child with a turkey hat holding pumpkin out to mom Thanksgiving is right around the corner! As you plan table settings and gather ingredients for the big feast, have you thought about keeping the kids occupied? Crafts are a great alternative to kids playing on smartphones. While you’re preparing for Turkey Day, these easy DIY projects can keep the kids entertained, while spending quality time with family.

1. Owl Handprints

The supplies needed for this project include colored cardstock, feathers, scissors and glue. Have the kids start by tracing their handprints on a piece of colored cardstock; mom or dad can cut out the handprints.

With safe scissors, the kids can cut small triangles of cardstock for the turkey’s ears and beak, as well as two white circles for the eyes. Lastly, it’s time to glue on the ears, beak and eyes, followed by feathers on the thumb and pinky finger.

2. Turkey Windsocks

You will need a clean, empty food can, brown paint, glue, a painters pen, googly eyes, colored ribbons, felt and construction paper to make the windsocks. Help the kids paint their food cans brown and let them dry before drawing a triangle beak in the center.

Make feathers by gluing felt pieces to construction paper, then attach them to the can, along with the googly eyes. Mom or dad will then measure and cut 18-inch strips of ribbon to be glued to the inside bottom of the can. Finally, two more ribbons are glued to the inside top of the can, so the windsocks can be tied up.

3. Turkey Hand Puppets

This project requires feathers, a low-heat glue gun, winter gloves, colored felt and scissors. Start by cutting a triangle of orange felt for the turkey beak and gluing it to the glove thumb. Red felt, used for the turkey wattle, can be wrapped around the beak and glued on. Then, the kids can have fun gluing their own pattern of feathers to the glove fingers on both sides.

4. Scarecrow Jars

The supplies needed for this project include acrylic craft paint, faux hay, burlap ribbon, googly eyes, a fake sunflower, low-heat glue gun and a black marker. First, paint the Mason jar tan and allow it to dry before painting an orange beak in the center as a beak.

Draw the smile with black marker and glue on the googly eyes. Strands of faux hay are then glued to either side of the Mason jar as hair. Next, cut a thick piece of burlap ribbon, apply glue and wrap it around the top of the jar. Finally, glue the fake sunflower to one side of the burlap.

5. Fall Bookmark

This very simple project only requires felt, popsicle sticks, scissors and glue. Cut the felt into a leaf shape, glue it to the stick and the kids can decorate however they like. This is a great way to encourage reading over the holiday break!

6. Edible Turkey Cookies

You will need Nutter Butters, mini peanut butter cups, candy corn, candy eyes, red sprinkles and candy melt medallions for this edible craft. Have an adult start by melting the candy medallions to be used as “glue”.

Dab a small amount of candy glue onto the center of a cookie and gently press on a peanut butter cup. Continue to “glue” on the eyes, red sprinkle wattle and candy corn feathers. An orange candy corn piece can be used as the turkey beak.
 
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