Thanksgiving Kid Craft – Turkey Placecards

Last week, we attended the ‘”THANKSGIVING FEAST” put on by the Little Lady’s preschool; it was all she talked about for weeks, telling us every little Thanksgiving fact and historical tidbit she learned along the way.

(She was most impressed with the notion that the “Indians” had lived in “teepees” and had a fire “in those tents!”  “Can you believe that, Mommy?”)

When the big day came, the Little Lady’s class were the Native Americans and all came marching out in their construction-paper headdresses and foam amulets.

Following the prompts and hand-gestures of their Scottish music teacher (to whom I could listen all day long), they sang a couple of very loud and jumbled songs about being Thankful and about eating.

(I think that’s what they sang about …. with nearly 60 little voices all singing the words at different times and at different volumes, it was a little difficult to make it out.  But they were stinkin’ adorable anyway)

Upon finishing their mini-concert, each child was reunited with their picture-taking parent (no, I wasn’t the only one) and we all ate together.

One big loving, macaronie-and-cheese-and-turkey covered family.

(Even preschoolers are messy eaters.)

The assigned seating was arranged by family, with cute little Turkeys showing off your area.  Each little preschooler had carefully crafted their family’s turkey place-card.

And, since they are too cute not to share and so easy to make, I thought I would offer the Little Lady’s Kid-Friendly Thanksgiving Craft for anyone that needs a Thanksgiving day activity for the little ones.

(You know — to keep them out from under your feet while you prepare the real turkey!)

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Thanksgiving Turkey Place-Setting Craft

Supplies (for 1 Turkey):

• Brown Construction Paper
• Red and Orange Construction Paper
• Brown Tissue Paper
• 2 “Googly” Eyes
• 1 Coffee Filter
• A small clear plastic cup or the bottom of a clear plastic soda/water bottle
• Markers or crayons
• Scissors
• Glue
• Pencil or pen for tracing

Instructions

Adults:

• Use the pencil or pen to trace your child’s foot on the brown construction paper and then cut it out with scissors.
• Next, cut a small triangle (for the turkey’s beak) from the orange construction paper and a kidney shape from the red construction paper (for the turkey’s snood).
• If using a water bottle for this craft, cut the bottom of the bottle away for your child to use.
• If using these turkeys as place-cards, write the appropriate person’s name on the front of the turkey’s body.

Kids (with adult supervision if your child isn’t old enough to be around small objects):

• Glue the googly eyes onto the “heel” portion of the brown turkey body.  Next glue the orange beak and the red snood on the turkey’s face.
• Glue pieces of brown tissue paper over the plastic cup or water bottle piece.
• Use the markers or crayons to color the coffee filter, creating “feathers” from the accordion folds.
• Next fold the coffee filter in half and glue it to the back of the tissue covered plastic bottle/cup.
• Glue the turkey body to the front of the tissue covered plastic bottle/cup.
• Allow everything to dry and then place it on your Thanksgiving table!

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