Easy Thanksgiving Crafts for Toddlers: 3 Fun, Simple, & Meaningful Ideas
Fall is the perfect time to slow down, get creative, and make memories with your little one. If you’re looking for simple, low-prep ways to keep your toddler busy (and learning!) during this Thanksgiving holiday, you’re in the right place. These three easy Thanksgiving crafts for toddlers are full of hands-on fun—each one sparking creativity, sensory play, and gratitude in age-appropriate ways.
1. For when you want to stay in… Make a Modeling Clay Turkey!
This craft was an immediate winner in our household. It was simple, adorable and kept my son entertained and engaged. It gave us time to talk through the placement of things, while giving him complete creative freedom.
All it took was one cannister of brown model magic, a multi-pack of feathers, a pack of googly eyes, and an orange pipe cleaner.
Steps:
- Have your little one shape their Model Magic into their desired turkey shape.
- Show them where they can add all of their tail feathers.
- Take one pipe cleaner and cut it into two legs and one small beak.
- Now they can place their legs, beak, and googly eyes for a finished product!
By the end you may have a whole gaggle of Thanksgiving keepsakes! 🦃 🦃 🦃
2. For when you want to explore… Take a Turkey-Making Nature Walk!
With the changing colors of the leaves, the crisp autumn air, and those early sunsets, who wouldn’t want to get out and adventure? So, that’s what we did! We took a basket of fall leaves and a unassuming paper plate and turned it into a leaf turkey! 🍂
The only supply I needed for this activity was a thin paper plate (like the ones you get at a pizza place). The other items I used were regular art supplies like paint and scissors. And of course, our leaves from outside!
Steps:
- Go on a journey with your little one to collect tons of leaves in all different shapes, colors, and sizes. I brought mine home to dry first, since we went on a particularly rainy day.
- Take your paper plate and trace a turkey head shape onto it with a pencil.
- Have them color in their turkey and give it a cute face!
- Poke holes along the top edge of the plate to thread your leaves through. (You may need to assist your little turkeys with this step depending on ability level!)
You’ll not only get an adorable turkey-day decoration, but you’ll also have spent time appreciating the changing of the seasons with your little learner! 🍁
3. For when you are feeling grateful… Make a Gratitude Cornucopia!
After all, Thanksgiving is about showing thankfulness. That’s why I made this free printable to make the gratitude conversation just that much easier, and fun! We talked and reflected upon the things we were grateful for, and since my son isn’t at the age to write in his answers yet (or have coherent drawings :P) I wrote them in for him. Then he colored them in and attached them to his gratitude cornucopia that we made out of a simple grocery bag!
All of the instructions for this activity are on the printable itself, which you can download below.
Having this visual of gratefulness is an awesome reminder of what’s important in life, especially as we finish out our year. You’ll be surprised at some of their answers!
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Final Thoughts
I’m so glad we started off this month with these activities, as it not only helped add some homemade decor to our now-decor-less home 😅 but it allowed the gratitude conversation to begin early. It’s natural to wait until Thanksgiving day, when we are all gathered around that delicious meal to ask “so what are YOU thankful for this year?” But with these activities, we were able to take time to reminisce those awesome memories, enjoy ourselves on an afternoon walk, and giggle like a gaggle over those silly turkeys.
If you try any of these crafts out, I would love to see them! Tag me on Instagram @ReasHomegrown so I can give you kudos for your hard work ☺️
❤️ Until next time
