32 Easy Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids: Age-Appropriate Fun

Thanksgiving is more than just food and football—it’s a time to slow down, reflect, and create meaningful moments with your kids. One of the best ways to do that? Thanksgiving crafts for kids that are fun, hands-on, and actually doable (even if you’re not a Pinterest parent).

Whether you’re a teacher looking for low-prep classroom activities, a homeschooler building a festive unit, or a busy parent just trying to keep the kids entertained while the turkey roasts—this guide has you covered.

We’ve gathered 32 creative Thanksgiving crafts for kids, thoughtfully organized by age and activity type. From toddler-friendly sensory projects to printable activities for quiet time, each idea is easy to set up, budget-friendly, and packed with learning opportunities.

Need an easier way to keep your little one engaged? Our Thanksgiving Activity Pages Bundle is packed with toddler-friendly printables—like dot marker turkeys, cut-and-paste puzzles, and gratitude-themed doodle sheets. It’s your no-prep, no-mess solution for instant holiday fun.

Thanksgiving Crafts for Toddlers

When it comes to Thanksgiving crafts for kids, toddlers need activities that are simple, sensory-rich, and easy to enjoy with minimal guidance. This age group thrives with open-ended play and hands-on materials—so think big shapes, bold colors, and zero pressure for perfection. The following craft ideas are toddler-tested and parent-approved, offering a fun way to introduce the spirit of Thanksgiving while keeping little hands happily busy.

1- Dot Marker Cornucopia

This craft is a no-mess favorite for toddlers. Print out a large cornucopia filled with fruits and veggies, and let your child fill in the shapes using colorful dot markers. It’s great for hand-eye coordination and gives little ones creative freedom without requiring fine motor precision.

How to make it:
Just print the cornucopia page, hand over the dot markers, and let them stamp away. No scissors, no glue, and no cleanup needed.

2-Paper Plate Turkey Face

Turn a plain paper plate into a silly turkey face! Toddlers love decorating the round shape with eyes, a beak, and colorful feathers. This craft lets them explore facial features and colors while working on glue-stick skills.

How to make it:
Give your toddler a paper plate, pre-cut paper pieces (eyes, beak, wattle), and glue. Add real or paper feathers to the top for a festive flair.

3-Leaf Stamping with Fall Colors

Bring the outdoors in with this seasonal stamping craft. Toddlers dip real leaves into fall-colored paint and press them onto paper to create beautiful leaf prints.

How to make it:
Collect a few different leaves, set out washable paint in red, orange, and yellow, and let your toddler stamp away on cardstock or construction paper.

4-Feather Collage Turkey

This tactile activity turns feathers into art! Toddlers glue soft feathers onto a paper turkey body, creating a colorful collage that doubles as a sensory experience.

How to make it:
Draw or print a simple turkey body on cardstock, then hand over craft feathers and glue sticks. No rules—just creativity.

5-Stuffed Paper Bag Turkey

A hands-on 3D craft toddlers love. They stuff a brown paper bag to create a turkey’s body, then decorate it with eyes, beak, and feathers.

How to make it:
Stuff a brown lunch bag with newspaper or tissue paper and seal it. Add a paper face and glue on colorful feathers to bring the turkey to life.

6-Cotton Ball Painted Pumpkin

This craft swaps paintbrushes for cotton balls—perfect for small hands still developing grip control. Toddlers dab orange paint onto a pumpkin outline to create textured art.

How to make it:
Clip a cotton ball into a clothespin or use fingers to dip it in washable paint. Then dab over a large pumpkin drawing on white paper.

7-Footprint Turkey

A fun keepsake for parents, this craft captures your toddler’s footprint in brown paint and turns it into a turkey’s body. Add feather decorations, and you’ve got a precious seasonal memory.

How to make it:
Paint your toddler’s foot with brown washable paint, press it onto paper, then add paper feathers, googly eyes, and a beak to complete the turkey.

9-Sticker Turkey Craft

Stickers and turkeys—what more could a toddler want? This mess-free craft lets toddlers decorate a large turkey outline with stickers of all kinds.

How to make it:
Print or draw a simple turkey, give your child a sheet of stickers, and let them go wild decorating the feathers, face, or background.

10-Contact Paper Leaf Collage

Sticky fun without the glue! This sensory craft uses contact paper to let toddlers stick fall-themed items like leaves or tissue paper onto a clear canvas.

How to make it:
Tape a piece of clear contact paper (sticky side up) to a surface. Let your toddler press on leaves, paper scraps, or felt shapes to build a vibrant collage.

11-Pumpkin Seed Gluing

Turn snack time into craft time by gluing pumpkin seeds onto a large paper pumpkin outline. You can even dye the seeds for extra fun!

How to make it:
Dye pumpkin seeds with food coloring and dry. Have your toddler apply glue to a pumpkin shape and stick the seeds on to fill the space.

When it comes to simple, engaging fun, these toddler-friendly Thanksgiving crafts for kids are perfect for building early motor skills, encouraging creativity, and keeping little ones happily entertained—all with minimal setup.

Thanksgiving Crafts for Preschoolers

Preschoolers are curious, creative, and ready for a bit more structure in their crafting. At this stage, Thanksgiving crafts for kids should support fine motor development, early literacy, and seasonal storytelling—all while keeping things fun and age-appropriate. These crafts are perfect for both home and classroom settings, helping preschoolers express themselves while learning about gratitude and fall traditions.

12-Cut & Paste Cornucopia (Printable)

This hands-on craft lets preschoolers cut out printable fruits and veggies and glue them into a cornucopia template. It’s perfect for practicing scissor skills and understanding the harvest theme of Thanksgiving.

How to make it:
Print the cornucopia and produce pieces. Have kids color, cut, and paste each fruit or veggie inside the cornucopia outline.

13-Color-by-Number Turkey

A fun and focused activity, this color-by-number craft helps preschoolers practice number recognition and color matching while completing a friendly Turkey design.

How to make it:
Print a simple turkey illustration broken into numbered sections. Kids color each part according to the number key using crayons or markers.

14-Trace the Turkey Lines

This pre-writing craft features various lines and patterns that preschoolers trace leading to a turkey. It builds fine motor strength and pencil control, preparing them for writing letters.

How to make it:
Print out turkey-themed tracing worksheets with dotted lines and curves. Let kids use pencils or markers to carefully follow the paths.

15-Handprint Turkey Craft

This classic Thanksgiving craft is both fun and sentimental. Kids trace their hands and use the cutout as feathers on a paper turkey.

How to make it:
Trace your child’s hand on colored paper 4–5 times. Cut out the handprints, then glue them behind a paper turkey body and decorate the face.

16-Thankful Handprint Wreath

A creative way to teach gratitude, this craft involves writing something your child is thankful for on each handprint, then forming them into a wreath.

How to make it:
Cut out several paper handprints, write one thankful item on each, and glue them in a circle to form a wreath. Hang it up as a beautiful reminder.

17-Paper Plate Turkey

Preschoolers love this low-mess craft that turns a paper plate into a big, bright turkey. It’s great for group work or decorating classroom walls.

How to make it:
Paint a paper plate brown, then add googly eyes, a beak, and colorful feathers (real or paper) glued to the back side of the plate.

18-Leaf Turkeys

Combine nature with art! Kids use real or paper leaves to create turkey tails behind a drawn or printed turkey body.

How to make it:
Collect clean leaves or use pre-cut paper leaves. Glue them in a fan shape behind a simple turkey body drawing or cutout.

19-Toilet Paper Roll Pilgrims and Turkeys

Turn toilet paper rolls into characters by wrapping them with construction paper and adding faces, hats, and feathers. Great for imaginative play.

How to make it:
Cover a toilet paper roll in brown paper, then glue on eyes, beak, feathers, or pilgrim hats. Use as a table decoration or storytelling prompt.

20-Pasta Turkey Craft

Use dry pasta to create textured feathers for a turkey craft. Preschoolers love the sensory element, and you can paint the pasta for more color fun.

How to make it:
Paint dry pasta in fall colors. Glue onto a turkey body outline to form a rainbow of crunchy feathers.

21-Coffee Filter Turkeys

This colorful and easy craft lets preschoolers experiment with watercolor effects using markers and coffee filters to create turkey tails.

How to make it:
Color a coffee filter with washable markers. Lightly spray with water to let the colors blend. Once dry, glue it behind a paper turkey body.

22-Thankful Tree Craft

A collaborative or individual project, this craft invites kids to add leaves to a tree, each labeled with something they’re thankful for.

How to make it:
Draw or print a bare tree. Have your child write or dictate one thankful thought on each paper leaf, then glue them onto the branches.

23-“I’m Thankful For” Coloring Sheet

A printable page that prompts preschoolers to color and draw what they’re thankful for. It supports emotional expression while keeping little hands busy.

How to make it:
Print a themed sheet with the phrase “I’m Thankful For…” and a blank space. Let kids color and fill in with drawings or scribbles.

Preschoolers thrive with hands-on activities that spark curiosity and creativity. These Thanksgiving crafts for kids help reinforce important early learning skills while giving them a joyful way to express gratitude and celebrate the season.

Thanksgiving Crafts for Kindergarteners

At the kindergarten level, kids are ready for more detailed projects that involve cutting, sequencing, and even a little writing. These Thanksgiving crafts for kids are perfect for fostering independence and creativity while reinforcing important early learning skills. Best of all, they’re still simple enough for young crafters to complete with minimal help—at school or at home.

24-Paper Plate Thankful Turkey

This craft combines creativity with gratitude. Kids write what they’re thankful for on colorful paper feathers and attach them to the back of a paper plate turkey.

How to make it:
Cut feather shapes from construction paper. Have kids write one thankful thought on each, then glue the feathers to the back of a painted or colored paper plate. Add a face to complete the turkey.

25-Torn Paper Pumpkin Art

A tactile and fine motor–boosting activity, this craft has kids tear up bits of orange and green paper to fill in a large pumpkin outline.

How to make it:
Provide a pumpkin outline and strips of orange and green construction paper. Kids tear the paper into pieces and glue them inside the shape to create a textured pumpkin collage.

26-Gratitude Turkey Wreath

This craft encourages self-reflection while also being a beautiful seasonal decoration. Kids write what they’re thankful for on feathers or leaves and arrange them into a wreath shape.

How to make it:
Cut out 6–8 feathers or leaves from colored paper. Let kids write or dictate something they’re thankful for on each one, then glue them in a circle on cardstock to form a wreath.

27-Tissue Paper Leaf Sun Catchers

This is a colorful, hands-on craft that looks beautiful in windows. Kids use tissue paper to create a stained-glass-style fall leaf.

How to make it:
Cut a leaf frame out of black paper. Attach contact paper sticky-side up behind it. Kids stick bits of colored tissue inside the frame, then seal with a second layer of contact paper.

28-Pilgrim Hat Crayon Cups

A craft that doubles as a classroom tool! These mini crayon holders are shaped like Pilgrim hats and make for a fun, functional Thanksgiving-themed project.

How to make it:
Wrap a small paper or plastic cup with black paper. Add a yellow paper buckle and white trim to the bottom. Flip the cup upside down and fill with crayons or pencils.

These projects offer the perfect balance of independence and structure for kindergartners. With a mix of gratitude, art, and learning, these Thanksgiving crafts for kids support both classroom goals and holiday excitement.

Fun Printable Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids

Let’s face it—between cooking, classroom chaos, and holiday travel, finding time to prep crafts can feel impossible. That’s why printable activities are the ultimate solution for anyone looking to keep kids entertained without the stress. And the best part? You don’t need a Pinterest board or a glue gun to make it happen.

Our Thanksgiving Activity Pages Bundle includes a curated collection of printable Thanksgiving crafts for kids—perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners alike. These print-and-play activities are designed to be fun, educational, and incredibly easy to use, whether you’re in a classroom, at the kitchen table, or on the go.

Why Parents and Teachers Love This Bundle

• Zero prep required – just print and hand it out
• No mess – no glitter, no paint, no stress
• Screen-free – keeps kids focused and creatively engaged
• Reusable – use them year after year with multiple age groups
• Flexible – ideal for morning work, early finishers, centers, sub plans, or holiday downtime

What’s Included?

1-Thanksgiving Coloring Pages (40 pages)

Fun, festive scenes for kids to color — turkeys, pumpkins, harvest icons, and more.

2-Thanksgiving Mixed Activity Pages (47 pages)

Mazes, word searches, dot-to-dots, tracing, matching, crosswords, and more.

3-Thanksgiving Dot Markers Book (34 pages)

Big, bold designs for toddlers to enjoy do-a-dot play while building focus and coordination.

4-Thanksgiving Cutting Practice Worksheets (29 pages)

Scissor skill printables for developing fine motor skills with festive cut lines and shapes.

Printables are a lifesaver during the busy holiday season. These low-prep, high-impact Thanksgiving crafts for kids are perfect for classrooms, homeschool, or quiet time at home—fun, educational, and ready when you are.

Download the Full Thanksgiving Activity Pages Bundle now and make Thanksgiving week a breeze! Easy to print and use with minimal prep, Reinforces fine motor and cognitive skills through cutting, coloring, tracing, and matching, and Perfect for early finishers, quiet morning work, small group centers, or even as emergency sub plans.

Final Thoughts

Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to slow down, make memories, and create something meaningful with your children or students. With the right mix of hands-on fun and intentional learning, Thanksgiving crafts for kids can transform quiet moments into teachable ones—and help kids of all ages express gratitude, creativity, and joy.

We’ve done the hard part for you! Inside this free, beautifully organized guide, you’ll get instant access to 32 of the best Thanksgiving crafts for kids—sorted by age, activity type, and prep level. No more endless scrolling or last-minute Pinterest searches.

Download the free guide now and make this Thanksgiving calm, meaningful, and craft-filled!

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