features and colors to | | | | newspaper for the turkey's body. Close the bag |
| give your turkey eyes, a beak and some | | | | off with a large rubber band. Lie the bag on it's |
| character, using paints, crayons or marker pens. | | | | side and cut a small hole through the the top an |
| Next, make a dozen or so feathers in an | | | | inch or so from the bottom, and insert the neck. |
| elongated oval shape cut out of the card. Use a | | | | Support the neck in place with the newspaper |
| variety of colors. Have your kids write on these | | | | stuffing and some glue. From the remaining large |
| feathers with a selection of the things that they | | | | bag, cut four large half-circles to be the turkey's |
| are thankful for - one to each feather. This will | | | | tail feathers. Glue them in layers to the back of |
| get them thinking about Thanksgiving, and get | | | | the body, perhaps with the help of a stapler. |
| some discussion going. Once all the feathers are | | | | Apply some colorful paint, and your guests will be |
| filled in, glue them onto the body to make a fan | | | | delighted with your child's turkey craft efforts. |