12 Easy Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids( Free Templates)
Thanksgiving week can get busy—between cooking, cleaning, and trying to keep the kids entertained, most of us are looking for activities that are simple, cute, and won’t cost a ton of money.
If your kids love hands-on projects (or you just need a little quiet time before dinner starts), these easy Thanksgiving crafts are perfect.
Everything on this list uses affordable supplies, keeps the mess minimal, and works for kids of different ages.
If you are looking for Thanksgiving crafts for babies check out this post.
Save this post so you can use it year after year!
10 Easy Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids
From turkeys to pumpkins to fall décor they can actually display, your kids will have so much fun creating these.
Let’s jump into the cutest and easiest Thanksgiving crafts your kids will love this year!
1. Paper Plate Turkey Craft
This classic never gets old! Kids paint a paper plate, add colorful feathers or torn paper around the edges, and glue on a face. You can also use markers or dot stickers for a quick version.
2. Handprint Turkey Keepsake
Handprint crafts are always adorable—and they’re perfect for saving in a memory box.
Trace or paint your child’s hand, turn the fingers into feathers, and decorate with markers or googly eyes.
3. Pumpkin Seed Art
Instead of throwing out pumpkin seeds, wash and dry them, then let your kids paint them in fall colors.
They can glue them onto paper in shapes like leaves, pumpkins, or turkey feathers.
4. Thankful Tree
Cut out a simple paper tree trunk and let kids add colorful paper leaves.
On each leaf, they write (or tell you) something they’re thankful for. Hang it on the wall as decor for Thanksgiving week.
Get a free gratitude template tree here.
5. Turkey Headband Craft
Kids love anything they can wear.
Use construction paper to make a simple headband with big paper feathers sticking out the back.
They can decorate each feather with drawings or stickers.
Get a free printable over at frostingandglue.com.
6. Corn Mosaic Craft
Cut out a corn shape, add glue, and let kids stick on yellow and orange tissue paper squares. You can also use dry corn kernels, pasta, or pom-poms.
7. Popsicle Stick Scarecrow
Paint popsicle sticks, glue them together, add some yarn hair, and draw on a sweet little scarecrow face.
Add a mini hat cut from cardstock for an easy fall decoration.
8. Leaf Rubbing Art
Take your kids outside for a quick leaf hunt. Place the leaves under paper and use crayons to rub over them.
It creates beautiful fall designs and also teaches kids about textures and shapes.
9. Cupcake Liner Turkey
Flatten a cupcake liner for the turkey body, then glue colorful liners or paper triangles as feathers.
Add a beak, eyes, and little legs—super easy and super cute.
10. Paper Bag Turkey Puppet
Kids can decorate a lunch bag with feathers, a beak, and eyes.
Add paper wings and feet and let them put on a Thanksgiving puppet show.
11. Painted Corn on the Cob (Bubble Wrap Stamp)
This is a fun trick!
Wrap bubble wrap around a rolling pin or small bottle, paint it yellow and orange, then roll it onto paper.
It makes the perfect texture for corn!
12. Thankful Placemat Craft
I really love this one.
Let your kids create their own Thanksgiving placemat using cardstock or a laminated sheet.
They can draw food, write what they’re thankful for, or decorate with stickers. Laminate it to reuse every year.
Here is a free thankful placemat craft printable.
I hope these little craft ideas bring some fun and calm into your Thanksgiving week.
These 12 easy Thanksgiving crafts are simple enough for younger kids but still fun for older ones.
Try a few this week, display them proudly, and enjoy the gentle fall chaos that comes with holidays and little hands creating cute things.
Don’t forget to save this for later—these crafts are perfect to pull out all season long.
