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Thanksgiving has historically evoked mixed emotions for the average American. Some of the stressors include cooking, cleaning, traveling, the usual family drama — which causes 71% of Americans to dread this holiday.
But recent research has shown that giving thanks can help quell the anxiety and animosity. “When we give and receive [gratitude], our brain is automatically redirected to pay attention to what we have,” psychiatric counselor Madhuleena Roy Chowdhury wrote for PositivePsychology.com.
So in the midst of the prepping and the tension and the lulls in conversation, choose to practice thankfulness and give some of these Thanksgiving crafts and activities a try. They might feel cheesy, but sometimes a little cheese is necessary to make things stick back together again.
“Remembering, giving thanks, is what puts us back together again in this hurried, broken, fragmented world.” ~ Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts
Thanksgiving crafts for preschoolers
These toddler Thanksgiving crafts are great to do as a family, and will help usher guests into an atmosphere of thankfulness when they enter your home.
1. Gratitude banner
Count “up” to Thanksgiving with this easy autumn leaf garland. Print out the free Mom.com leaf template, cut, and clip onto the garland string using clothespins. Each day, practice an attitude of gratitude with your kids by having them write what they are thankful for on a leaf. Don’t forget to add yours, too!
2. Thankful turkeys
This construction paper turkey is a colorful way for your kids to display what they’re thankful for. Using the free template provided by children’s learning blog A Dab of Glue Will Do, kids can practice their tracing and cutting skills to make feathers. Write what they’re thankful for on the feather, then attach to the turkey’s body. This craft can also be made with balloons, pumpkins, or even cookies!
3. More thankful turkeys
For your visual and performance art lovers, try this simple but impressive turkey “tape resist” art project, or make turkey finger puppets and prepare a puppet show for your Thanksgiving dinner guests.
4. Fall leaf bowl
Create a beautiful bowl made of artificial fall maple leaves, Mod Podge, and a balloon! Then fill it with these free “I Am Thankful” cards from Uncommon Designs, and top it off with your favorite candy. Get the instructions at ToSimplyInspire.com.
Thanksgiving activities for toddlers at the dinner table
These “ice breaker” activities should be led by your kids and will help bring everyone into a posture of gratitude from the start.
5. “I Am Thankful” placemats
Set the table with some crayons and these playful coloring sheets from Kids Activities Blog or Teachers Pay Teachers. Kids will not only be entertained, but they can practice being dinner hosts by encouraging everyone to go around and share what they drew/wrote.
6. Gratitude tree
This activity, recommended by Grace Kim, mom of three, is both a conversation starter and a lovely centerpiece. “It creates an atmosphere of thankfulness in my home, because it helps us remember the blessings we have every time we walk by it,” Kim told Mom.com. “It also helps Mama, and keeps the kids busy with all the tracing and cutting!”
Arrange several 1- to 2-foot twigs in a tall vase filled with small rocks, then make leaf tags using paper and string. Have your kids pass out the tags to guests as they arrive, asking them to write down what they’re thankful for, then add their leaves to the tree. Visit KidsActivitiesBlog.com for inspiration.
Outdoor Thanksgiving activities for family bonding time
These activities are a way to slow down as a family and provide some much-needed time to check in with one another, share highs and lows, and just enjoy one another’s company.
7. Autumn wreaths
Take your family on a nature walk to collect materials such as colorful leaves, pine branches, berries, acorns, and small pine cones. Arrange on a donut-shaped paper plate, and let kids attach with Tacky Glue. Visit crafting blog Little Birdie Secrets for inspiration.
8. Pumpkin volcano
All families will experience eruptions at times, but they come out more bonded because of them … and this eruption is no different! Take your family outside, gut that old Halloween pumpkin you didn’t get a chance to carve, and fill it with baking soda, vinegar, and dish soap. Then watch it erupt with bubbles! Go to GreenKidCrafts.com for instructions.
9. Apple picking
Go on a family outing to your local apple picking farm. Enjoy apple cider donuts, fall foliage, and of course your kids will love getting to eat the apples they’ve picked themselves! Don’t forget your cute fall sweaters, because you’re sure to come across some beautiful family photo-ops. Once you have your apples, create more Thanksgiving activities for preschoolers by making apple pie, apple chips, or another sweet treat.
