67 Easy and Entertaining Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids in 2024

This Thanksgiving, while the adults are busy preparing a feast and socializing with guests, your kiddos could be enjoying Thanksgiving crafts instead of watching movies or causing trouble. If they’re too young to really help in the kitchen or setting up the table and too old to be on your hip, then giving them another “job” makes them feel like they’re helping and keeps them occupied. 

The best part is that so many of these festive Thanksgiving crafts for kids can double as table decorations and be made throughout November leading up to the big day. 

Some of these adorable Thanksgiving crafts for kids are so fun you’ll want to make your own. Apart from keeping them out of trouble or letting them get in the holiday spirit, there are plenty of benefits to crafting for kids. 

The benefits change with your child’s age, according to Scholastic, and can range from improving fine motor skills in young children to boosting self-esteem and encouraging creative thinking in tweens and teens. If you’re wondering how to make Thanksgiving fun for kids, you’re in the right place. Happy crafting!

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• Easy Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids
• Thanksgiving Crafts for Kindergarteners
• Thanksgiving Crafts for Middle School
• Thanksgiving Crafts for Teens

Easy Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids

1. Pumpkin Patch Apple Stamps

This easy Thanksgiving craft for kids uses apples to make pumpkins– what could be more festive? Slice your apple across to make a large stamp, then provide paper, orange paint and markers for extra touches like a leaf or stem.

2. Pumpkin Treat Place Holders

This Thanksgiving craft for kids only requires some colorful paper, a pair of scissors and a stapler. Oh, and some tasty treats to fill your adorable pumpkin vessel! Strips of orange paper are laid out in a circular formation, after being stapled or taped together. Add a few treats in the middle and join the strips at the top, creating an orange orb. 

3. Apple Turkey

An engaging and easy Thanksgiving craft for kids that’s edible too? This one will be a favorite! Provide toothpicks and various candies like gumdrops, licorice and candy corn and let your kiddos make feathers and facial features with the apple serving as the body of the turkey. 

4. Folded Paper Pumpkins

With a little patience, your kids can turn construction paper into an adorable little pumpkin that looks perfect on your table. This Thanksgiving craft for kids turns orange paper, folded like a fan and layered, into a 3D pumpkin. You can run a pipe cleaner or stick down the middle for support, then add a piece of twine for a stem. 

5. Family Gratitude Jar

Celebrate the real reason for the season with this easy Thanksgiving craft for kids. Focus on the true meaning behind the holiday with a craft-turned-activity. All you need is a big mason jar to get started. Create a label that says “Family Gratitude Jar” using anything you want from glittery puff paint pens to colorful paper or stickers. 

Print off some “I am thankful for” squares of paper (or make your own) and encourage your kids to fill them out as you approach the holiday. Draw a few from the jar on the big day to really focus on being grateful. 

6. Oreo Turkeys

Another edible and easy Thanksgiving craft for kids they will love, this one uses Oreos, candy corn and a bit of frosting. Use a little extra frosting to stuff a few candy corns in between those chocolate cookies, then use dabs of frosting to create a mouth and two eyes on top. 

7. Emoji Turkey Leg Balloon

This silly Thanksgiving craft for kids couldn’t be simpler. Add a touch of humor to your bouquet of fall balloons by transforming a brown balloon or two into the turkey leg emoji. With a few cuts to some construction paper and well-placed tape or glue, you’ll be done in no time. 

8. Burlap Pumpkin Garland

Choose your favorite fall fabric from the craft store to make an adorable and rustic garland for an easy Thanksgiving craft for kids. Depending on their age, you might need to help with cutting out the shapes or gluing together your fabric pumpkins with a little cotton filling. Attach them to ribbon or twine and display them on your mantle or front door.

9. Leaf Garland

Thankfully this easy Thanksgiving craft for kids can be tailored for all ages to enjoy. Assemble hand-cut leaf cut-outs on a garland for a rustic decoration. For younger kids, pre-cut the leaves. 

10. Hand Print Table Runner

An easy Thanksgiving craft for kids that can turn into a table decoration and special keepsake. Pre-cut some burlap or other fabric to the desired length, then let your kids leave colorful hand prints all over it. Be sure to mark somewhere the year and each child’s name by one of their prints to remember years down the road.

11. Candy Turkey Pretzels

There’s also a Christmas-themed variation of this edible Thanksgiving craft for kids that involves pretzels, semi-melted Rolo chocolates and for the turkey’s feathers a few piece of candy corn. A regular salted pretzel serves as the base and helps to balance the sweetness. 

12. Fall Slime

There are plenty of homemade slime recipes out there using things like shaving cream or Elmer’s glue. Add in some orange and yellow sparkles or sequins for an easy and mess-free Thanksgiving craft for kids that will occupy them for hours. 

13. Gratitude Stones

It doesn’t get much simpler than this Thanksgiving craft for kids, but it’s engaging enough to be fun for all ages. Let the kids scavenge for little rocks outside, ideally relatively flat. Clean and dry them before letting them paint all over the rocks. Give assistance where needed to have them paint one letter on each so that when dried, they can spell out a message of your choosing. 

14. Leaf Friends

Send your kids out to find some freshly fallen leaves in a range of shapes and colors to serve as the canvas for this easy Thanksgiving craft for kids. With the help of some paint or paint markers, leaves can become a quirky cat face, an owl or even a fish.

15. “Thankful” Garland

Let your kids add their own creative flare to a cute piece of decor with this easy Thanksgiving craft for kids. Using twine, ribbon or anything else you like, work with your kiddos to make creative cutouts to spell “thankful” or some other word. You can use paper, felt, ribbons, bows, glitter sparkles and anything else you like.

16. Puff Paint on Leaves

Puff paint adds a unique 3D aspect to this Thanksgiving craft for kids that makes it a little extra fun. Using real or fake leaves, let your kids add their own designs using puff paint. You can display the leaves on your tablescape or countertop. 

17. Leaf Shaped Cookies

Food can count as crafting, too! Mix up a shortbread dough, then let your kids help to add food dye and mash together different colored pieces before rolling it out and cutting into leaf shapes to bake. This Thanksgiving craft for kids will be a favorite and the cookies are sure to go fast. 

Thanksgiving Crafts for Kindergarteners

18. Leaf Sprites

With a little prep from the parents, this fun Thanksgiving craft for kindergarteners will keep them occupied for a while. Pre-cut various leaf shapes and colors from construction paper, then let your little one draw on a face, add various decorations like glitter or beads and don’t forget to supply them with a glue stick and pipe cleaners to make arms and legs. 

19. Turkey Pine Cones

Mother Nature provides the perfect object for this Thanksgiving craft for kindergarteners. Let them scavenge for pine cones in the yard as an added way to burn off energy. Let them glue on feathers, googly eyes and a little orange triangle for a make-shift turkey. 

20. Toilet Paper Roll Turkey

Pinecones aren’t the only thing you can turn into a turkey! Hold onto your empty toilet paper rolls for this Thanksgiving craft for kindergarteners. With a little glue, some googly eyes and paper hand-prints, they can make a brightly colored turkey. 

21. Painted Hand Print Towel

If you love a beautiful decorative tea towel hanging on your oven or dishwasher door, this easy Thanksgiving craft for kids will leave you with a few ultra-sentimental and perfectly seasonal ones. Let your kid leave a colorful handprint turkey or other hand-crafted design, then using a fabric-safe marker be sure to make note of their name and the date for future admiration.

22. Hand Print Candy Corn Turkey

Your child’s hand can come in handy (no pun intended) for quite a few Thanksgiving crafts for kindergarteners. Help them trace their handprint then let them color it in and use a glue stick to make finger feathers out of candy corn. 

23. Paper and Cereal Corn

While a turkey is one of the more obvious Thanksgiving craft ideas for kids, corn is another symbol of the season. Cut out a large yellow oblong shape and let your kiddos glue on the colorful cereal of their choice to make it look like a multi-colored corn cob. You can also hand-dye popcorn kernels in individual bags with paint and a good shake. 

24. Tiny Cornucopia

With just a bit of paper and some glue, you can craft a tiny cornucopia to fill with treats. This easy Thanksgiving craft for kindergarteners involves folding and stapling or gluing a piece of brown craft paper into a cone shape. Glue on some decorative crepe paper tassels on the outside, then display it on a plate for a cute table setting, with little treats spilling out. 

25. Splatter Paint Pumpkins

Grab a handful of those teeny tiny pumpkins for an easy Thanksgiving craft for kids. Set up a mess-friendly area with smocks and a washable blanket for them to get to work. Let the kids drip and splash washable paint all over these little gourds alla Jackson Pollock. Once dried, they look beautiful on your mantle or tabletop. 

26. Beaded Pipe Cleaner Pumpkins

With just a little help, your kids can turn pipe cleaners and beads into adorable little pumpkins for a fun Thanksgiving craft for kids. Fasten together several pipe cleaners in a star shape, then let your kiddo slide orange beads down each row. Join them again at the top, twisting to ensure it doesn’t come undone. Add a curly brown or green pipe cleaner for a stem. 

27. Bubble Wrap Corn Wreath

Cut out some oblong corn cobbs made of white paper, then set your kiddos up with bubble wrap and washable paint for this Thanksgiving craft for kids. Show them how using the bubble wrap as a stencil transfers a fun design onto the white paper. They can layer or use any colors they like to add kernels to the cobb. Once they dry, help them glue on some paper husks and assemble them as a wreath or leave them as individual cobbs for cute place cards. 

28. Nature Banner

Turn this engaging Thanksgiving craft for kids into a two-part event. Start with an outdoor adventure, collecting goodies like rocks, twigs, leaves or berries. Next, with a little help from the adults, help them spell out “thanks” or another holiday word on pre-cut construction paper squares by gluing down the organic materials.

29. Painted Corn Husk Headband

Young girls especially will get a kick out of this Thanksgiving craft for young kids that turns corn husks into mini canvases and eventually, a funky 3D headband. Supply your kids with all the paint and brushes they need to turn dried corn husks into little painted masterpieces. Once they dry, an adult can help hot glue them to a plain headband so they resemble a crown or headdress.

30. Turkey Glove Puppet

The fun never stops with this Thanksgiving craft for little kids. Turn a plain tan cotton glove into a turkey hand-puppet by fastening on some feathers, felt feathers, googly eyes or anything else that sparks your interest. Once everything is dry, your kids will love to play with the puppets. 

31. Pumpkin Stress Balls

Let the kids create these pumpkin stress balls to take the edge of the holiday and keep their little hands busy. If you want to make these Thanksgiving crafts for kids festive, draw a Jack O’Lantern face or turkey face on your balloons before filling them with rice or sand. Tie them off and enjoy!

32. Leaf Crowns

Those gorgeous fall leaves make fantastic free art supplies. Walk around your yard with your little ones and have them gather the biggest, most colorful leaves they can find. This is a great Thanksgiving activity to clear out the kitchen. 

With a little help from you, they can transform them into beautiful crowns. Use felt or ribbons to create the base that fits on their heads, then use hot glue to affix the leaves all around the outside like precious gems. 

33. Pumpkin Pie Coasters

This adorable Thanksgiving craft for kindergarteners will be a hit in your household. Let them use kid-safe scissors to trim felt into overlapping triangles, or pre-cut the felt and let them handle the gluing and assembly. Make a bunch of little orange pie slices, and don’t forget a squiggly white piece that looks like whipped cream! These coasters will definitely come in handy with guests over. 

34. Ombré Pumpkin Pie 

It doesn’t take much to fascinate young kids, and these simple but festive Thanksgiving crafts for kindergarteners come together in no time at all. Grab some multi-colored orange paint strips for free (or color them with crayons or markers) and with kid-safe scissors, instruct your little ones to cut pie wedges out of them. Glue on a strip of burlap for the crust and a cotton ball for whipped cream.

35. Gratitude Pie

This wonderful Thanksgiving craft for kindergarteners uses a few simple supplies to create a mesmerizing spinning pie wheel. You’ll need a paper plate, some crayons, a brass fastener and some colorful craft paper. 

On the paper plate, draw lines to divide it into equal pieces or “slices” where you kiddo writes something they are thankful for on each slice. Have them color or cut and glue a decorative pie circle, then cut out one slice. Fasten it over the words using a brass fastener so they can spin the wheel to reveal a new thing they are thankful for. 

36. Marshmallow Treat Turkeys With Nutter Butter

After prepping the marshmallow base ahead of time, let your kids have fun adding a Nutter Butter for the turkey’s body and using frosting to fasten on candy corn and candy eyes. This tasty Thanksgiving craft for kids is a definite crowd-pleaser, even for adults. 

Thanksgiving Crafts for Middle School

37. Beaded Corn

This Thanksgiving craft for middle schoolers turns those fascinating multi-colored corn cobs into a hands-on art project. All they need is pipe cleaners and beads to make a fun table decoration. After tying several pipe cleaners together, they will slide beads down each one to make rows of kernels. Tie them together on the other end, leaving some extra pipe cleaner exposed to look like the husk. 

38. Turkey Lollipops

With just a few household supplies, you can enjoy an adorable Thanksgiving craft for middle schoolers they will love. Take a bunch of Tootise Pops (or your favorite lollipop) and make a festive turkey decoration on the outside. Use a coffee filter, some googly eyes and feathers and fasten it on with a little bow.

39. Festive Felt Wreath

This simple yet festive Thanksgiving craft for middle schoolers can be proudly showcased on your front door, in your home or scaled down and shown off at every table setting. Purchase a few colors of felt sheets and let the kids cut out leaf shapes and neatly overlap them to make a beautiful wreath. Use hot glue, Elmer’s glue or even staples. 

40. Woodland Folks

Re-purpose old toilet paper rolls into adorable woodland folks with this Thanksgiving craft for middle schoolers. Using natural supplies like acorns, sticks and some felt and a couple of wooden pegs from the craft store, you can make outdoorsy people that will dress up any tabletop. These could be turned into festive Christmas crafts with a bit of red paint and some fake snow.

41. Pumpkin Fairy House

While carving pumpkins is typically a Halloween activity, these seasonal gourds are still very much thriving come Turkey Day. Create a whimsical gnome or fairy house using a pumpkin whether you want to cut, paint or glue on materials like moss, feathers and twigs. 

42. Decoupage Leaf Bowl

Start experimenting with Mod Podge for this cool Thanksgiving craft for middle schoolers. Faux leaves from the craft store can be layered and shaped over an inverted bowl or balloon and painted over and over again with decoupage paint to dry into an abstract and unique dish. 

43. Paper Bag Turkey

Add some extra fun to your table decor with this colorful and engaging Thanksgiving craft for kids. Turn your lunch or grocery bags into a plump turkey using this demo from Studio DIY, then fill it with colorful confetti-like stuffing. 

44. Turkey Treat Bags

This is a wonderfully creative way to add some festive fun to your tabletop. The perfect Thanksgiving craft for middle schoolers, they can make sweet turkeys using white tuile bunched around a handful of brown, yellow and orange M&Ms. Add pipe cleaners for legs, glued-on googly eyes and a nose. Don’t forget to leave some extra tuile in the back to fluff up into some tail feathers. 

45. Yarn Pumpkins

These adorable pumpkins look so chic and elegant, you’ll be shocked how simple it is to make this Thanksgiving craft for middle schoolers. Using a balloon, some glue and colorful string, they will coat each string in glue before draping it over a (mostly) circular-shaped balloon. Once it dries, you can pop the balloon and add a few pipe cleaners as a stem and leaf. 

46. Faux Leaf Place Cards

Make your holiday tablescape unique with these Thanksgiving crafts for kids. Buy some faux green leaves and paint markers and scroll each guest’s name on the leaf. Then, using pins or hot glue, affix them to a real or fake mini pumpkin. Set each pumpkin on a plate or at the top of the place setting. 

47. Ombré Pinecones

It doesn’t get much simpler than this Thanksgiving craft for middle schoolers or teens, and it doubles as a Turkey Day or Christmas table decoration. Using some pine cones (scavenged or store-bought), all they need is a fine-tipped paintbrush and some paint. Using precision, the small flat edge of each piece of the pine cone is painted a fun color. 

48. Turkey Marshmallow Lollipops

Put on your aprons and get in the spirit of giving with this delightful Thanksgiving craft for kids. Make a bunch of these adorably sweet turkeys for your holiday place settings or gifting to friends and neighbors. Place a marshmallow on a candy stick and dip it in chocolate. Use a dash of frosting to attach candy corn as feathers and some white chocolate googly eyes.

49. Bedazzled Gourds

Pull out your hot glue gun and head to the craft store for an XL tub of gems for this Thanksgiving craft for kids. Use paint, paint markers and lots of sparkles to do the Turkey Day equivalent of pumpkin carving. 

50. Painted Pine Cone Turkey

With a bit of patience and a steady hand, you can make one of the best Thanksgiving crafts for kids with just a few supplies. Pine cones serve as the body and feathers of the bird, laid on its side with each little scale painted a different color. Alternate between shades of red, yellow and orange and feel free to leave a few natural brown scales too. Glue on a puff ball face with some googly eyes and a little beak and you’re all set. 

Thanksgiving Crafts for Teens

51. Pumpkin Mason Jars

The supplies for this Thanksgiving craft for teens are simple, but the possibilities are endless. Let them paint mason jars orange like a pumpkin, adding a green ribbon for a stem or even gluing a faux leaf on top. Take it a step further by filling it with the dry ingredients for chocolate chip cookies or some homemade apple cider and gift it to neighbors and loved ones.

52. Pie Slice Garland

This gorgeous Thanksgiving craft for teens could be done with middle schoolers as well, but the older your kids get the more detail they can add to this project. Using felt and maybe some ribbon, create an adorable triangular garland or bunting to hang in front of your fireplace. Each triangle is made to look like a different wedge of pie, alternating between all your favorites like French Silk, pumpkin and apple pie.

53. Homemade Napkin Rings

Get your high school involved in the decor with this fun Thanksgiving craft for teens. Make adorable napkin rings using scraps of cloth in fall shades and gluing on festive touches like acorns, faux sugared cranberries and other goodies from the craft store. Add some extra support by cutting an old toilet paper roll into three or four smaller rings to wrap with fabric. 

54. Succulent Table Decor

Develop your high schooler’s green thumb early with this nice Thanksgiving craft for teens that takes care of your table decor. Have them hollow out a few little pumpkins or gourds to create a live planter, then add in some cool succulents on top. 

55. Velvet Pumpkins

If you look around the store you can find pre-made velvet pumpkins that fetch a pretty penny, but you can easily make them yourself for a fun Thanksgiving craft for teens. Purchase some squares of velvet fabric in a variety of colors then using plastic bags filled with dried lentils or rice, bunch the velvet around them to look like a pumpkin. Fasten with hot glue and add a decorative stem using a real pumpkin stem or something else creative.

56. String Pumpkin

If you’re up for a bit of a challenge, this Thanksgiving craft for teens is ideal. On a sturdy wooden backboard, nail down some tiny nails outlining the shape of a pumpkin. Then, using string of your choice, weave and criss-cross strings from nail to nail, eventually filling in the blank space in the middle with color and texture. 

57. Mini Turkey Piñata

With just a few paper maché supplies and a creative eye, you have the best Thanksgiving craft for teens on your hands. You’ll need some mini water balloons, paint and a few other supplies as detailed by Handmade Charlotte to create mini turkey-shaped piñatas that you can stuff with candy or other goodies.

58. Wine Cork Turkey Place Cards

Hold onto your wine corks and save them up for this fun Thanksgiving craft for teens. They will create a small slit on the top of the cork where they’ll glue or stuff in some hand-cut little feathers or feather-cut paper. Then, in the front, they’ll add a toothpick that has a little paper cutout glued to it with each guest’s name. 

59. Wool Pumpkins

Just like those fancy velvet pumpkins, you can make adorable wool or felt-covered pumpkins with a very similar process. Head to your local craft supply store for this Thanksgiving craft and create brightly colored miniature pumpkins for your tabletop.

60. Pumpkin Candles

It’s surprisingly easy and satisfying to make your own candles, and they make for a wonderful Thanksgiving craft for teens. Using real gourds or pumpkins (ideally miniature), you can hollow them out to create a spot to pour wax into. 

Adding a glass vessel is optional, as is of course putting essential oils in your melted wax for scent. You can see the possibilities here for other festive candles in cool vessels, so this could turn into a fun Valentine’s Day craft too. 

61. Pumpkin Pie Soap

Making your own soap is easier than you think, and your local craft store should be stocked with everything you need. You’ll need things like a silicon cake mold, shea butter soap base, soap colorants and some scent. 

You can melt the soap in your microwave or over the stove before separating it into a few different colors for the crust, pie filling and leaving a little bit of white soap for a “whipped cream” dollop on top. This unique Thanksgiving craft for teens makes a great gift and adds a festive touch to your powder room when guests come over. 

62. Pom Pom Pumpkins

While Jack O’Lanterns may be gone until next Halloween, you can still have fun with this Thanksgiving craft for teens that turns pom poms into colorful (and rot-proof) decorations. Buy a bunch of yarn in whatever colors you like and turn them into fluffy and funky pumpkins in no time. Display them on your mantle or tabletop for a pop of color.

63. Painted Acorns

While the act of individually painting acorns might not seem that engaging, this Thanksgiving craft for teens ends up making a really festive tabletop decoration for your holiday meal. Spend some quality time with friends painting acorns one at a time in a variety of colors that you love. Once dry, carefully scatter them on your tabletop and enjoy the subtle pops of color. 

64. Pilgrim Hat Placecards

Let your teen get involved with designing your tablescape and have fun making this Thanksgiving craft for teens. Purchase as many miniature clay pots as you need, then let your kids have fun painting them matte black with a gold band. The real focus comes with artfully scrolling each guest’s name on that gold band using a thing-tipped paintbrush. 

65. Acorn Donut Holes

Kids of all ages will gobble up this tasty Thanksgiving craft for kids. Make Thanksgiving morning a little extra special by turning donut holes into acorns. Dip the top third of the donut hole into some chocolate frosting, then go from frosting to a bowl of multi-colored fall sprinkles before adding half of a pretzel stick to the very top. 

66. Cinnamon Bacon Turkey Roll

For the young aspiring chef in your household, this Thanksgiving craft for teens is tons of fun and super tasty. Bake up a batch of cinnamon rolls using your favorite recipe and once cooled, affix a candy corn beak, and candy googly eyes. Don’t forget to stick a few pieces of bacon in the swirly part to look like feathers. 

67. Dried Floral Pumpkin

With a bit of patience, you could have one of the most unique and beautiful holiday decorations with this Thanksgiving craft for teens. Purchase (or make) some dried flowers in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. 

Use hot glue to cover every inch of the pumpkin in the flowers. The result looks like something very artsy and fancy from a store. They look beautiful on your front porch or tabletop. This definitely counts as one of the best arts and crafts for adults, too.

Clearly, there’s no shortage of Thanksgiving crafts to get you and your kids in the holiday spirit. Whether you’re looking to keep young kids occupied leading up to the big day or get festive with your DIY projects, there are so many creative outlets that will tempt you. If you’re looking for party games for Thanksgiving or other activities to keep friends and loved ones busy, these crafts are perfect. 

For even more fun craft ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!