Thanksgiving Activities for Kids

Turkey Suncatcher Thanksgiving Craft for Kids

November 6, 2017 By Terri Thompson

We’ve been on a bit of a suncatcher kick lately. I love to see them hanging in the window. Even on the cloudiest days, they can bring in a bit of cheery sunlight.

We’ve made them for Halloween, Easter, and any day in between. Now we just need some for Thanksgiving.

Our turkey suncatcher was such an easy Thanksgiving craft to make and so much fun. It brightens up the window and make me smile every day.

And, once you’ve made your suncatcher, check out all of our Thanksgiving crafts for kids to find more fun activities.

Brighten up your window with this colorful Thanksgiving craft for kids, Turkey Suncatcher. It's a fun craft for preschool and elementary kids.

Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for more details.

Supplies Needed

Clear contact paper
Colored tissue paper
Brown construction paper
Scissors
Red and Black Markers

How to make your Turkey Suncatcher

You want to begin by making the frame for your turkey tail. I drew a loopy pattern for my tail; it looked a bit like a bush. Make it the size of a whole sheet of construction paper.

Use your leftover paper to make a simple neck and head piece.

Use the markers to draw your turkey face.

Measure your turkey tail and cut 2 pieces of clear contact paper for each suncatcher. You want to make sure you have extra contact paper around all the edges.

Peel the backing off of one piece of contact paper and place it sticky side up on the table. I usually tape down the edges a bit to keep the contact paper from sliding around. Place your tail outline and your turkey head face-down on your contact paper.

Next, and this is the best part, start tearing pieces from your colored tissue paper. We used red, orange, green, and yellow tissue paper.

Fill in the open part of your turkey tail with your tissue paper bits. If you’re doing this project with a toddler, go ahead and tear the tissue pieces for them. And if you’ve got a toddler, this really is a perfect Thanksgiving craft to do with them. My girls always loved sticking things on contact paper at that age and we made many suncatchers when they were little.

Preserve your Thanksgiving Suncatcher for years to come

After you’ve filled in your tail, carefully attach your second piece of contact paper over top. You’ll want your turkey to be in between both sheets of contact paper. I still do this step for the girls since it is a bit difficult to line everything up. It’s not a necessary step, but by doing this you’ll be able to pack your turkeys away and hang up your Thanksgiving suncatcher year after year.

Display your turkey suncatcher in a bright window

We’ve got our turkey suncatcher hanging up on our patio door and it’s so bright and cheery. We may have to make a few more to brighten our windows!

Brighten up your window with this colorful Thanksgiving craft for kids, Turkey Suncatcher. It's a fun craft for preschool and elementary kids. #Thanksgiving #kidscrafts #CreativeFamilyFun

You may also enjoy one of these Thanksgiving activities:

12 Turkey Crafts for Thanksgiving

Acorn Gratitude Banner

Balloons Over Broadway Book and Craft

Pilgrim Photo Puppets at Toddler Approved

Gratitude Conversation Starters for Families

October 30, 2017 By Terri Thompson

How often do you talk about gratitude with your kids?

I try to make gratitude an ongoing conversation at our house. But it’s not always easy. Thank goodness for these gratitude conversation starters.

I don’t ever want my girls to take our wonderful life for granted. Even though we have had some trials and some not-so-good days, we are still very fortunate.

It’s not always easy to have that conversation and sometimes I’m at a loss. I don’t want to ask the same questions every day. That’s an easy way to get everyone to lose interest! I want to get my girls thinking and looking at all areas of their life. I want them to look at the little things, not just the big picture.

So, I started brainstorming and jotting down questions. When I was done, I had a set of conversation starters to use to get us talking.

Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.

The Benefits of Conversation Starters

I love conversation starters because they take all the awkwardness out of starting a conversation. Just grab a strip and read the question out loud.

Mom and Dad can ask the kids or the kids can ask the parents.

They give you things to talk about that you may not have thought about before.

Gratitude Conversation Starters

Here are some examples of the questions your will find in this set of gratitude conversation starters:

What is your favorite part about your home? Why?

What abilities do you have that you are grateful for?

What is one of your favorite things to do? Why are you grateful for it?

What is something about your teacher that you are grateful for?

Who did something nice for you today? What was it?

What is something you love doing with your parents?

This is just a sample of the questions I came up with. In all, I have 20 questions covering the big and little things in life. Keep scrolling to “How to Use Your Conversation Starters” for a free pdf you can download and print.

How to Use Your Conversation Starters

Print off a set of conversations starters (it will take 2 pieces of paper). Cut the strips apart and find a fun way to display them.

You can put them in a cute thankful jar or fold them up and put them in a bowl. Place one in front of everyone’s plate at dinner time. It really doesn’t matter. What’s important is the conversation that develops.

You can find your free pdf of the Gratitude Conversation Starters here.

These are perfect for dinner time or even a long car trip. Pull out a strip and have everyone answer. Let the conversation flow. Remember all the little things and be grateful for your wonderful life with these gratitude conversation starters.

Incorporate Your Gratitude Conversation Starters Into Your Dining Room Decor:

Store your conversations starters in a pretty container such as:

A pretty jar with a chalk label that you can personalize.

An elegant blessings bowl with gold accents.

A rustic “Count Your Blessing” ceramic gratitude jar.

Or use a simple and colorful gratitude coffee mug.

Get your kids started talking about gratitude with these printable Gratitude Conversation Starters that are perfect for family time. #Thanksgiving #gratitude #familytime #CreativeFamilyFun

More Gratitude Activities to Do With Your Family

Acorn Gratitude Banner

Volunteer as a Family: Support Your Local Food Bank

Thanksgiving Gratitude Acrostic Poem at School Time Snippets

How to Give Thanks With an Obstacle Course at Thriving STEM

30+ Thanksgiving Activities for Kids at The Artful Parent

Get your kids started talking about gratitude with these printable Gratitude Conversation Starters that are perfect for family dinner time.

Countdown to Christmas

If you’re anything like me, I know you’re looking for fun family activities to do this Christmas. But, not just anything. I’m not looking for elaborate and I’m definitely not looking for something that would require a million trips to the craft store.

That’s why I just love Countdown to Christmas – 24 Activities, Crafts, and Recipes to Countdown to Christmas by Cerys Parker from Rainy Day Mum. The activities are simple (you won’t find anything elaborate) and definitely fun. They’re perfect for families. And, they’re perfect for the advent season.

This fabulous resource for Christmas family fun can be purchased here. Take a peek, you’ll love it!

Are you looking for more family activities?

Join our fun Facebook community, Creative Family Fun for Busy Families, for daily activities that are great for kids and families. We’ll chat, share, and have fun. It’s a safe and private place to share idea for family and kids activities.

I’d love for you to join me! Just click the link below, request to join, and answer the questions (they’re easy, I promise). Come join the fun! Join the Creative Family Fun for Busy Families community here.

Telling Time with a Turkey Clock

November 18, 2016 By Terri Thompson

How does a turkey tell time?

With a turkey clock, of course!

Okay, okay… I know none of us are trying to teach a turkey how to tell time. But, I know plenty of kids that need to learn.

A Turkey Clock is a fun Thanksgiving math activity that will help your kids learn how to tell time.

And, once you’ve made your clock, check out all of our fun Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids here.

Practice telling time with a turkey clock. It's a fun Thanksgiving math activity that your kids will love. It's perfect for homeschool or classrooms.

Let’s gather our supplies and get ready to make this fun paper plate clock.

Supplies Needed:

2 paper plates
Orange, red, brown, white, and yellow paint
Red construction paper (you’ll only need a small piece, so a scrap of paper will work)
Ruler
Black permanent marker
Brass fastener
Glue

How to Make Your Clock:

Use your ruler and a pencil to divide the edges of one paper plate into 12 equal sections. This will be your turkey feathers and the numbers on your clock.

Paint each outer section in alternating colors of orange and red.

Paint the round middle section with brown paint.

While your turkey is drying, draw two beak shapes on your second paper plate. These will be the hands on your clock, so you will want one beak to be longer than the other.

Paint each beak with yellow paint.

Cut your beaks out once they are dry.

After the brown paint dries, locate the middle of your turkey plate. Put your brass fastener through the wide top of your short beak and then the wide top of your long beak. Attach your beaks to your plate by pushing the fastener through the middle of your turkey plate.

Paint two white ovals above your beaks for the eyes.

Use the red construction paper and cut out a small piece for the wattle. Glue this next to the beaks.

Once all your paint is dry, use your black permanent marker to write your numbers on your clock and add the details to your eyes.

How to Play with Your Turkey Clock:

Tell Time: Move the beaks to a specific time. Have your child read the clock and tell you what time it is.

Move the Beaks to a Specific Time: Ask your child to show 3:00 or to show 6:45. Call out different times and have them move the beaks to the correct locations.

Find Elapsed Time: Elapsed time is the amount of time that has passed. You can use your turkey clock to practice calculating elapsed time. Set the clock to a specific time, such as 2:00. Ask your child what time it will be in 30 minutes. Let them use the clock to figure out the new time.

This Turkey Clock is a fun tool to use in the classroom or at home to practice telling time. It’s easy to make and a great way to get your kids learning.

12 Turkey Crafts for Thanksgiving

October 28, 2016 By Terri Thompson

I don’t just love to eat turkey on Thanksgiving.

I love to decorate with them too.

Since my favorite things to decorate with are kid-made, I’ve rounded up a batch of fun turkey crafts for Thanksgiving.

Take a look. Which one should my girls and I make for this year?

(And if you’re looking for other types of Thanksgiving crafts, you can find all of our Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids at this link.)

Get ready for Thanksgiving by making one of these fun turkey crafts for kids. They're all fun, colorful, and perfect to use when decorating for the holiday.

They’re all so colorful and so much fun. I know each and every one of them would be so much fun to make.

Which one of these turkey crafts is your favorite?

12 Fun Turkey Crafts

1. This Egg Carton Turkey from Red Ted Art is also a treat holder.

2. Use fall leaves to make this pretty Leaf Turkey at Crafty Morning.

3. Turn a paper plate into a beautiful Stained Glass Turkey at Crafts on Sea.

4. Use folded paper feathers to make this fun Paper Turkey Craft from The Inspired Treehouse.

5. Transform a paper plate into this colorful Painted Paper Plate Turkey from Happy Hooligans.

6. Decorate your windows with our pretty Turkey Suncatchers.

7. Grab some newspaper from the recycling bin to make this Painted Newspaper Turkey Craft from I Heart Crafty Things.

8. Reflect on all the things you are thankful for while making this Thankful Turkey from The Resourceful Mama.

9. Try a new twist on the classic hand print turkey with this fun Turkey Craft from I Heart Crafty Things.

10. Play a fun name activity that results in a cute craft with this Feather Letter Turkey at Growing Book by Book.

11. These cool Construction Paper Turkeys from Twitchetts would also make a great Thanksgiving centerpiece.

12. Paint with feathers and then turn your masterpiece into these fun Feather Painted Turkeys from Crafts on Sea.

I still don’t know which of these turkey crafts we should make this year. Maybe we’ll have to try all twelve!

Balloons over Broadway: Book and Craft

November 14, 2014 By Terri Thompson

We try every year to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV. Sometimes we’re able to see the whole thing and other years we see bits and pieces. I’ve been watching it ever since I was a child and I love to pass the fun along to my girls.

This year we learned a little about the history of the parade and the man who originally created the concept of the balloons with the book Balloons Over Broadway. Then, we made our own Thanksgiving craft by making our own parade balloons.

Once you’re done with this fun craft, you can find more Thanksgiving crafts for kids here.

Make your own version of the balloon puppets in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade inspired by the book Balloons Over Broadway.

Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links. Please see my disclosure for more details.